Dyrham Park

About the museum

The manor of Dyrham is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, and the name is thought to mean a deer enclosure. In 1689 the estate came to William Blathwayt through marriage. Blathwayt was Secretary at War to William III, and he rebuilt the older house in stages: a west front in the 1690s, a stable block in 1698 and a new east front from about 1704, designed by William Talman.

The interiors reflect Blathwayt's career and contacts with the Netherlands. They contain Dutch paintings, delftware, textiles and furniture, and the rooms have changed little since his time. The gardens were laid out by George London, and the house stands within an ancient deer park with a herd of fallow deer. The house is also linked to the neighbouring church of St Peter.

The Blathwayt family owned Dyrham until 1956, when the government acquired it, and the National Trust took it over in 1961. The house was used to shelter evacuated children during the Second World War. Major roof repairs took place in 2014 and 2015, and the house and 270-acre estate are open to the public.

Highlights

• Baroque house with an east front by William Talman
• Dutch paintings, delftware and furniture in the interiors
• Ancient deer park with fallow deer
• Formal gardens, orangery and orchard
• Old Lodge play area and parkland café

Permanent exhibition

• The house and its Dutch interiors – Baroque rooms furnished with Dutch paintings, delftware and furniture collected in the time of William Blathwayt.

Operated by

National Trust

Admission & discounts

Prices are from 1 March 2026 and are without Gift Aid (adult £25.30 with Gift Aid). National Trust members enter free and no pre-booking is needed. Non-members pay £4 a day or £2 for two hours for parking.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The house's ground floor, exhibition, garden, tea-room and shop have level access, but the parkland is steep and uneven in places and some areas are cobbled. The first floor is reached by stairs only; a tablet and photobook show it to visitors who cannot climb them. Twelve Blue Badge spaces are in the main car park. Four wheelchairs and a powered mobility vehicle can be borrowed, and two wheelchair-accessible 8-seat vehicles run between the car park and the house. Fixed induction loops are at all tills. Assistance dogs are the only dogs allowed on site because of the deer.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Playground / play area

The National Trust offers trails and activities in school holidays, term-time sessions for pre-schoolers on Tuesdays from March to October, and a play area at the Old Lodge in the parkland that is open all year.

Getting there & parking

Dyrham Park is 8 miles north of Bath on the A46 and 12 miles east of Bristol, 2 miles south of junction 18 of the M4. Satellite navigation postcode: SN14 8HY, entering the car park from the A46. The Cotswold Way links Dyrham with Bath. Cyclists can lock bikes at the car park or use the lane from Sand's Hill; bikes cannot be taken into the park or garden.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

The tea-room is by the house and a café is at the Old Lodge in the parkland (open daily from March to October and in school holidays, weekends only in term time from November to February). A shop, a second-hand bookshop and a plant shop are on site, with picnic areas in the garden and parkland. Phone signal is patchy.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit