Westwood Manor

About the museum

Westwood Manor is a small stone manor house in the Wiltshire village of Westwood, built over three centuries from the 15th century. Each generation adapted it, which is why it combines late Gothic and Jacobean windows, decorative plasterwork and a mixture of building phases under one roof.

The house owes much of its present character to a restoration in the early 20th century. In 1911 Edgar “Ted” Lister bought it and restored it with great attention to detail, aiming to bring back its 17th-century appearance. By taking out later alterations he uncovered original wall panelling, ceilings and window glazing that had been hidden beneath plaster.

The rooms are furnished with period furniture and with seventeenth and eighteenth century tapestries. Two important keyboard instruments are kept here: a virginal dating from 1537, described as the earliest Italian keyboard instrument in the country, and a spinet made in London by Stephen Keene in 1711. Both were restored to full working order in 2009 with the support of the National Trust and private donors.

Lister also laid out the garden, which has lawns, clipped topiary and two small pool gardens covered in water lilies that are home to the protected great crested newt. The National Trust owns the house, which is let to tenants.

Highlights

• Virginal of 1537, the earliest Italian keyboard instrument in the country
• Spinet by Stephen Keene, London, 1711
• Decorative plasterwork and panelling uncovered during the 1911 restoration
• Period furniture and 17th and 18th-century tapestries
• Topiary garden with water-lily pools and great crested newts

Permanent exhibition

• Westwood Manor – A small 15th-century manor house with decorative plasterwork, period furniture, tapestries and early keyboard instruments, set in a topiary garden.

Operated by

National Trust

Admission & discounts

Prices are for the manor and garden and are the standard admission price without Gift Aid. National Trust members enter free.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: not available
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

There is no lift. The ground floor is wheelchair accessible: the path to the entrance is uneven stone with a step through an archway, and there is one uneven step into the house, where staff or volunteers can provide a ramp on request. Some rooms have a step at the door. The first floor is reached by 18 steps with handrails and cannot be reached by wheelchair, but a photograph album is available for visitors who cannot climb the stairs. A sensory bag, chairs in the rooms and a Braille and large-print guide are available on request. The accessible toilet is in the adjacent Parish Rooms next to the church, which are not National Trust property. Only assistance dogs are allowed.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The village is signed off the B3109 between Bradford-on-Avon and Rode. Turn left opposite the New Inn towards the church. The entrance to the manor is through the metal gate to the right of the church.

Amenities & dining

There is a plant stall with cash sales only. The only toilet is in the adjacent Parish Rooms next to the church, which belong to the parish and not the National Trust.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit