Barrington Court

Over het museum

Barrington Court lies on the edge of the Somerset Levels, where there has been a house since the Norman Conquest. For centuries the manor belonged to the Daubeney family, and in 1552 it was bought by William Clifton, a cloth merchant. The present Court House was most probably built for him and finished around 1559. It is essentially a Gothic mansion with twisted chimneys and finials above ham stone gables, although the symmetrical south front shows the influence of the Italian Renaissance.

In the 1620s the house and part of the land were bought by William Strode, whose family had also made money in the cloth trade. His son William Strode II built a large, modern stable block next to the Court House in 1674, now called Strode House, with his initials in the brickwork. Barrington Court later became the first house acquired by the National Trust.

Colonel Lyle and his wife took on the estate in 1920 and spent five years restoring the Tudor mansion with the architect James Edwin Forbes. Lyle collected historic woodwork and fireplaces from lost houses and used them inside, and the Lyles also remodelled Strode House as their home. Gertrude Jekyll influenced the formal walled gardens. Court House is closed at present for a major conservation project, while the ground floor of Strode House, reopened in June 2024, tells the history of the estate and of the Lyle family’s home.

Hoogtepunten

• Strode House of 1674 with an exhibition on the estate and the Lyle family
• Colonel Lyle’s architectural salvage, such as panelling and fireplaces
• Formal walled gardens influenced by Gertrude Jekyll, including the Lily, White and Rose and Iris gardens
• Orchards with more than 100 apple varieties
• Court House under conservation (closed to visitors)

Vaste collectie

• Strode House ground floor – A historical timeline of the Barrington estate and the story of how Colonel Lyle restored the buildings and furnished them with architectural salvage.
• Gardens and orchards – Formal walled gardens influenced by Gertrude Jekyll, a kitchen garden and orchards, set in more than 70 acres of estate.

Beheerder

National Trust

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

Prices are for the whole property without Gift Aid and are reduced while Court House is closed for conservation work; with Gift Aid the adult ticket costs £14.30, the child ticket £7.20 and the family ticket £35.80. Entry is free for National Trust members. Parking is free.

Toegankelijkheid

• Deels rolstoeltoegankelijk
• Lift: geen informatie
• Aangepast toilet
• Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats
• Hulphonden welkom
• Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten: geen informatie
• Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
• Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
• Audiodescriptie: geen informatie

The ground floor of Strode House can be visited in a manual wheelchair, and manual wheelchairs can be borrowed at Visitor Reception. Some paths are uneven. An accessible toilet is opposite Visitor Reception, accessible parking spaces are behind Visitor Reception, and there is a drop-off point. Assistance dogs are welcome throughout, including Strode House and the kitchen garden.

Kinderen & gezin

Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen

• Gezinsrondleidingen & workshops
• Speurtocht, doeboekje of kinderaudiotour

Seasonal trails and holiday workshops are offered, such as a creatures spotter trail and drop-in woodwork sessions in half term, and apple harvest days in the orchards. An adventure booklet can be collected at Visitor Reception in term time. Sensory backpacks for children with autism and sensory processing needs can be borrowed free. In Strode House children can look for Polly the missing parrot and, in winter, play vintage games. There is plenty of space for picnics on the South Lawn and outside the café.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

The house is on the B3168, signposted from the A358 between Ilminster and Taunton and from the A303. Sat navs wrongly direct drivers to the rear entrance, so the National Trust recommends using the what3words location rags.could.galaxy and following the brown signs. National Cycle Network route 30 passes nearby, and the nearest cycle hire is in Langport.

Service & horeca

• Café
• Museumwinkel

Beagles Café with indoor seating and tables outside, a National Trust shop in the old farm buildings, a book barn of second-hand books, and four independent craft businesses on the Avenue. Two electric vehicle charging points (bring your own cable) work during opening hours. Dogs on leads are welcome in the estate, garden (except the kitchen garden) and parkland.

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

Het museum heeft hierover geen informatie gepubliceerd.

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