Boughton House

Over het museum

Boughton House was a Tudor manor when Ralph Montagu inherited it in 1683. Montagu had been English ambassador in Paris and rebuilt the house with French architectural ideas, which is why it is often called the English Versailles. William III stayed in the new state apartments in 1695, and the painted ceilings were made by Louis Chéron. His son John, the 2nd Duke of Montagu, laid out about 100 acres of formal landscape with canals, avenues and water features.

After the death of the 2nd Duke the dukedom of Montagu became extinct and the house passed through the female line to families whose main homes were elsewhere. For about two centuries it was little changed, which helped preserve its interiors. In the 20th century it again became a family home of the Dukes of Buccleuch and Queensberry, descendants of the Montagus.

Today the house is looked after by the Buccleuch Living Heritage Trust, a charity that uses admission income for conservation and education. It holds part of the Buccleuch Collection, including paintings by El Greco, Van Dyck and Gainsborough, French furniture by André-Charles Boulle, Sèvres porcelain, Mortlake tapestries and an armoury of swords, pistols and armour. The gardens and parkland have been restored in recent years.

Hoogtepunten

• Baroque state rooms with ceilings painted by Louis Chéron
• Buccleuch Collection with works by El Greco, Van Dyck and Gainsborough
• Armoury of swords, pistols and armour
• French furniture by André-Charles Boulle and Mortlake tapestries
• Landscaped gardens, lakes and parkland
• State Coach in the Coach House

Vaste collectie

• Great Hall Tour and State Rooms – Ten ground-floor rooms from 1528 onwards, including the Great Hall, and the baroque state apartments created for the visit of William III in 1695.
• The Buccleuch Collection – Paintings, French furniture, porcelain, tapestries and rugs from the Buccleuch Collection displayed in the rooms of the house.
• The Armoury – A collection of swords, pistols and armour, some more than 500 years old, shown as part of the Great Hall tour.

Beheerder

Buccleuch Living Heritage Trust

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

The regular price is for the Great Hall Tour or the State Rooms Tour, both of which include the gardens, the Armoury and the stableyard. Historic Houses members enter free for the gardens and the Great Hall Tour, and pay £5 for the State Rooms Tour. Car parking is free with a garden or house ticket. A Summer Garden Pass allows free garden returns in July and August.

Toegankelijkheid

• Deels rolstoeltoegankelijk
• Lift
• 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 Great Hall Tour on the ground floor can be reached by wheelchair through a staffed entrance on the West Front, and a ground-floor-only tour is offered. The State Rooms Tour and the Books, Beds and Beyond tour include stairs, but a new lift now serves the state rooms and can be arranged by email. There are 8 blue badge spaces in the car park and an accessible toilet in the stableyard. Two manual wheelchairs can be borrowed in the house. There is no hearing loop in the gift shop, paths are gravel or cobbles, and the approach to the gardens slopes. Assistance dogs are welcome. The access statement dates from 2022 and is being updated.

Kinderen & gezin

Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen

• Gezinsrondleidingen & workshops

The estate runs seasonal family events such as a Halloween trail with pumpkin picking and Santa events in December. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Parts of the grounds have uneven surfaces and can be affected by working estate traffic.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

The house is off the A43, three miles north of Kettering, through the village of Geddington; follow the brown tourist signs to the public entrance. Sat nav postcode NN14 1BJ covers the whole estate, so it is best to follow the directions on the website.

Service & horeca

• Café
• Museumwinkel

The Stableyard Tearoom serves hot and cold drinks, cake and packaged snacks on open days. The gift shop sells food, jewellery, homeware and books, and there is a second-hand bookshop in the converted stables.

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

• Ruimtes te huur
• Privéfeesten
• Zakelijke evenementen
• Bruiloften / trouwceremonies

Tot 120 personen.

The Tapestry Suite in the stableyard holds up to 120 people and is available for corporate events, lunches, meetings, parties and weddings.

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