Wilton House
Wilton House in Wiltshire is one of England’s finest stately homes, celebrated for its Palladian architecture and its long association with the Earls of Pembroke. Rebuilt in the mid‑17th century after a devastating fire, the house was transformed by Inigo Jones, whose Double Cube Room is considered one of the greatest interiors of the English Baroque. A remarkable fact is that this room once served as a wartime operations centre during the Second World War, temporarily filled not with art but with military planning desks. Inside, Wilton House offers a sequence of grand state rooms adorned with Van Dyck portraits, gilded ceilings and rich tapestries. The Single Cube Room and Double Cube Room are highlights, showcasing symmetry, proportion and some of the most important aristocratic portraiture in Europe. The Cloisters display classical sculptures collected during the Grand Tour, while the Old Kitchen reveals the working life of the estate through historic utensils and hearths. The grounds are equally impressive, with riverside lawns, bridges and landscaped gardens that frame the house beautifully. The Palladian Bridge, one of only a few surviving examples in Britain, adds a romantic flourish to the estate.
Wilton United Kingdom
You will find it at Wilton House, Wilton, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP2 0BJ. It is in the little town of Wilton, just three miles west of Salisbury city centre on the A36. The house has been the family seat of the Earls of Pembroke for over 400 years and was built on the site of Wilton Abbey, so it is full of history and amazing interiors by Inigo Jones. Because it is so close to Salisbury, you have a lot of great places on the doorstep. Salisbury Cathedral is the big one, with Britain's tallest spire and Magna Carta, only a few minutes away. Right next to it you have Salisbury Museum and Arundells, the former home of Prime Minister Edward Heath, both tucked into the beautiful Cathedral Close. Just outside Wilton you have Old Sarum, the huge Iron Age hillfort with the ruins of the first cathedral and Norman castle, where you get amazing views back over the Wiltshire countryside. Stonehenge is also not far, about a twenty minute drive, and makes a perfect day out combined with Wilton. If you like more palaces and castles, Longleat House and Safari Park, Stourhead House and Gardens and Old Wardour Castle are all within easy reach. The town of Wilton itself is lovely too, with independent shops, Wilton House Garden Centre and a nice carpet factory shop.