Longleat

The Longleat estate on the outskirts of Warminster is one of the major attractions of the South West, if not England. Since the 1940s Longleat has been opened to the public, with the first safari outside of Africa opened in 1966. Today it is packed with many attractions and amazements for all the family year round. Longleat is only a 25 – 30-minute drive from Brades Acre Touring Park, perfect for a day-out adventure.

The Animals

The main attraction to the estate is by no doubt, the wonderful animals that live on the grounds. Longleat is known across the world for its thrilling safari drive-through, which takes guests through various enclosures including Deer Park, Woolf Wood, Monkey Mayhem, Tiger Territory, Lion country, Cheetah Kingdom, Big Game Park, Anne the Elephant, African Village & Walking Safari. Longleat is home to a variety of animals from the very big Anne the elephant and Thorn the giraffe to the very small mischievous meerkats.

Longleat also provides VIP experiences that range in nature and price, from viewing lions exclusively up close to feeding the tigers their dinner. Each experience has its own rules, restrictions and guidelines, so make sure you check before you book.

You can choose to drive your own car through the safari, although you may opt to leave the wheels in the car park and book the double-decker Safari Bus to take you through. The Safari Bus is wheelchair accessible and has Hearing Loops installed on all buses. The Safari Bus also has state-of-the-art air cleaning AirBubbls installed which removes 95% of airborne pollutants and pathogens, including Coronavirus.

The House

The family home of the 8th Marquess and Marchioness of Bath is a time capsule of Elizabethan architecture. With over 450 years of history behind every corner and one of the “most significant private collections in Britain”, Longleat House is a wealth of knowledge and curiosities. Visitors come from the world over to view the many beautiful rooms, paintings, furniture, tapestries, ceramics, silver and books.

The Longleat estate is not only a grand stately home, the 900 acres of parkland landscape, designed by landscape architect Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown, is famous in its own right. Longleat formal gardens are also of great importance, championed by the 1st Viscount of Weymouth who commissioned George London to transform and expand the 14-acre orchard into a beautiful baroque-style garden. The gardens are filled with canals, parterres, statues, and fountains. In 1805, the 2nd Marchioness of Bath introduced the stables to Longleat, along with the Orangery and Boathouse by architect Sir Jeffry Wyatville.

Have a look at Longleat’s accessibility statement and links to more information that you may need.

For more information such as directions, opening hours and to book your tickets, visit their website; longleat.co.uk.