Wilton House

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Stately Wilton House provides an insight into the rarefied world of the British aristocracy. One of England's finest stately homes, it's been the house of the earls of Pembroke since 1542, and has been expanded, improved and embellished by successive generations. Highlights are the Single and Double Cube Rooms, designed by the pioneering 17th-century architect Inigo Jones.

Wilton House is 2.5 miles west of Salisbury; bus R3 runs from Salisbury (£2.70, 10 minutes, one to three hourly Monday to Saturday).

The result of centuries of embellishments at Wilton is quite staggering: magnificent period furniture, fresco ceilings and elaborate plasterwork frame paintings by Van Dyck, Rembrandt and Joshua Reynolds. All the architectural eye candy makes the house a favoured film location: The Madness of King George, Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice were all shot here. But Wilton was serving as an artistic haven long before the movies – famous guests include Ben Jonson, Edmund Spenser, Christopher Marlowe and John Donne. Shakespeare's As You Like It was performed here in 1603, shortly after the bard had written it. The fine landscaped grounds were largely laid out by Capability Brown.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Wilton House Grounds

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The 22 acres of parkland and gardens of Wilton House are bordered by the rivers Wylye and Nadder, and were largely laid out by the famous landscape…

2. Old Sarum

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The huge ramparts of Old Sarum sit on a grass-covered hill 2 miles north of Salisbury. You can wander the grassy ramparts, see the original cathedral's…

3. Rifles

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Collections include a cannonball from the American War of Independence, Victorian redcoat uniforms, and displays on 19th- and 21st-century conflicts in…

4. Salisbury Museum

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The hugely important archaeological finds here include the Stonehenge Archer, the bones of a man found in the ditch near the stone circle – one of the…

5. Mompesson House

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Magnificent plasterwork ceilings, exceptional period furnishings and a sweeping carved staircase grace this fine Queen Anne (1701) building. All that made…

6. St Thomas's Church

2.8 MILES

This stately church was built for cathedral workmen in 1219 and named after Thomas Becket. Its most famous feature is the amazing doom painting above the…

7. High St Gate

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One of the narrow, ancient gates leading into Cathedral Close.

8. College of Matrons

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An ornate facade and elaborate crest distinguish the College of Matrons, which was founded in 1682 for the widows and unmarried daughters of clergymen. It…