Belton House, Lincolnshire

Belton House is surrounded by formal gardens and a series of avenues leading to follies within a larger wooded park. The house has been described as the most complete example of a typical English country house.

For 300 years, Belton House was the seat of the Brownlow and Cust family, who had acquired land in the area in the late 16th century. Between 1685 and 1688 Sir John Brownlow and his wife had the present mansion built. Despite great wealth they chose to build a modest country house rather than a grand contemporary Baroque palace. The more contemporary Carolean style was their choice of design. However, the new house was fitted with the latest innovations such as sash windows for the principal rooms, and completely separate areas for the staff. As the Brownlows rose from baronets to barons upward to earls and then once again became barons, the generations made changes to the decor of the house which reflected their changing social position and tastes, yet the overall architecture and design of the house changed little.

In 1690, Sir John Brownlow was granted permission to enclose an area of 1000 acresto transform into a park, with a grant to keep deer. The park was laid out with avenues, including the still surviving Eastern Avenue. Brownlow also had a large pond or lake dug and planted 21,400 ash trees, 9,500 oak trees, and 614 fruit trees. Closer to the house were a series of more formal gardens, including canal ponds bordered by plantations containing symmetrical walks resembling the "rond-points" introduced by the landscape gardener André Le Nôtre. By the end of the eighteenth century, these formal parterres had been removed and the canal ponds filled in.

Between 1742 and 1751, a series of follies, including a Gothic ruin, a cascade, and a prospect or belvedere known as the Belmount Tower, were constructed for him. When built the tower had two small wings flanking each side, since removed.

Following World War I the Brownlows faced mounting financial problems. In 1984 they gave the house away—complete with most of its contents to the National Trust, and today the house is open to the public.

Opening Times

Opening days and times vary throughout the year. Please check the website.

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Ticket Prices

Adult £11
Child £6.75 (£5.93)
Family £29

Grounds only:
Adult £9
Child £5
Family £23

Winter grounds only:
Adult £3.75
Child £2.50
Family £10

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Disabled Facilities

Parking: Designated area within car park. Separate limited parking close to facilities, please speak to Visitor Reception Team on arrival. Wheelchair-accessible transfer. Drop-off point

Building
15 steps to entrance. Stairclimber available. 2 wheelchairs. Ground floor accessible

WCs In garden near house, gravel path. Also next to park toilets, uneven path

Grounds: Partly accessible, loose gravel paths, steps to terraces and cobbled stone surfaces. Map of accessible route, please ask on arrival. 3 single seater powered mobility vehicles bookable in advance. Volunteer-driven multi-seater buggy

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More Information

Telephone: 01476 566116

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