A group of 16 Questers visited Bowood House and Gardens, near Calne, on Monday 18 May 2026.
This was a self-drive outing and many Questers did car-sharing to reduce the number of vehicles used. For those who observed and followed the temporary road signs erected because of localised roadworks, there were some challenges finding the correct route to get there. For those who ignore the temporary signs there were no problems!
Despite all this we all arrived before or round about the planned time of 10:30. There was therefore plenty of time for a comfort break and then a hot drink in the Treehouse Café at the Admissions building. We then had a 10 minute walk to the front of the House in order to meet our guide and start our guided tour.
We were given a 1 hour tour by Phil who, because of the many questions and his added in anecdotes, kept us engaged for over 90 minutes. Phil was very knowledgeable and informative as well as being entertaining. A very good, guided tour. What was particularly unusual was that the original House itself was demolished in the mid-1950s after the National Trust declined an invitation to accept the property as a donation.
The remaining buildings, originally the “Little House” and the stables, were then converted into the impressive single building complex that one admires today. The east wing of the House, overlooking the Capability Brown designed lake and parklands, is the home of Simon Petty-Fitzmaurice, the son of the 9th Marquess of Lansdowne, and his family. The rest of the very large complex is what is open to the public and used for administrative and management purposes for the Estate.
After completion of the tour Questers were free to proceed to explore and enjoy the displays in the House, the formal gardens, the walled garden, the lake and parkland or the café for lunch. Various small groups did all this in differing sequences as best suited their preferences.
Lunch at the Treehouse Café was disappointing for many as even those who opted for a reasonably early lunch found the available menu rather depleted because they had runout of some items. That was even worse for those who chose to come for lunch later in the visit. Their options were even more limited, if they had any at all.
The weather during the visit was unfortunately not quite what was hoped for and it was cold and windy but dry. This made some members uncomfortably cold and so dampened their enjoyment of the day.
Being a self-drive outing, Questers could choose when to depart. Some left early afternoon while many others were there until late afternoon.
The general reaction from the members of the group was that it was an interesting and enjoyable day out, spoilt only by unfavourable weather and limited lunch options.
Cecil Rose