Stratfield Saye House Houses

In the heart of the English countryside on the Hampshire/Berkshire border, you'll find the elegant, but intimate, Stratfield Saye House, home to the Dukes of Wellington since 1817. The 1st Duke of Wellington acquired the house and estate in 1817, choosing it for its proximity to London and Windsor. He originally planned to pull down the house and build a fabulous 'Waterloo Palace' in the north-east of the park.

The gracious hall contains military paintings relating to the 1st Duke's campaigns, marble portrait busts of the 1st Duke's contemporaries and portraits of the Dukes and Duchesses of Wellington. This was one of the 1st Duke's favourite rooms and remains almost as it was at the time of his death in 1852.

The gardens offer a peaceful atmosphere, and are home to a wide range of plants and trees. The American garden is named after the vogue for American shrubs in the early 19th Century. This and the handsome rose garden were laid down in the time of the 1st Duke and restored during the past twenty-five years.

In 1977 the Wellington Exhibition was opened in part of the Stables to depict, in graphic terms, the life and times of Arthur, the first Duke of Wellington. It houses a collection of momentoes of his long life as a soldier and statesman in the service of his country, including maps, weapons and caricatures. The magnificent, richly ornamental funeral carriage was made of bronze cast from melted down French cannons captured at Waterloo.

Friday 25 Monday 28 March (Easter Weekend)

Monday 11 July Sunday 7 August 7 days per week.