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Englefield House

Elizabethan house of the Benyon family in a superb seven-acre terraced woodland garden — house rarely open, gardens open Mondays year-round.

Where
Pangbourne
Time needed
2 hr visit
Tickets
£6
Englefield House Elizabethan facade and terraced gardens Englefield House Elizabethan facade and terraced gardens

What to expect at Englefield House

Englefield is a large late Elizabethan and early Jacobean house (mostly 1580-1600) set in a 14,000-acre estate west of Reading, held by the Benyon family since 1832. The house is a private family home and only very rarely open to the public, but the gardens have been generously opened on Mondays throughout the year for decades. They are what makes the visit: a seven-acre stack of terraces climbing the hillside behind the house, with rare shrubs, a stumpery, a rose garden, a stream garden and — most impressive — a mature woodland garden of magnolias, camellias, azaleas and cornus that rewards visits in every season.

You enter through the estate village of Englefield (itself a preserved 1860s Victorian model village) and walk past the house up onto the terraces. The upper garden gives long views across the deer park and Thames Valley. Notable specimens include a huge Handkerchief tree (Davidia involucrata), several magnificent magnolias flowering in April, and a Victorian rockery restored in 2018. The estate church, St Mark's, is open next door and holds Benyon family tombs. There is no cafe on site — bring a flask or drive on to Theale.

Six miles west of Reading, just off the A4. Entry is £6 for gardens only, paid at the honesty box or the estate office. Mondays only — this is a rare and welcome day when many other National Trust properties are closed, so it makes a good pairing plan. Best visits: mid-April for magnolias, late May for azaleas, October for autumn colour. Bring sturdy shoes; the terraces are steep and gravelled. Dogs on short leads welcome. No booking needed for gardens; for the house, contact the estate office directly.

Plan your visit Tickets£6 Time needed2 hr visit WherePangbourne Opening hours Mon 10:00-18:00 (Apr-Sep, gardens) Mon 10:00-16:00 (Oct-Mar, gardens) House open by pre-arrangement only Hotels near Englefield House

Questions about Englefield House

Cost?

£6 adult for the gardens (honesty box or estate office). House admission by private arrangement only.

Free days?

None.

How long?

About 2 hours to walk the terraces properly.

Closed?

Open only on Mondays. Closed all other days of the week.

Booking?

Gardens: no. House: contact the estate office weeks in advance.

Getting there?

15-min drive from Reading via A4 west. Nearest station Theale (2 miles) with occasional buses.

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