Rob and Rose's Diary Blog: Stately Homes

Over the years we have visited a number of stately homes and gardens...

ALTHORP HOUSE (Northamptonshire)

Surprisingly unexciting, the highlight (if you can call it that) being a collection of Lady Diana Spencer's dresses. Dismal gardens, albeit a nice lake. We were in and out in an hour! Very poor.

BERKELEY CASTLE (Gloucestershire)

This one was very good, unusually we had a guide who was very knowledgeable and who explained to us how it costs £15,000 to repair one leaky window because of the requirement to use original materials and trained craftsmen.

BLENHEIM PALACE (Oxfordshire)

I think we've been here a couple of times, a very nice stately home with the added bonus of a butterfly house and terapins, which were cute. One of the very best and well worth a visit.

BOLSOVER CASTLE (Derbyshire)

Bolsover is visible from the M1, and one day it may be one of the better stately homes, it certainly strikes an imposing presence on the skyline as you drive past. However, it seems to be in a state of renovation, and when we visited it was just a multitude of empty rooms waiting to be brought to life. Rather disappointing to say the least.

BOUGHTON HOUSE (Northamptonshire)

This was, surprisingly, one of the very best stately homes we have visited, with some very nice features in the gardens. Also the house was incredibly well preserved, having been shut up for 200 years, a lot of the paintings looked brand new!

BUCKINGHAM PALACE (Middlesex)

Home of our dear Queen, Buckingham Palace is lavish enough, but a little worn around the edges in places. Worth a visit, but only if you've already been to Chatsworth. The gardens weren't very exciting though.

BURGHLEY HOUSE (Lincolnshire)

Again, one of the better stately homes we've visited. The 'Hell' staircase and the rooms at the top of it are pretty exceptional and the gardens are well worth a look too.

CALKE ABBEY (Derbyshire)

The so-called 'Un-Stately Home'... rather pointless really.

CARDIFF CASTLE (Glamorganshire)

Utter pish. Expensive and pathetic.

CASTLE HOWARD (Yorkshire)

CHATSWORTH HOUSE (Derbyshire)

Absolutely the best stately home in England, at least that we've visited anyway.

Exceptional inside and out, there is nothing even particularly close.

DEENE PARK (Northamptonshire)

Nice enough, but not what you'd call spectacular.

FOUNTAINS ABBEY (North Yorkshire)

Despite it's name, there are no fountains at Fountains Abbey. It's a nice walk around the grounds but that's about it really.

HAREWOOD HOUSE (West Yorkshire)

HESTERCOMBE GARDENS (Somerset)

LYME PARK (Cheshire)

POWDERHAM CASTLE (Exeter)

Small, but a nice way to spend a couple of hours. The guide made it more interesting than it would of been had we been left to our own devices. Lots of hidden doorways, which were quite cool.

ROCKINGHAM CASTLE (Northamptonshire)