National Trust Guide: Kingston Lacy
Kingston Lacy is the beautiful stately home built by William John Bankes between 1834 and his death in 1855. Exiled from Britain due to being gay, something which was punishable by death at the time, he built and designed the house from Venice to resemble a Venetian home. It is full of paintings, creating a miniature national gallery, as well as Bankes’ collection of Egyptian artefacts - which is the largest private collection in the UK.
Kingston Lacy is a house that pays homage to art, while the grounds pay homage to the beauty of horticulture. It is a lovely place to spend the day, whether you explore the grounds or stay doing activities in the house and courtyard.
Getting There
Getting to Kingston Lacey is only really possible if you have a car. It’s a stone’s throw from Badbury Rings and just outside of Wimborne past the turning for Pamphill. So there’s lots to do in the area if you finish here and want to spend more time locally. The house is well signposted and there’s plenty of parking in overflow areas if you’re going during the holidays or high season.
The House
Kingston Lacy House is - as you might expect - as grand as the grounds. It’s full of art, and collectors items. So it’s well worth a trip if you’re into that sort of thing. Unfortunately when it comes to these old houses I’d much rather be in the grounds so I haven’t been in since I was very little. There are some private gardens which you can only reach through the house pass and it’s a great way to spend some time with ready distractions if you’ve got little ones in tow.
The Garden Walk
Japanese Garden
Blossom Walk
Woodland Walk
Eating
There are of course choices within Wimborne if you’re looking for something more serious. But the Stables at Kingston Lacey offer the usual range of delicious and wholesome food choices found at National Trust properties. Personally I can never leave without a scone drenched in butter & jam with black coffee to wash it down, if it’s a tad nippy you can never go wrong with the soup.
