Firle Place, Firle, Lewes, East Sussex
If you have a passion for English country houses and their glorious gardens, put Firle Place on your list of places to visit when you’re on your large group holiday in East Sussex. This very imposing mansion house in the heart of the South Downs National Park is privately owned but is open to the public in the summer season.
Firle Place was remodelled in Georgian times but actually dates from Tudor times and has been owned by the same family ever since. It is home to nationally important collections of art, furniture and porcelain, with paintings by Gainsborough, Sir Joshua Reynolds and Van Dyck among its treasures. There are also rare Antwerp Maiolica tiles dating from 1546, two French Beauvais tapestries, and cabinets by Chippendale.
The house is set in 300 acre grounds, 190 of which are parkland; to stroll around the formal gardens on a warm summer day is a delight. Wander through the parterre at the front of the house, past the huge Victorian fountain on the lawn and down to the Long Pond; if you came over all Jane Austen, we wouldn’t blame you. It would only seem fitting to round off your visit to Firle Place with a stop at the Tea Room where light lunches, cakes and drinks are served.
The house is open in the summer on Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays, or for pre-booked tours for groups of up to 15 people on Mondays and Tuesdays. Twice a year, in April and September, the 20 acre Pleasure Grounds are open to the public in aid of charity.
T: 01273 858307
All information correct at the time of writing