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Burton Constable is a large Elizabethan mansion set in a 300 acre park with nearly 30 rooms open to the public. The interiors of faded splendour are filled with fine furniture, paintings and sculpture, a library of 5,000 books and a remarkable 18th century 'cabinet of curiosities' which contains fossils, natural history specimens and the most important collection of scientific instruments to be found in any country house. Occupied by the Constable family for over 400 years, the house still maintains the atmosphere of a home.

The superb 18th and 19th century interiors include a Gallery, Dining and Drawing Rooms, Bedrooms, Chapel and Chinese Room. A total of 30 rooms are open to view and these include some fascinating 'below stairs' areas such as an intriguing Lamp Room.

Outside the house there are gardens with statues, a delightful orangery ornamented with coade stone, a stable block and wild fowl lakes set in 300 acres of parkland landscaped by 'Capability' Brown in the 1770s. More details are available on their Website.

The Elizabethan house was dominated by the Great Hall, which rose the full height of the building and was originally top-lit by a lantern. By the eighteenth century, the Great Hall must have appeared old fashioned, however, it appears that remodelling was not undertaken until the 1760s when his son William commissioned a number of leading architects to furnish him with designs.

The new front door to the house was designed to harmonise with the existing Elizabethan windows. The decorative plasterwork was executed by James Henderson of York who had been contracted for the work by Lightoler. As part of the overall decorative scheme, William acquired the plaster figures of Demosthenes and Hercules with Cerebus for the niches on either side of the fireplace.

These, and the plaster busts of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus and the Greek poetess Sappho on the overmantel, are amongst a number of works supplied by the sculptor John Cheere, who had initially submitted a series of sketches. Unusually, the sketches also survive at Burton Constable. Above the fireplace is a carving of oak boughs and garlands of laurel leaves, crowned by the Garter Star, it surrounds the armourial shield of the Constable family executed in scagliola by Domenico Bartoli.

Other major rooms include the Dining Room - In the nineteenth century the room was redecorated and the walls, which were originally pink, were painted green by Wright & Dreyer of Hull, with additional gilding applied to the decorative plasterwork and carved woodwork. The window curtains and elaborate pelmets date from this period as do the ormolu chandelier, the gilt-wood wall sconces, fire-screens with Berlin woolwork (made by the ladies of the house), the hot-cupboard and butler's tray.

And the Long Gallery - In 1833 the Clifford-Constables began the restoration of the Long Gallery. The elaborate decorative plasterwork ceiling and frieze was installed, although it was not until 1854 when the firm of William Binks & Son of Hull was employed to paint the ceiling, that the frieze was ‘picked out in scarlet'. The room was sumptuously furnished with new curtain hangings, a new carpet, and richly carved and gilded furniture. The sphinx tables by Giuseppe Leonardi with tops of specimen marbles by Giacomo Raffaelli were purchased by Sir Clifford and his wife Marianne when they were in Rome on their honeymoon tour.

Opening Times - 2010:

Easter Saturday - 28th November: daily, except Friday
Grounds, Stables and Tea Room: 12.30 - 5 pm
Hall: 1 - 5 pm. Last admission 4 pm.

20th November - 5th December: daily except Friday
Grounds, Stables and Tea Room: 12.30 - 5 pm
Hall: 1 - 4 pm. Last admission 3 pm

Admission Prices - 2010:

House & Grounds:
Adult - £6
Child - £3
Senior - £5.50
Family (2+4) - £14.50
Group - £5

Grounds only:
Adult - £2.5
Child - £1.25

Connoisseur Study Visits: prices on request.

More information on the garden can be found on The Gardens Guide.