Boughton House
This month Northamptonshire’s Boughton House opens up its magnificent grounds to visitors in order to allow everyone to enjoy England’s Versailles, and there are a few new surprises and treats for the estate’s 2025 opening
“It’s not a museum,” says Charles Lister, Property Manager at Boughton House. “It’s still very much a family home.” True as that may be though, Boughton House is a family home that carries with it a unique responsibility to ensure its preservation for the next generation and for visitors to enjoy too.
That goes for the estate more broadly too, which extends for 11,000 acres of mixed farmland and woodland. Closer to the property, there is over 500 acres of parkland and formal gardens adjacent to the property with a walled garden of about 20 acres.
The property and its grounds host events throughout the year, and they are open to visitors for both free-flow visits and for guided tours on selected dates throughout the year, including August and September.
Known as England’s Versailles, the 1st Duke of Montagu wanted to create a property to reflect both his role as French ambassador and the country’s baroque architecture. He styled both house and grounds from 1683 when he inherited the estate from his father.
The property is currently owned by the 10th Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry, Richard Scott, whose other properties include Bowhill in Selkirk, Dalkeith in Midlothian, Drumlanrig and Dabton House in Dumfries.
The 2nd Duke, John Montagu, left the house virtually unchanged but did complete extensive changes to the landscape including a new mansarded West Front with French windows opening up onto new terraces, plus tree-lined avenues and waterways.
Not that the landscape’s development stopped there. In fact, 10 years ago the Duke oversaw a restoration of the C18th Grand Etang with its spectacular 75ft plume of water, and Boughton’s newest feature is Orpheus, inspired by the Greek mythology of Orpheus & Eurydice and completed by Kim Wikie, with its sunken pool opposite the historic mound and Fibonacci spiral rill.
Other improvements in recent years include the reinstatement of historic vistas, for instance with disease-resistant Elms in the Geddington parkland – over half a mile of trees, and the first completely new avenue at Boughton for over 300 years.
Those projects have been overseen by Parks & Gardens Manager David Cullum whose team extends to seven full-time members of staff to maintain the parkland and formal gardens, keeping on top of essential estate maintenance and embarking on new projects to manage Boughton House’s land as sustainably as possible, working with stakeholders such as Natural England and the Environment Agency.
David and his team have also worked hard to restore the Star Pond, on the south-westerly edge of the parkland.
“It’s the last flourish before managed parkland joins a more natural landscape,” says David. “There are some stunning features and previously the Star Pond was in need of restoration, so we’re thrilled that we’ve been able to reinstate such a wonderful feature before the estate’s lakes, pools and waterways rejoin the River Ise.”
The Star Pond restoration included floodwater management, habitat creation and also the establishment of a fish passage.
“Everything we do should have a positive impact on the environment, whether that be designed or natural, so it’s an example of how we combine our environmental values and commitment to good stewardship with a project that also serves as a faithful representation of the estate’s heritage, and something that visitors can enjoy.”
David has also overseen the restoration of Boughton’s Victorian greenhouse and the creation of a redesigned herbaceous border in the upper walled garden which has been informally nicknamed the Montagu Walk until the family officially names it.
Adjacent to the ‘unfinished’ south wing of the property is the Rose Garden with unusual specimen trees gifted to the 9th Duke of Buccleuch when he was President of the Royal Commonwealth Forestry Association. The area also used to be a favourite of the 8th Duke and his wife Mollie with a chapel which became a formal drawing room.
Around the more formal borders of roses are areas of longer grasses and wildflower strips designed to allow nature to proliferate. Boughton is a spectacularly diverse landscape, from the estate’s formal walled gardens to wildflower areas and naturalistic woodland. David and the team are constantly engaged in grass cutting, mowing, the management of waterways as well as planting and pruning.
The results of their work, though, are obvious. A visit this month to enjoy some of the most spectacular estates you’re likely to see, and the property itself is very much recommended: Boughton is nothing short of spectacular.
Boughton House’s State Rooms & Interiors
Step inside Boughton House and you’ll discover one of Britain’s most complete and elegant baroque interiors—a richly furnished and immaculately preserved home to art, antiques and ornamentation. The grandeur of its state rooms first created in the 17th century, reflects the taste and wealth of the Montagu family, who have lived here for generations.
The house’s centrepiece is the Great Hall, whose soaring double-height ceiling and restrained classical lines echo the influence of French architecture.
Its symmetry and light serve as a perfect prologue to what follows: a procession of staterooms with walls hung in Mortlake tapestry, ceilings adorned with intricate plasterwork. Among Boughton’s most celebrated features is its outstanding collection of paintings, which rivals many national galleries.
Works by El Greco, Van Dyck, Gainsborough, and Reynolds grace the walls, with striking portraits that span centuries of European art. A true highlight is the set of tapestries woven from designs by Charles Le Brun—court painter to Louis XIV—depicting the four elements of Earth, Air,
Fire and Water, which have recently undergone restoration. Art at Boughton is not confined to canvas. The stunning painted ceilings of the state apartments have undergone painstaking restoration over the last 10 years and feature bold trompe l’oeil frescoes, including one especially captivating example above the Grand Staircase, where faux balustrades and painted cherubs create an illusion of height and depth. These masterful works give the house a theatrical, almost dreamlike atmosphere.
Throughout the house, priceless furniture pieces showcase centuries of craftsmanship: marquetry cabinets, giltwood chairs, and lacquered chinoiserie screens all reflecting changing tastes and global influences.
The Audit Room displays a wealth of glorious serve porcelain, part of a service created for King Louis XIV of France whilst the Armoury is noted by the Royal Armouries as being perhaps the most important in private hands with many rare and unique items on display. For those with an interest in military history, Boughton’s armoury holds a formidable cache of historic weaponry.
Swords, pistols, and muskets are displayed alongside armour and ceremonial pieces, some dating back to the English Civil War and beyond.
Together, these elements make Boughton House not just a stately home, but a living museum—one where art, design and history coalesce in every gilded mirror and carved cornice. It offers a rare glimpse into the cultivated lifestyle of England’s aristocracy, preserved in exceptional and evocative detail.
What’s On at Boughton
Until 29th August: Garden Walk and Talk Informal tour and talk around Boughton Walled Gardens with Bernard Opara, Senior Gardener.
5th-7th September: Outdoor Cinema Enjoy al fresco screenings in the parkland, including Wicked sing-a-long, Moana 2, Mamma Mia!, Gruffalo, and Pretty Woman.
12th October: NGS Garden Opening Enjoy the Gardens and help a worthwhile cause.
25th-31st October: Halloween at Boughton Family friendly event with lots of activities.
Boughton is open from Friday 1st – Tuesday 5th August, Friday 8th – Tuesday 12th August, Friday 15th – Tuesday 19th August, Monday 25th – Tuesday 26th August, Friday 29th – Sunday 31st August. See website for more details and to book tickets, recommended to avoid disappointment.