Discover the enchanting history of Lydiard House – a striking Grade I listed building at the heart of Lydiard Park. Wander through the elegant State Rooms, where ornate plasterwork and original family furnishings are on display alongside portraits and photographs of the St John family, who lived here from Elizabethan times.

Home to the St John family for over 500 years, the house dates back to the medieval period, which developed into a great two-level hall over time. In the 1740s John 2nd Viscount St. John and his wife Anne Furnese took over the estate and saw Lydiard House redeveloped into a grand Palladian home. As you walk through Lydiard House, you will notice many ornate and decorative details, including columns, pediments and door-cases.

In 1943, the St John family put the estate up for sale after a period of financial difficulties. Efforts to secure the estate were led by Town Clerk David Murray John and Swindon Corporation (now Swindon Borough Council) purchased Lydiard House and its parkland. The house was in a poor state of repair and since then, work has taken place to return the house to its former glory.

Today, Lydiard House Museum offers a vibrant programme of special exhibitions and family activities. Visit our ‘Exhibitions’ and ‘Family Activities and Events’ pages to find out more.

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Lydiard’s History

Lydiard House was the home of the St John family for more than 500 years. The family inherited the house when Margaret Beauchamp married Oliver St John. Margaret was a powerful, wealthy woman. In her second marriage, she married John Beaufort and was grandmother to Henry VII.

For more on Lydiard’s history, Click HERE.

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Exhibitions

Your visit to Lydiard House Museum starts in the grand Main Hall, which was originally the impressive entrance to the St John’s family home as well as being a space for dancing and entertainment. To the right, you will find the Library, lined with bookshelves decorated with classical plaster busts of famous philosophers.

Walking back through the Main Hall to the Dining Room, you find an elegant room designed to showcase the St John family’s wealth and taste. Look up to see the ornate plasterwork decorated with shells, leaves, fruit and flowers and enjoy the table set out with the family’s fine porcelain, glass and silverware.

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Collections

The Lydiard House Museum collection consists of over 2,500 objects from portraits, furniture, books, photographs, and archives to costume and fabric and everything in between. Our collections tell the story of the St John family (also known as the Viscounts Bolingbroke) and the workers who staffed Lydiard House and Park. We hold documents and photographs relating to the Lydiard estate and the purchase and restoration of Lydiard House.

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Opening times & prices

Lydiard Park

Lydiard Park is open every day from 7.30am to dusk (except Christmas Day).

Please note that the Hook Street gates to the Park close at dusk.  The Hay Lane entrance, however, is not locked and is open for vehicle access 24 hours.

Café and tea rooms

The Coach House Tea Rooms are open Monday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm (food to order ends at 2.30pm)

The Forest Café is open Monday to Friday 10am – 4pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 9.30am to 4.00pm (food to order ends at 3pm)

Toilets

Toilets at the Forest Cafe are open from 7.30am to dusk daily.

Toilets at the Coach House tea room are open from 10.00am to closing time. 

Accessible toilets are available alongside the Forest Café and the Coach House Tea Rooms.

Lydiard House Museum

Please note: Lydiard House Museum is currently closed for winter.

Lydiard House Museum may close for booked events. Please check the Museum’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram channels for the latest updates.

Admission prices

	Day ticket	Season ticket (12 months)
Adult	£6.70	£13.40
Child (3-15 years)	£3.65	£7.30
Senior (65+) / Student	£5.85	£11.70
Family Ticket (1 Adult + 2 Children)	£12.60	£18.90
Family Ticket (1 Adult + 3 Children)	£15.90	£23.85
Family Ticket (2 Adults + 1 Child)	£15.3	£25.35
Family Ticket (2 Adults + 2 Children)	£18.65	£28.00
Family Ticket (2 Adults + 3 Children)	£21.90	£32.85
Under 3s	Free

Group rates and tour rates are available on request.

Tickets can be purchased online, or from Lydiard House Museum on the day of your visit.

The Walled Garden

The Walled Garden is open from 10:00am until 4:00pm seven days week. An admission charge applies. Tickets can be purchased from Lydiard House Museum on the day of your visit.

	Day ticket
Adult	£2.50
Child (3-15 years)	£1.50
Senior (60+) / Student	£2.00
Under 3s	Free

Getting here

We are a short distance from junction 16 on the M4.

The address:

Lydiard House & Park
Lydiard Tregoze
Swindon
SN5 3PA

There are two vehicle entrances to the park – one from Hook Street and one from Hay Lane. The Hook Street entrance closes at dusk.

The Hay Lane entrance is open for vehicle access 24 hours a day (please note the park grounds close at dusk).

Parking

You need to pay to park when you visit Lydiard Park, whether you park in a designated space in a car park or on a grass verge. For tariff information, visit the Lydiard Park car park page on the Swindon Borough Council website