Attingham Park

Attingham Park is one of Shropshire’s greatest treasures and a fantastic family attraction, where costumed guides bring the house alive and there are acres of parkland to explore.

The mansion was built in 1785 for the 1st Lord Berwick to the design of George Steuart and has a picture gallery by John Nash. The magnificent Regency interiors contain collections of ambassadorial silver, Italian furniture and Grand Tour paintings.

The Hall was completed and furnished by the 2nd Lord Berwick, but the extravagant taste of the lord and his wife led to bankruptcy and in 1827 and 1829 there were sales of almost the entire contents. The house was then leased to the 3rd Lord Berwick who had been a diplomat in Italy for 25 years and it was he who brought the majority of the Italian furniture and silver collection to Attingham that can be seen today.

A major project to restore the beautiful interiors is underway, which honours the 8th Lord and Lady Berwick’s own restoration work from the early 20th century that sought to revive Attingham after a prolonged period of neglect. Visitors will have opportunities to see conservation in action as work continues throughout 2007.

Attingham marks 60 years with the National Trust this year, and visitors can join in the celebrations for Six Decades of Attingham - past, present and future - on 23 and 24 June. A packed programme of events for all ages also includes the opportunity to enjoy outdoor theatre with Robin Hood on 22 August and The Time Machine on 11 August as well as fun children’s trails during the school holidays.

The spectacular park was landscaped by Humphry Repton in 1797 and visitors today can enjoy miles of woodland and riverside walks around the estate. There are themed guided tours throughout the year, which focus on the River Tern, trees, wildlife or deer of the park.

The park is open daily and the house is open at weekends from 3 to 25 March and Fridays to Tuesdays from 26 March to 30 October. For admission prices, opening times and a full events list contact the property on 01743 708162.