Birdsall House, Yorkshire

Set on the edge of the Yorkshire Wolds, with breath-taking views, Birdsall House is home to the Willoughby family and is not normally open to the public.

Birdsall House was initially a small Tudor house built by the Sotheby family in 1540, following the dissolution of the monasteries. The Willoughby family married into the Sotheby family in 1719 and the house was increased in size and given a Georgian look. In 1873 the architect Anthony Salvin remodelled and significantly enlarged the house to what we see today.

Treasures at Birdsall House include an unbroken line of family portraits.

James and Cara Willoughby live in Birdsall House with their three children and dogs, and a member of the Willoughby family will show you around. The property houses a fascinating collection of artworks and chattels including an unbroken line of family portraits, dating from 1573 to the present day. Highlights include works by artists such as Sir Joshua Reynolds and Pompeo Batoni, with furniture by Thomas Chippendale.

Tours include a welcome and brief history of Birdsall House and the Willoughby family, followed by a guided tour of the grand state reception rooms on the ground floor and three bedrooms upstairs. The tour starts or ends with tea and biscuits in the dining room and, if the weather is fine, a wander around the gardens.

Tickets £23 including tea and biscuits

Greeted or guided by the owner
Mostly wheelchair accessible
No photography in the house
No stilettos
No dogs