Berkshire


<p><em>Bridgerton&nbsp;</em>is back baby (season 3, part two drops 13 June just FYI). This season follows our favourite wallflower Penelope as she navigates the rocky waters of the ton&#8217;s dating pool. It&#8217;s been a longgggg wait since <em>that</em> carriage scene cliffhanger from part one, and I for one am dying to see how things hot up in the second part of the Polin (yep, that&#8217;s the ship name) saga. Wink, wink.</p>



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<p>If you didn&#8217;t know, the makers of&nbsp;<em>Bridgerton</em>&nbsp;had grand plans to make Berkshire their semi-permanent home for seasons three and four. A five acre plot at Sunninghill Park was earmarked for a big set build, featuring two mansions and a London square. But grab the smelling salts, the council said NO. Weeps. Still, the Bridgerton crew couldn&#8217;t keep away, returning to film parts of season 3 in parts of the county.</p>



<p>If you are tooootally obsessed like me, you&#8217;ll need to quench that thirst for regency romping somehow. Coming in hot, cop another dose of debauchery with these hunky stately homes, all within striking distance of Berkshire. Into the ton we go!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cliveden-house-taplow"><a href="https://www.clivedenhouse.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cliveden House</a>, Taplow</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/07/6-10.jpg" alt="CLIVEDEN LITERARY FESTIVAL
Bridgerton inspired manor houses you can visit locally " class="wp-image-45033" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/07/6-10.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/07/6-10-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/07/6-10-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/07/6-10-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/07/6-10-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/07/6-10-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Cliveden House needs no introduction, it&#8217;s got period drama in spades and has starred in its fair share of Hollywood films (<em>Cinderella</em>, <em>Sherlock Holmes</em>). A who&#8217;s who of guests have bounced into their four posters here and it knows a thing or two about partying with a veil of privacy. Even Luke Newton himself, aka, Mr Colin Bridgerton recently did a photoshoot here to promote season 3. Waft around the 376 acres of <a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/oxfordshire-buckinghamshire-berkshire/cliveden" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Trust</a> grounds before diving into the Grade II listed pool where 60s sexpot Christine Keeler first met politician John Profumo. There&#8217;s fine dining and afternoon tea to be scoffed and more wafting to be done in the spa.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="714" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/jermain-defoe-donna-tierney-cliveden-house-wedding-roberta-facchini-photography-639.jpg" alt="Bridgerton inspired manor houses you can visit locally" class="wp-image-65068" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/jermain-defoe-donna-tierney-cliveden-house-wedding-roberta-facchini-photography-639.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/jermain-defoe-donna-tierney-cliveden-house-wedding-roberta-facchini-photography-639-800x571.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/jermain-defoe-donna-tierney-cliveden-house-wedding-roberta-facchini-photography-639-400x286.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/jermain-defoe-donna-tierney-cliveden-house-wedding-roberta-facchini-photography-639-768x548.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>It&#8217;s homely, with 47 rooms, including 15 suites (the best have garden views) and for the ultimate bolthole, Spring Cottage, situated down by the river away from prying eyes. Prices start at £445, which is still spenny but well worth it. I mean, how <em>Bridgerton</em>-coded is this wedding set up (pictured above). </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dorney-court-nr-windsor"><a href="https://dorneycourt.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dorney Court</a>, nr Windsor</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="584" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/dorney-court.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-65062" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/dorney-court.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/dorney-court-800x467.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/dorney-court-400x234.jpeg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/dorney-court-768x449.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>This stunning manor, dating back to 1440, pops up in the Netflix showstopper in season one, episode 5. You know the one – Simon and Daphne set the coaching inn bedroom on fire with a hunka hunka burning love. Fans self. As well as&nbsp;<em>Bridgerton</em>, Dorney Court also makes an appearance in <em>Queen Charlotte</em>, used as the Danbury’s initial Tudor Mansion home before they are titled Lord and Lady and move to an even grander estate.</p>



<p>Dorney Court has been in the Palmer family for 500 years, who grew the UK’s first pineapple and gifted it to the king. In fact, you can even say your own wedding vows here (cheeky) and can mooch around the house and grounds throughout June. You might need a cuppa to steady yourself if you get flashbacks of a naked Duke. In that case, head to the lovely garden centre next door. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-basildon-park-reading"><a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/oxfordshire-buckinghamshire-berkshire/basildon-park" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Basildon Park</a>, Reading</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="563" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/house-parkland-basildon-park-berkshire-1269550.jpg" alt="Bridgerton inspired manor houses you can visit locally" class="wp-image-65066" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/house-parkland-basildon-park-berkshire-1269550.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/house-parkland-basildon-park-berkshire-1269550-800x450.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/house-parkland-basildon-park-berkshire-1269550-400x225.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/house-parkland-basildon-park-berkshire-1269550-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Basildon Park is a beauty, saved from demolition in 1952 by Lord and Lady Iliffe who gave as much love to the gardens as they did the striking Bath stone house. Now a National Trust property sitting as poised as Lady Whistledown herself, there&#8217;s 400 acres of historic parkland to discover, plus The Garden Room and Rose Garden &#8211; the very places used to film a big party sequence on the show. The shoot took a whole week to prepare for filming and 5,000 artificial flowers were brought in to fill the rose garden with summer blooms. Rumour has it season three was also filmed here so eyes peeled.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-blenheim-palace-woodstock"><a href="https://www.blenheimpalace.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Blenheim Palace</a>, Woodstock</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="750" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/south-lawn-flowers2-belnheim.jpeg" alt="Bridgerton inspired manor houses you can visit locally" class="wp-image-65071" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/south-lawn-flowers2-belnheim.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/south-lawn-flowers2-belnheim-800x600.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/south-lawn-flowers2-belnheim-400x300.jpeg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/south-lawn-flowers2-belnheim-768x576.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Blenheim Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site boasting a long and diverse history, none the least being Churchill&#8217;s birthplace and former stomping ground. Waft around the gilded State Rooms, explore The Churchill Exhibition, and take the downstairs tour before taking it outside to scout the stonkingly beautiful grounds. There&#8217;s a fabulous adventure playground, formal gardens, butterfly house, and maze, plus a miniature train to ferry you from A to B. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="668" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/l-blenheim-ca-queen-charlotte.b8b79e34b0eba650bc1cba0b04d992e6.jpg" alt="Bridgerton inspired manor houses you can visit locally" class="wp-image-65069" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/l-blenheim-ca-queen-charlotte.b8b79e34b0eba650bc1cba0b04d992e6.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/l-blenheim-ca-queen-charlotte.b8b79e34b0eba650bc1cba0b04d992e6-800x534.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/l-blenheim-ca-queen-charlotte.b8b79e34b0eba650bc1cba0b04d992e6-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/l-blenheim-ca-queen-charlotte.b8b79e34b0eba650bc1cba0b04d992e6-768x513.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Lights, camera, action! The place is so grand, Blenheim Palace was chosen as a filming location for the <em>Bridgerton&nbsp;</em>spin-off,&nbsp;<em>Queen Charlotte</em>. However, we can&#8217;t wait to see it make its debut in upcoming series 3 of the Regency rompathon. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-waddesdon-manor-aylesbury"><a href="https://waddesdon.org.uk/">Waddesdon Manor</a>, Aylesbury</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="563" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/parterre-in-summer-at-waddesdon-manor-buckinghamshire-1495313.jpg" alt="Bridgerton inspired manor houses you can visit locally" class="wp-image-65070" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/parterre-in-summer-at-waddesdon-manor-buckinghamshire-1495313.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/parterre-in-summer-at-waddesdon-manor-buckinghamshire-1495313-800x450.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/parterre-in-summer-at-waddesdon-manor-buckinghamshire-1495313-400x225.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/parterre-in-summer-at-waddesdon-manor-buckinghamshire-1495313-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Waddesdon is a real Muddy favourite, not just for its vast and impressive gardens but also its events, from nationally-acclaimed and edgy art installations to drool-worthy food markets. It&#8217;s a day out that works for every age. In summer, I’ll always head straight to the rose&nbsp;garden&nbsp;near the Rococo style aviary, aka the dreamiest Insta backdrop.&nbsp;You can also see a display of roses on the Parterre, Waddesdon&#8217;s French-inspired formal&nbsp;garden&nbsp;which is set against the backdrop of the Manor. After sashaying your way around the blooms (tiring work), refuel at The Five Arrows, located at the gates of Waddesdon Manor &#8211; a grade II listed boutique hotel with 16 bedrooms and a mod 2 AA rosette bar and restaurant.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-greys-court-henley-on-thames"><a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/oxfordshire-buckinghamshire-berkshire/greys-court" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Greys Court</a>, Henley-on-Thames</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="563" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/exterior-greys-court-oxfordshire-1317584.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-65064" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/exterior-greys-court-oxfordshire-1317584.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/exterior-greys-court-oxfordshire-1317584-800x450.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/exterior-greys-court-oxfordshire-1317584-400x225.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/exterior-greys-court-oxfordshire-1317584-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>The gorgeous gardens of Greys Court are a real summer gem &#8211; whether you&#8217;re a kid racing through the ‘hide and reveal’ drama of the walled gardens or a green-fingered grown up tip-toeing to get the scent of one of the gazillion roses. So pretty that it&#8217;s been used as a backdrop in<em> Downton Abbey,</em> the roses here are particularly stunning, from the ramblers scaling the brick and flint exterior of the house (open all summer) to the rose garden room, which traces the history of the rose from early damask varieties to modern hybrids. No National Trust visit is complete without a cuppa and a cake. Find a spot under the crab apples in the walled garden and enjoy. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ditton-manor-slough"><a href="https://dittonmanor.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ditton Manor</a>, Slough</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/09/Ditton-Manor.jpeg" alt="Bridgerton inspired manor houses you can visit locally" class="wp-image-55361" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/09/Ditton-Manor.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/09/Ditton-Manor-800x534.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/09/Ditton-Manor-400x267.jpeg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/09/Ditton-Manor-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/09/Ditton-Manor-787x525.jpeg 787w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Okaaaay, so you can&#8217;t technically just trot on in to Ditton Manor and take a snoop around the manicured grounds. But the historical pad, once a favoured estate in the era of Henry VIII’s family, can be rented as a venue for weddings, corporate events, and parties. It was fittingly used as the German childhood home of future Queen Charlotte in the spin-off series so if you want to channel your inner duchess, better get a party planner on speed dial.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hughenden-manor-near-high-wycombe"><a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/oxfordshire-buckinghamshire-berkshire/hughenden" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hughenden Manor</a>, near High Wycombe</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="563" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/spring-garden-hughenden-buckinghamshire1652517.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-65072" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/spring-garden-hughenden-buckinghamshire1652517.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/spring-garden-hughenden-buckinghamshire1652517-800x450.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/spring-garden-hughenden-buckinghamshire1652517-400x225.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/spring-garden-hughenden-buckinghamshire1652517-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Hughenden is sure to shoot to the top of your stately house bucketlist. The painstakingly-preserved home of Benjamin Disraeli paints a vivid picture of the Victorian Prime Minister’s colourful private life (you can even view lots of personal letters from Queen Victoria &#8211; a big fan). But perhaps more fascinatingly, the house was high on Hitler’s hit list. In fact, a top-secret Second World War operation codenamed ‘Hillside&#8217; was run here &#8211; a map-making base that was so secret, it only came to light 60 years later after a chance encounter. Explore the exhibition inside the house before hitting the formal gardens with Italian style terraces and statues, walled gardens, and woodland walks.</p>


Bridgerton inspired stately homes you can visit locally

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