Cliveden House

Come, let’s spend an afternoon at Cliveden House and uncover 300 years of history.

The estate has been home to dukes, earls, viscounts and a prince. It was even a hospital during WWI. You can read all about the estate’s history here. For a brief period, Cliveden was associated with scandal when in 1963, John Profumo (Secretary of State for War) was revealed to have had an affair with 19-year-old model and dancer Christine Keeler, whom he had first met by the swimming pool at Cliveden. The ‘Profumo Affair’ ended his political career and contributed to the home owning Astor family, to leave Cliveden. Waldorf Astor gave Cliveden to the National Trust in 1942. Though the trust manages the estate, the house itself is now a luxury country hotel. You can stay at the lavish home or visit for afternoon tea.

But we’re not here for scandals, enough tea is served within the hotel. Let’s instead explore the grounds…

I needed a day outside of the bustling city. I had been feeling restless for some time and country estates are my comfort. Cliveden is special. The house itself is beautifully designed, with ornate features on every corner. Grab a coffee from the conservatory cafe and walk behind the house to jaw dropping gardens. The garden designs feel very European inspired, like Versailles, with its balanced symmetry of hedges. 

The estate is extensive with 376 acres of magnificent Grade I listed formal gardens and woodlands. So, plenty to explore! My personal favourite is the slow downhill descent that opens up to a picnic area, overlooking the River Thames. Enjoy a late lunch and watch the boats row up and down. It’s quite meditative.

There’s a lot of ground to cover that you could easily spend a full day exploring, and you still probably wouldn’t see everything. Book in advance for afternoon tea and soak up the old English country aesthetic. Or just do what I did and roam freely, with no real clear objective. Sometimes that’s just as important. Scroll through my images from the day!