GROUNDS OPENING TIMES
SUNDAY 10AM-5PM
MONDAY 10AM-5PM
TUESDAY 10AM-5PM
WEDNESDAY 10AM-5PM
THURSDAY 10AM-5PM
FRIDAY CLOSED
SATURDAYS CLOSED.
The house is open by guided tour only.
Limited spaces on house tours
last admission to grounds is 4pm
Refreshments are available from our
Tearooms, unfortunately we do not allow Picnics in the grounds.
Only Assistance dogs are allowed
please check directions before setting off as some sat navs will take you to the wrong location, we advise using google maps
COVID GUIDELINES
All visitors are requested if possible to wear face coverings when in the ticket office/shop and taking guided tours of the house.
Hand sanitiser must be used on entry, and social distancing is to be followed while onsite.
Thank you
NEXT EVENT:
Sunday 30th August-
outdoor production of
Wind in the Willows
Please use this link to see a map of the walk around the Abbey grounds
HISTORY
HOUSE &
HISTORY TOUR
With humble beginnings as a Cistercian monastic house in 1154, Stoneleigh Abbey was converted at the Dissolution into a comfortable family home. One of the seats of the Leigh family, Stoneleigh has played host to several people of note, including King Charles I, Queen Victoria, and novelist Jane Austen.
The fine Grade 1 listed English Mansion House is comprised of two halves; the first, made of red sandstone, is a fine example of a Jacobean house, built from the ruins of the monastery. The second, the West Wing, was designed by famous architect Francis Smith of Warwick in the Baroque style. Visitors to the Abbey can learn more of the house's history through a guided tour of the West Wing.
Jane Austen &
Stoneleigh Abbey
Stoneleigh Abbey was inherited by a relative of Jane Austen's mother, the Reverend Thomas Leigh. Jane Austen stayed with her mother in August 1806 as his guests. Many people feel that Stoneleigh Abbey was the model for Mansfield Park. But it is the reaction, of Jane's mother to the Abbey that is most interesting. During her visit with Jane she wrote a long letter to her daughter-in-law Mary detailing the house, the food, the servants.
REPTON WALK
In 1809, Humphry Repton, the most respected landscape gardener of his time, was invited to Stoneleigh Abbey by Reverend Thomas Leigh to advise him on updating the Abbey landscape. Repton created one of his ‘Red Books’, a collection of watercolour images of the house and grounds as they existed with overlays to suggest alterations to the estate. While not all of his suggestions were implemented, the result is a stunning natural landscape with superb views. Enjoy the new Cordelia Leigh Bridge and walks along the Gazebo island, our Victorian Pump House has been restored . The Red book has now been completely digitised so you can see every page.
Sorry Dogs are not allowed in the grounds
