Wilton House, Historic country house in Wilton, England
Wilton House is a manor in the center of Wilton, a few kilometers west of Salisbury in the county of Wiltshire. The light stone building extends around a central courtyard and shows a classical facade with large windows and a portico designed by Inigo Jones.
King Henry the Eighth transferred the former monastery site in 1544 to William Herbert, who built the first residence. A large fire in the seventeenth century destroyed much of the estate, after which the family began rebuilding with help from Inigo Jones.
Visitors walk through nearly 20 furnished rooms where furniture and paintings remain in their original settings from several centuries. The south wing shows the Double Cube Room with Anthony van Dyck's collection assembled by the Earl of Pembroke and now on public display.
Access is through the main entrance on the north side, from where visitors can explore the rooms and gardens at their own pace. Paths within the park run over flat lawns and wide gravel lanes that are also passable with strollers.
The grounds hold one of England's first Palladian bridges, crossing an artificial pond and serving as a model for similar structures in other gardens. Inside is a rare room with gilded wall panels and ceiling frescoes that were fully restored during reconstruction after the fire.
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