Wimpole Estate

Wimpole Estate is a 3,000-acre property in Cambridgeshire containing a 17th-century mansion, formal gardens, and working farmland. The grounds include a walled kitchen garden, extensive woodlands, and a home farm raising rare breed livestock.

The property first appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 and was held by the Chicheley family from 1428 for over 250 years. In the 18th century the Yorke family acquired it and commissioned expansions to the house and redesigns of the parkland.

The estate includes a private chapel holding the tomb of Admiral Lord Hardwicke and a fully stocked library with historical volumes. Visitors can explore the stables housing Shire horses and walk through recreated servant quarters.

The National Trust manages the grade I listed property and offers guided tours of the house, a cafe, gift shop, and several walking routes. Paths cross open farmland and woodland, so sturdy footwear and weather-appropriate clothing suit longer walks.

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert visited in 1843, attending a dinner for 26 guests followed by a ball. In the 1970s the BBC filmed parts of the series The Pallisers in the state rooms.