Badminton Estate Gardens

25% off Adult Tickets to Badminton Estate’s Open Garden Events for StayCotswold Guests

Home to the Duke and Duchess of Beaufort, the Badminton Estate lies in the heart of the Gloucestershire countryside. The Somerset Family, descendants of John of Gaunt, have lived at Badminton since 1612. Over the centuries, the House and Estate have evolved in the stewardship of successive generations and the current Duke and Duchess continue to invest in and improve the estate.

Badminton Estate’s History

Badminton is recorded in the Domesday Book as ‘Madmintune’ and earlier evidence of settlement survives with the recent discovery of a Late Roman villa to the north of the park. The origin of Badminton House was a medieval manor house owned by the Boteler family. The house and park were then extended and remodelled through the 17th, 18th and 19th Centuries by many of the leading architects of the day including Francis Smith of Warwick, James Gibbs, William Kent, and Jeffry Wyatville. George London and Henry Wise designed the formal gardens, which were later de-formalised by Charles Bridgeman and then further simplified by Kent in the mid-18th century.

Thomas Wright followed Kent in the mid-18th Century and designed various buildings to enhance the parkland including Castle Barn, the Hermit’s Cell and Ragged Castle. By 1768, the Deer Park extended to some 2,000 acres bounded by the Seven Mile Plantation, a belt of beech, which remains an important feature of the landscape today. Worcester Avenue, the central avenue of the park, extends up to Kent’s Worcester Lodge, some three miles north. The Deer Park now extends to 400 acres around the house. Many of the original avenues radiating from the house survive today, together with the many parkland trees and woodlands.

The sport of Badminton evolved from a family game played in the North Hall, which is the same size as a modern court, and takes its name from Badminton House.

The current gardens were laid out by the 11th Duke and Duchess in the 1980s, and were designed by Russell Page and François Goffinet. The current Duke and Duchess took on the stewardship of the gardens from Miranda, Duchess of Beaufort, and continue to develop them, building upon the work of their predecessors in maintaining the balance of design and creative gardening.

Badminton House has welcomed kings, queens, and notable historical figures over the centuries. Queen Mary, the wife of George V, stayed at Badminton for much of the Second World War, and Queen Elizabeth II was a regular attendee at the annual horse trials, which began in 1949 and are held each year in the park. The horse trials have become a prestigious international CCI5* event, the pinnacle of the eventing, and one of only six held worldwide each year.

While Badminton House remains primarily a private family home, it now also offers a wonderful venue for filming and events. The House has served as a filming location for various productions, including Netflix’s hit series Bridgerton, the Pursuit of Love and feature productions such as Pearl Harbor and The Remains of the Day. Aside from filming and the Horse Trials, the 12th Duke of Beaufort is developing new enterprises and events on the estate.