£61.50 (Non JG member)
Overview
We begin with time in Windsor so you can explore and get lunch before we visit Dorneywood. We enjoy a free flow tour of the house before time in the garden. Dorneywood House is an official government residence, reserved for a Minister of the Crown or the Secretary of State. As such, it is not open to the public. It was bequeathed to the National Trust by Lord Courtauld-Thomson in 1942 on the provision that it be used by the current Prime Minister or a senior cabinet minister. At the moment it is the grace and favour residence of the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Several well-known Prime Ministers have occupied Dorneywood before becoming PM. Among these are John Major, Anthony Eden, and Alec Douglas-Home. The house interior boasts paintings from the government’s own collection of art as well as paintings owned by the National Trust. Dorneywood Garden is a combination cottage and kitchen garden in 1930s style, set around an 18th-century house. The garden features a lily pond, a stylish conservatory, a rose garden, and herbaceous borders. In 1910 the house was badly damaged by fire. It was rebuilt and the gardens laid out in 1942. There are 215 acres (87ha) of garden, parkland, woods, and farmland. In the past, the house was closed to visitors but in recent years there has been a limited opening period in the summer. We will enjoy Tea and Cake served in a Gazebo on the lawn.