Warminster - Longleat House

To the south of Bradford-on-Avon (17mi/27km) stands a fine Elizabethan country house, Longleat, built between 1559 and 1578, seat of the Marquis of Bath. The house is a remarkable example of English Early Renaissance architecture distinguished by the uniformity of treatment accorded its four facades.

Accumulated over a period of 400 years the rich interior furnishings include elegant 17th and 18th century furniture, silver and porcelain as well as numerous paintings, among the latter being 18th century hunting scenes by John Wootton.

The beautiful park with its serpentine lake, attractive groups of trees and the world's biggest maze, was landscaped by Capability Brown. Also in the grounds are a safari park and a pets' cemetery where animals belonging to generations of the Thynne family lie buried.

The safari park is open daily from mid March - end October. It contains England's only white tiger, giraffes and zebras. It also features the world's longest maze, safari boats, a railroad and an adventure castle.