Clarendon Park

Clarendon Park is a historic country house and estate in the parish of Alderbury, just east of Salisbury in Wiltshire, England. The mansion holds Grade I listed status, and the old royal park around it contains the ruins of the medieval Clarendon Palace. Do not confuse it with Clarendon Park in Leicester: this is rural parkland on the edge of Salisbury Plain.

What is Clarendon Park?

The main house, Clarendon House, was listed in 1960 (National Heritage List entry 1023949). According to records it was built between 1717 and 1737 for the Bathurst family; Benjamin Bathurst commissioned it and Peter Bathurst, MP for Salisbury, who died in 1748, followed him. The fronts are faced in Chilmark limestone ashlar, while the west side is rendered brick. The north front echoes the manner of Thomas Archer. The interiors were reworked in 1814 and again in 1920, when a single-storey ballroom was added to the south front.

Around 1920 the estate passed to the Christie-Miller family, and in about 1979 the Victorian service wings on the west side were pulled down. Marc Jonas and his wife bought it in 2006. Other listed structures on the grounds, at Grade II, include a dovecote, a granary, a garden seat and the kitchen garden walls.

Can you visit the house?

Clarendon House is privately owned and is not run as a regular visitor attraction. We found no information on general public access to the wider estate beyond the routes described below. Plan the trip around the park's history and landscape rather than the interiors.

What can you see nearby?

The park's main draw is Clarendon Palace, a royal hunting lodge that grew into a major palace over the centuries. Foundations, earthworks and a flint gable wall remain. English Heritage looks after the site, and the publicly accessible parts are free. The ruins stand on private land beside a public footpath and can be reached on foot at any reasonable time.

How do you get there?

The simplest option is a walk from Salisbury via Milford, returning the same way. A longer circuit of about 4.5 miles (roughly 2.5 hours) starts in the village of Pitton. The Clarendon Way, a 24-mile route between Salisbury and Winchester, crosses the park and takes its name from it. There is no vehicle access to the ruins and no facilities, and the ground is uneven with some steep, unfenced drops. There is no walkers' car park either; the Silver Plough pub car park is for customers only.

Frequently asked questions

Is Clarendon Park open to the public?

The mansion is private. The Clarendon Palace ruins, however, can be visited via public footpaths and a permissive path agreed with the landowner.

Is there an entry fee for the palace ruins?

No. The publicly accessible parts of the English Heritage site are free.

Can I drive to the ruins?

No. Access is on foot, and there is no dedicated visitor parking nearby.

What listing grade does the house have?

Clarendon House is Grade I listed, while Clarendon Palace is listed at Grade II.