Kingston Lacy

Kingston Lacy is a country house and estate near Wimborne Minster in Dorset, southern England. For generations it was the family seat of the Bankes family, and today it is cared for by the National Trust as one of the region's most rewarding houses for art lovers.

How did Kingston Lacy come to be?

The story starts with nearby Corfe Castle, which the Bankes family lost during the English Civil War. Sir John Bankes and his wife, Dame Mary, stayed loyal to Charles I, and the castle they held was later destroyed. The family needed a new home afterwards. According to published accounts, Ralph Bankes, Sir John's son, had the house built between 1663 and 1665 to a design by the architect Sir Roger Pratt.

How was the house transformed in the 19th century?

The most dramatic change came under William John Bankes, a collector and traveller who wanted a worthy setting for his paintings and antiquities. The work took place in the first half of the 1800s. Charles Barry, later the architect of the Houses of Parliament, was brought in to give the building the look of an Italian palazzo. The exterior was encased in stone and the interiors were refitted to show off the collections.

What is there to see inside?

The house is known for its picture collection, with works by masters such as Titian, Rubens, Van Dyck, Tintoretto and Lely, alongside many other European artists. A separate highlight is the group of ancient Egyptian objects gathered by William Bankes. Among the lavish state rooms is the Spanish Room, with gilded leather wall hangings and an early 17th-century Venetian ceiling.

The Philae obelisk

In the grounds stands a granite obelisk from the island of Philae near Aswan. It was one of a pair that marked the approach to a temple of Isis. It rises roughly nine metres, and its inscriptions refer to rulers of the Ptolemaic period. It reached Dorset in the 1820s, and its transport is linked to the name of Giovanni Belzoni. It is one of the most unexpected sights in the English countryside.

How did Kingston Lacy reach the National Trust?

After the death of Henry John Ralph Bankes in 1982, the estate passed to the National Trust together with Corfe Castle. Since then the Trust has conserved the house and its collections and opened them to visitors.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Kingston Lacy? In Dorset, close to the market town of Wimborne Minster.

Who built the house? Ralph Bankes, to a design by Roger Pratt. William John Bankes remodelled it in the 19th century with Charles Barry.

What is the main attraction? The old master paintings, the Egyptian antiquities and the Philae obelisk in the grounds.

Who looks after it? The National Trust, since 1982.

Can I combine it with other places? Yes. The Bankes family story is tied to the ruins of Corfe Castle, so the two sites pair well on one Dorset trip.

Kingston Lacy suits anyone who enjoys historic houses, fine art and the stories of families woven into English history. The mix of seventeenth-century roots, a nineteenth-century Italian makeover and Egyptian treasures makes a visit far more than a standard country-house tour. Set aside plenty of time, because the house, gardens and wider estate all reward exploring.