Upton House and Gardens NT

Name: Upton House and Gardens NT
Address: Upton House & Gardens, Banbury, OX156HT, GB
Telephone: +441295670266
Price range: ££

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Upton House and Gardens NT

Immerse yourself in a remarkable range of world-class paintings, from Stubbs and Hogarth to Bosch and El Greco. It helps us to learn and grow.

Immerse yourself in a remarkable range of world-class paintings, from Stubbs and Hogarth to Bosch and El Greco, see the porcelain and take a stroll in the gardens. Discover Upton House and Gardens, the country house high on the Warwickshire hill, where 2nd Viscount Bearsted, Walter Samuel, created one of the finest art collections in twentieth-century England. See how Lord Bearsted furnished every

spare inch with his pictures and eighteenth-century English and French porcelain. Please note - Upton houses an important collection of art and porcelain and it isn't possible to have all items on display permanently. To find out if a particular room or work is currently on display, on loan or in storage please contact us before travelling. Outdoors you can stroll through Lady Bearsted’s gardens, designed by the pioneering Kitty Lloyd Jones, and find your own sense of leisure, peace and beauty that we continue to nurture. Following the challenges during the various lockdowns the gardens are not currently at their formal best and will take 3 - 4 years to fully recover. The spectacular views, the peace and quiet and the teeming wildlife are still very much in evidence. General information...

This is the official page for the National Trust site of Upton House and Gardens. We do our best to be available to respond to your comments and queries between 9am and 5pm from Monday to Friday and on weekend days when we can, but it can be very busy on the property so there might be times we're a little slower than we'd like at responding to you! If you have an enquiry, please email: [email protected].

*Our Facebook ‘House Rules’*

We want our page to be a place where people can share how they feel about the National Trust - Upton House and Gardens, and talk about their experiences in a fun environment. We welcome feedback – both positive and negative. These house rules aim to ensure everyone can enjoy themselves while they’re here:

We ask you to be nice and polite to one another – you almost always are! - and respect each other’s views and comments. We ask all users to ensure your contributions are civil, polite, tasteful and suitable for all ages. We won't tolerate disruptive, offensive or abusive behaviour, unlawful or objectionable content. This includes any material which might be defamatory, offensive, infringing, obscene, lewd, pornographic, violent, abusive, insulting, threatening, harassing, discriminatory, blasphemous, indecent or otherwise unlawful or objectionable. It also includes any material which is aggressive, argumentative or likely to be construed as bullying. No spamming or repetition, please, nor off-topic material in subject-specific threads or areas.

*Moderation policy*

In general, we don’t moderate posts – except on the rare occasion that someone has used offensive language or made libellous allegations about named individuals on our page. We have a duty to protect our staff and volunteers, so while deleting comments is totally out of character for us, our legal position is that any post containing a libellous accusations, should be removed. If an individual continues to post offensive, threatening or libellous content then we’ll be forced to block that person from the page. We won’t tolerate postings, content, or links that are racist, sexist or homophobic. We also don’t permit linking to or posting any content which endorses illegal activity, or any activities against the values of the National Trust. If you’re concerned that a posting or user content has broken any of our house rules or you’re worried about any comment or content then please send us an email to [email protected] and let us know. Finally, please note that the views on our page are created by our community and don’t necessarily represent the views or opinions of National Trust - Upton House and Gardens.

14/06/2024

Summer planning? We have lots of entertainment coming up including outdoor music and theatre, including Jemima Puddle-Duck, Romeo & Juliet & Summer Evening Jazz. To find out more and book ➡ https://shorturl.at/mqUWE

🎼 Summer Evening Jazz by The Great Central Big Band performing a range of styles including a selection of hits from the swing era, some classic and modern songs you're sure to recognise. Sat 6 July, 6.30pm start. Adults £18.50, Child £11.50, Family £50. Pre booking needed ➡ https://shorturl.at/ZuVtF

🎭 Jemima Puddle-Duck performed in the gardens at Upton by Quantum Theatre. Enjoy this much loved adaptation of the popular Beatrix Potter tale.
Sat 27 July, 6.30pm start. Adults £18.50, Child £11.50, £50 Family. Pre booking needed ➡ https://shorturl.at/bBV07

🎭 Romeo and Juliet performed by Illyria. Enjoy this gripping adaption of a Shakespeare classic.
Sat 24 August, 6.30pm start. Adults £18.50, Child £11.50, £50 Family. Pre booking needed ➡ https://shorturl.at/YLNzC

National Trust in the Midlands

Join Debbie Wild from the Swan School of Tai Chi and Qigong, who will guide you through this ancient Chinese exercise, in the meditative setting of our Quiet Orchard, on alternate Wednesdays from 17 April, 10:45am-12:15pm.

13/06/2024

Ever thought about volunteering here? We are now recruiting for new volunteers to join the café, house and welcome teams.

By volunteering, you could:
- Meet new people and learn new things
- Develop your skills and boost your CV
- Support both Upton and the National Trust

To find out more, please email [email protected] or apply via our website: https://shorturl.at/gL5eD

12/06/2024

Stop and smell the roses on your next visit 🌸 The early summer gardens are starting to bloom 🙂

National Trust in the Midlands

10/06/2024

– some recent maintenance and conservation of a number of paintings in the collection. The pictures are surface cleaned and then refitted into the frames securely.

National Trust in the Midlands

09/06/2024

The Plant Centre has taken inspiration from double herbaceous boarders in the gardens at Upton, designed by Kitty Lloyd Jones in the 1930's. You can pick up a variety of plants to replicate the colours that flow from warm oranges to cool blues. Opening times ➡ https://shorturl.at/qTUkF

National Trust in the Midlands

08/06/2024

The beautiful South Front. This is where lots of our summer events are taking place, including….

👉 Jemima Puddle-Duck by Quantum theatre – 27 July, 6.30pm start. Booking required https://shorturl.at/cy0sf

👉 Music on the lawn – live music from the jazz era & beyond. Weekends in August 12pm – 2pm. No booking needed. More info. https://shorturl.at/wqmPH

👉 Romeo and Juliet by Illyria – 24 August, 6.30pm start. Booking required https://shorturl.at/HgiGh

To find out more about all we have going on over the summer head to the main website.

National Trust in the Midlands

06/06/2024

It’s and we have been busy behind the scenes creating brand new interpretation for the art collection. If you just want the highlights, look out for our 'object discovery' labels, or if you'd like to delve deeper we have detailed catalogues in every room. As always, our friendly volunteers on hand ready to answer any questions too.

National Trust in the Midlands

04/06/2024

This a huge shout out to our fantastic volunteers who support Upton House in so many different ways. Thanks for all your continued support and enthusiasm, you all help to make Upton a wonderful place for visitors to enjoy.

National Trust in the Midlands

02/06/2024

Lovely spring photos to end the week 🙂🌼

National Trust in the Midlands

📸Pete Cox

31/05/2024

📣 Just a few more days to apply for the role of Gardener based at Upton House & Gardens to work in the magnificent 1930’s garden. If you think this is for you, or anyone you know who may be interested, please share. Application details ➡ https://shorturl.at/VQ0tk

(IRC152368 - Gardener)

📸 Pete Cox

National Trust in the Midlands

29/05/2024

Have you brought your little ones to make a butterfly mask yet? Head to the plant centre on your visit 11am – 2pm to have a go, running until 31 May.

Normal admission applies & £2 per child ➡ https://shorturl.at/mWTr7

National Trust in the Midlands

📸National Trust Images/ Megan Taylor

28/05/2024

Did you guess the mystery object in the photo the other day…..? It’s a close up of one of the features on a carved side cabinet located in the Entrance Hall. It’s a combination of 1540, French with the upper section, and the lower section is 1880. If you look closely, you can see much detail including creatures and scrolling foliage. The lower section rests above a pair of leaf-carved drawers centred by a mask, with seated Griffin supporters on a plinth below.

You can find out more about our collections on the National Trust collections website ➡https://shorturl.at/aiSmo

National Trust in the Midlands

27/05/2024

Dive into the detail. Can you guess where this is located in the house…..? Answer will be revealed tomorrow.

National Trust in the Midlands

26/05/2024

Summer evenings are coming and we have plenty going on to enjoy 🙂

👉Summer Evening Jazz performed by the Great Central Big Band – Sat 6 July, 6.30pm. Tickets required https://shorturl.at/O54V5

👉Jemima Puddle-Duck performed by Quantum Theatre – Sat 27 July, 6.30pm. Tickets required https://shorturl.at/xvv7V

👉Romeo and Juliet performed by Illyria – Sat 24 August, 6.30pm. Tickets required https://shorturl.at/FQLpO

Head to the website to find out more about all our events.

National Trust in the Midlands

26/05/2024

24/05/2024

It’s , so if you enjoy exploring the great outdoors, check out our monthly Upton social walks. There are spectacular views and a hot drink to enjoy afterwards. All walks are led by one of our trained volunteers.

For more information and to book ➡ https://tinyurl.com/2n7e86yy

National Trust in the Midlands

📸National Trust Images

22/05/2024

📣 Job alert, we are recruiting. We are looking for a skilled Gardener to join the team at Upton House & Gardens to work in this magnificent 1930’s garden. To find out more and apply ➡ https://shorturl.at/VQ0tk

(IRC152368 - Gardener)

National Trust in the Midlands

21/05/2024

Here are some of the house and collections team working on conservation tasks. Which do you think is the most satisfying conservation task? 🙂

Vacuuming. We use backpack vacs to do the daily cleaning of all the floors in the house, collecting the grit and dirt brought in on visitors shoes.

Tamping carpets. The carpets are turned over and beaten with a tamping bat to knock out the dirt that is lodged deep in the pile. It’s a good clean for the carpet and a good workout for the staff and volunteers!

Detailed dusting. We use a soft brush to gently lift the dust from the surface of the painted leather screen. The dust is collected in the nearby vacuum cleaner. A head torch is used so we can track progress and see the dust being brushed away.

Glass cleaning. To clear finger prints we use a soft cloth and no cleaning products, unless there is a stubborn stain, then we use our breath and a little more elbow grease to get the glass squeaky clean.

National Trust in the Midlands

20/05/2024

It’s 🐝 We have plenty of bee themed gifts & some locally sourced honey in the gift shop. If you want to attract more bees to garden spaces, try planting Salvia, Achillea or Foxgloves, all available in our plant centre 🌸

National Trust in the Midlands

19/05/2024

Have you tried our scone of the month yet 😋 Rhubarb & Rosemary perfect with a cuppa ☕

Pavilion Cafe opening times ➡ https://shorturl.at/aJ029

National Trust in the Midlands

17/05/2024

Not long until the May half term holidays. We have nature inspired activities for the little ones to try themed around butterflies 🦋

To find out more ➡ https://tinyurl.com/4p99jz2h

📸National Trust Images/Megan Taylor

15/05/2024

- the tulips are looking lovely on the south front 🙂

📸Michele Waugh

National Trust in the Midlands

12/05/2024

The wisteria on the South Front is looking beautiful 🙂🌸

National Trust in the Midlands

09/05/2024

Are you growing anything this spring? We have a range of new pots in the Gift Shop, perfect for inside or out 🌼

Opening times ➡ https://shorturl.at/ctzL7

National Trust in the Midlands

05/05/2024

Summer school holidays are only a few months away…. If you’re planning ahead with outdoor activities, check out details about upcoming theatre Jemima Puddle-Duck performed in the gardens at Upton by Quantum Theatre. Pack up a picnic and relax on the South Lawn while enjoying the much loved adaptation of this Beatrix Potter tale.

Sat 27 July, 6.30pm start. Adults £18.50, Child £11.50, £50 Family. Pre booking needed ➡https://shorturl.at/bBV07

National Trust in the Midlands

New for 2024, Quantum theatre presents a delightful new adaptation of Beatrix Potter’s much-loved tale — The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck.

04/05/2024

Take a moment to immerse yourself in nature in the beautiful surroundings of the Quiet Orchard with Debbie Wild from the Swan School of Tai Chi and Qigong. Join in with gentle movement, meditation, slow breathing and balanced postures. Classes are fortnightly on a Wednesday (next is on 15 May). To find out more & book ➡ https://tinyurl.com/mrxch3ee

National Trust in the Midlands

02/05/2024

Flashback to the Inglenook in the 1930s - It's just as cosy today and if you're visiting, feel free to take a seat! 🙂

National Trust in the Midlands

📸 National Trust Images

01/05/2024

Our summer exhibition ‘Landmarks’ by David Birtwhistle this year will be displayed in the Squash Court Gallery (14 July - 24 August). There will also be a chance to have a private view before it opens throughout the summer (13 July).

For more information ➡ https://tinyurl.com/4nz8kytv & https://tinyurl.com/2ver6kf4

National Trust in the Midlands

25/04/2024

The butterflies are appearing with the warmer weather 🦋 We have taken inspiration from nature for activities for the little ones this May half term 🙂 They can join in with making butterfly masks (27 – 31 May). No booking needed, more info. ➡https://tinyurl.com/4p99jz2h

National Trust in the Midlands

Address

Upton House & Gardens
Banbury
OX156HT

Telephone

+441295670266

Website

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/upton-house-and-gardens

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Videos

Don't forget, we will soon be springing forward into British summer time 🕰 National Trust in the Midlands

'Spring'

On world poetry day we celebrate the words of Gerald George Samuel, brother of the 2nd Viscount Bearsted, who was killed in action in France in 1917. Before this he had sent a group of poems along with a letter of farewell to be shared in the event of his death. This poem relates the sense of hope that comes each year with the onset of Spring and reminds us of the joy and beauty to be had in nature, even in difficult times. National Trust in the Midlands 📸 Pete Cox

Early spring moments

Midweek early spring views 🙂🌳 (captured on an early sunny spring day). 📸 Pete Cox National Trust in the Midlands

Happy Valentine ❤️ Love is in the air in one of the pictures at Upton - The Duet by Gabriel Metsu. Find out more in the clip below about how scarlet shoes and music is the best way to set the scene for romance! 📸 Front Row Films National Trust in the Midlands

A sunny winter view to set off the week 🙂 National Trust in the Midlands

Happy Christmas all 🎄🙂 it's the last of the Friday Fables & you can see this display in the Porcelain Lobby. @ntmidlands

Someone is enjoying the drizzly weather!

Midweek early morning capture 🙂🐇 #EveryoneNeedsNature National Trust in the Midlands 📸 Anna Shaw

Happy Fables Friday 🙂🎄 enjoy the latest clip & come & see the real thing this weekend. Further info. including opening times on the website. @ntmidlands

Happy Fables Friday 🌲 enjoy the featured fable & let us know which display you like the best! We are open daily up until Christmas ☃️ @ntmidlands

Starting off a new week with season's greetings both inspired by nature and good for nature. Visit your local National Trust shop or head to shop.nationaltrust.org.uk to find the perfect card for you - every purchase helps us look after nature, beauty and history 🎄 For opening times for the gift shop at Upton House ➡ https://tinyurl.com/3natnh5u National Trust in the Midlands

It’s the night before…… we open our doors for an Aesop’s Fables themed Christmas 🎄(Sat 11 November is the day). Here is a sneak peak of some of the Christmas sparkle. To find out more ➡ https://tinyurl.com/ha9dys6n National Trust in the Midlands

Don't forget, the clocks go back tomorrow 🕰

Bring the little ones over autumn half terms & join in with nature crafting. Take a walk through the woodland and see how many colours in nature you can match with the colour wheel. No booking needed, normal admission applies & £2 per child. Find out more at visitor reception on arrival ➡ https://tinyurl.com/ywr3a463 National Trust in the Midlands

Some beautiful colours from the garden to start the week off 🌸 In the kitchen gardens lots of wildflowers have been planted to encourage cross pollination. They have all been planted from seed and we will continue to add more, they include Shepherd’s Purse, Cornflower, Nigella, Dill, Rocket, Statice and Celandine to name a few. The wildlife and insects seem to be enjoying them 🙂 National Trust in the Midlands

The Asters (various varieties) are looking beautiful in the gardens. We have a National Collection, definitely worth a look as part of your visit 🙂🌸 National Trust in the Midlands

Late summer days 🙂 📷 Emily Knight National Trust in the Midlands

The Asters are in! 🙂 Shop opening times ➡ https://tinyurl.com/2haj37aa National Trust in the Midlands

Pop in & enjoy the exhibition as part of your visit. Ask at visitor reception for more info. National Trust in the Midlands

It's #internationalcatday. On your next visit, see if you can spot the cat in one of our pictures 🐈 National Trust in the Midlands

Shortcuts

Our Story

Located on the edge of an ice-age valley, the gardens drop away from the south lawn down towards the Mirror Pool. They provide an opportunity to step away from busy lives.

‘the need of quiet, the need of air, and I believe the sight of sky and of things growing, seem human needs, common to all men’.

Octavia Hill.

Upton House and Gardens was the beloved country home of the Jewish philanthropist, collector and Chairman of Shell, Walter Samuel, 2nd Viscount Bearsted, and his family. Remodelled in the 1930s as a weekend retreat, with its modern comforts, gardens and outstanding collections of paintings, porcelain and plants, Upton was about beauty and pleasure.