Photo: Farringford by From http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/17296 From Project Gutenberg's Pictures in Colour of the Isle of Wight, by Various, Printed London Jarrold and Sons c. 1910. https://archive.org/details/picturesincolour17296gut, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
About this place
Farringford House in Freshwater Bay, Isle of Wight, is a Grade I listed property combining an 1806 core with Gothic extensions added through the 1830s.
Alfred, Lord Tennyson lived here from 1853 until 1892, writing major works including Maud and The Charge of the Light Brigade within its walls.
Emily Tennyson added a second library in 1871, featuring a distinctive turreted spiral staircase.
After the family's ownership ended in the 1940s, the house served as a Pontin's holiday hotel for several decades.
New owners acquired it in 2007, and following restoration, it reopened as a museum in 2017.
The walled garden has been replanted using contemporary descriptions from Tennyson's circle, with spring woodland bulbs and full borders by midsummer.
Guided tours run through the season.
Read more on WikipediaHistory
The house began as an 1806 building, extended with Gothic detailing from the 1830s onward. Tennyson's wife Emily added a second library in 1871, complete with a play room below linked by a turreted spiral staircase. After the family's ownership ended in the 1940s the house spent decades as a Pontin's holiday hotel, before new owners bought it in 2007, closed it in 2009, and reopened it as a museum in 2017 following restoration.
Architecture
The house combines an 1806 core with Gothic embellishments and extensions added through the 1830s, including a purpose-built library wing of 1871 with its distinctive turreted staircase.
Worth knowing
Alfred, Lord Tennyson lived and worked at Farringford for nearly forty years, composing major poems there while receiving artists and intellectuals as guests.
Gardens & grounds
The walled garden has been restored using contemporary descriptions and depictions from Tennyson's own circle, with woodland bulbs in spring and full borders by midsummer.
Facilities
Plan your visit
Nearest station: Lymington Pier Rail Station (5.8 miles)
Open April to October for guided tours; check official website for current dates.
Nearby properties
Yarmouth Castle
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View Mottistone Manor on heritage mapHistoric places nearby
Within 5 miles of Farringford there are 5 historic properties, including 3 historic buildings, across National Trust and English Heritage sites.
Within 10 miles of Farringford there are 8 historic properties, including 4 historic buildings and 2 castles, across National Trust, English Heritage and Historic Houses sites.
Within 20 miles of Farringford there are 19 historic properties, including 11 historic buildings and 4 castles, across English Heritage, National Trust and Historic Houses sites.
Facts
The Gothic house where Tennyson wrote for forty years, now restored down to its original planting scheme.
- Type
- historic house
- Location
- Isle of Wight, England
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