Lydiard House

History

The St John family held Lydiard Tregoze as their seat for generations. The present house was remodelled in the Palladian style during the eighteenth century under the family's direction. By the twentieth century the estate had become too costly to maintain, and Swindon Corporation purchased Lydiard House and its park in 1943, opening it to the public soon after.

Architecture

The house presents a Palladian front with later Georgian remodelling overlaying an older structure that had stood on the site for centuries under the St John family.

Worth knowing

St Mary's Church next to the house holds an unusually rich set of St John family memorials, including a gilded effigy known locally as the Golden Cavalier and a rare painted family tree dating from the seventeenth century.

Gardens & grounds

The walled garden has been restored to reflect its historic planting and forms a distinct part of a visit alongside the house and parkland.