Westwood Manor

The stone house was built in the 15th century with additions made in the 16th and 17th centuries. It was home to Edgar Lister, an early 20th-century diplomat at the Ottoman court, who put a lot of effort into restoring the house to how it would have appeared during the 17th century.

What to see at Westwood Manor

Only part of the Grade I-listed building is open to the public (someone lives in the part of the house that you aren’t able to visit). However, the parts of the house that are open to the public are nicely presented to show how it would have looked while Lister lived here and his collection of furniture, musical instruments and tapestries is on display.

It is an interesting house to visit if you have an interest in historic buildings as it combines architectural styles from the medieval, Tudor and Jacobean periods. Highlights of a visit include restored wall panelling and plasterwork and rare musical instruments, some of which date back to the 16th century.

Unlike many English manor houses, Westwood Manor feels much more like a cosy family home than your average stately home.

Although compact, Westwood Manor’s gardens are a lovely spot to wander. The gardens feature manicured lawns and curious topiary and yew sculptures.

Visiting Westwood Manor

Westwood Manor is located in the village of Westwood, around 2.8km (1¾ miles) southwest of Bradford on Avon. It is a 20-minute walk from Avoncliff railway station but you can walk all the way from Bradford on Avon in just 35 minutes. Car parking is available, although there are only around six spaces.

Many people combine a visit to Westwood Manor with Iford Manor Gardens, which are only a 20-minute walk away.

The house is only open to the public three days per week between April and September.

National Trust members get free entry, however, the admission fee for non-members is rather steep considering how little there is to see here.

The manor was built in the 15th century when wheelchairs were still a novelty in Europe so it is not designed to be wheelchair accessible.

As it is a fairly minor National Trust property, there is little in the way of visitor facilities. There is no gift shop, no cafe and not even any public toilets. However, there are toilets and a small cafe in the church hall next door. There is a lovely village pub, the New Inn, just a couple of minutes’ walk from the manor.

As far as National Trust properties go, Westwood Manor is relatively compact and most people wouldn’t spend much longer than half an hour here.