James Clay Stuff

Chastleton is a Jacobean country house at Chastleton in Oxfordshire.

Chastleton was one of those properties I knew I wanted to visit, but with limited opening dates and times. This year it was open from the 4th March to the 1st November and was only open from 1300 to 1700. The house was also closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

So on the last weekend of the season for the house, I planned to visit Chastleton. First though I visited Snowshill Manor which is just ten miles from Chastleton and was open earlier.

I arrived at Chastleton, parked the car, got my card scanned and then walked down the hill, in the sun, to the house.

Chastleton

Discover the myths and memories of an ancient country house, a compelling time capsule of 400 years of family life

Current saving £458.75
One adult £15.00
Parking n/a
Total saving £15.00
Cumulative saving £569.75
Membership cost £96
Net cumulative saving £473.75

There are quite a few floors and rooms to explore in the house. Unlike some houses which try to recreate the house from a specific era, with Chastleton, they have tried to conserve the house at the point it was acquired in 1991. As a consequence there are lots of reminders of the late twentieth century in the different rooms, from old copies of magazines, to telephones, and radio sets.

I was impressed with the Long Gallery, from the windows there are impressive views of the surrounding countryside.

Unlike many National Trust properties there isn’t a cafe, but tea and cake is sold to visitors in the next door church.

It is a lovely house and I really enjoyed my visit. It’s closed now until March next year, but I think I will make a return visit in 2027.