Day Trip Ideas: 5 Luxury Estates within Easy Reach of London

London is the right place to explore any time of the year. Often, many travelers start their trip to Britain there, but unfortunately, this is also where they end it. However, outside of London, you will also find many interesting places.

Iconic historic estates are true architectural masterpieces. These are the best spots to experience the spirit of England. Therefore, visiting luxury historic estates would be a great idea for an exciting weekend. You only need to hire a car to reach them, as they are located far from popular tourist routes.

Check out several luxury estates within easy reach of London, and choose a suitable location to visit on your next journey.

Luxury estates near London:

Lullingstone Castle

Lullingstone Castle is so old that it was mentioned in the cadastral book of the time of William the Conqueror. It’s located just 21 miles away from the city, which means you can easily get there with your hired car.

Among its previous owners was, for example, Gregory de Roxley, who became Lord Mayor of London eight times. The current owner is Tom Hart Dyke. He is also a notable figure like his ancestors. A passionate botanist, 46-year-old Hart has devoted his entire life to scientific expeditions. Once, while searching for a rare species of orchid, he was kidnapped by Colombian militants and remained in captivity with them for nine months. He later described his adventures in a book, which, in turn, formed the basis of a documentary series.

In Lullingstone, Hart lives with his mother. He has already made a great contribution to the castle's centuries-old history, having designed and planted a "world garden" there. Plants from all over the world, collected by Hart, grow on flower beds and in greenhouses.

The collection of cacti collected by the owner of the castle not only delights children, but is considered to be one of the most important in the country. A stone's throw from Lullingstone you’ll find the ruins of a Roman villa and charming villages. If you are traveling in a hire car, then you can greatly diversify your trip by visiting them.

Loseley Park

Loseley Park is the home of a young married couple, Alexander and Sophia More-Molyneux. The estate also appears in the cadastral inventory of the 11th century, and the direct ancestor of the current owner acquired it in the 16th century. The house is considered to be an important example of Tudor architecture.

Loseley Park is located in Guildford, Surrey, and you need to hire a car to get there. You can do this directly at the airport by booking a Sixt Heathrow hire car a few weeks before the planned trip.

The current owners of Loseley Park are active Instagram users, so their subscribers have the opportunity to look into the daily life of modern aristocrats. Loseley Park actively appears in films such as "Sense and Sensibility", "Emma", and "The Crown".

The barn of the estate and a small chapel are available for weddings. The beautiful countryside views will be a great backdrop for amazing photos.

Knebworth House

Knebworth House in Hertfordshire is located 32 miles away from London, so you can easily get there with your car hire. The building has a truly luxurious facade with many turrets. The huge park around it complements the beautiful view.

Fabulous sculptures are carved from the stumps of ancient trees in the park. Another local attraction is the life-size dinosaurs, which look so natural that it becomes creepy not only for children. By the way, there’s a large playground for kids.

The main thing that makes the estate famous is that it hosts the Knebworth Music Festival every year. Celebrities such as Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Queen, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, and Robbie Williams have appeared on its stage.

Polesden Lacey

The Polesden Lacey estate in Surrey has already acquired museum status but hasn’t lost its charm. Here once lived Margaret Greville, who rebuilt the house in the early 20th century. According to the memoirs of contemporaries, Greville was beautiful, and also extremely intelligent. She received Polesden Lacey from her father as a wedding present. However, the young husband died just two years later. Margaret later received brilliant marriage proposals but rejected them.

Queen Mary was among her friends, and when her son, the Duke of York, married, Margaret offered him Polesden Lacey as a honeymoon destination. Now anyone can see the apartments in which the newlyweds (parents of Queen Elizabeth II) lived.

Eltham Palace

Located in Greenwich, Eltham Palace is the former royal palace and the favorite residence of Henry IV. Eltham was chosen in the early 15th century as the venue for the official reception of Manuel II Palaiologos, the only Byzantine emperor to visit England.

The well-preserved main hall and picturesque ruins in the garden remind of the medieval glory of the palace. The millionaire spouses bought what was left of the palace in 1933 and had the idea of converting the medieval building into an ultra-modern house.

They succeeded: now the estate amazes the imagination. The interiors are one of the purest examples of the Art Deco style. The staterooms, decorated by the fashion of the past, look like luxurious ocean liners.