UK Mansion: Longleat – Everything you need to know about Longleat Mansion and Safari Park

The first stately house to be opened to the public as a tourist attraction was Longleat. It also had the first safari park established outside Africa. If you're looking for a fun place where your family can enjoy outdoor entertainment mixed with history, then Longleat is a great attraction to visit. The true beauty of the grounds is the historic immaculate home. Key facts about Longlea's current seat presented to the Marchioness of Bath, Certificate of Excellence 2014 by Travel Advisor, Wedding exhibition currently on display showcasing the recent wedding of Ceawlin Thynn, 12th Viscount Weymouth to Emma ·McQuinston. A brief history of Longleat

The beautiful Longleat House is situated on 1,000 acres of land near the towns of Warminster, Wiltshire, and Frome, Somerset. The property was purchased by Sir John Dean in 1540 for ￡53. At the time, approximately 60 acres contained the original house, an orchard and a rabbit farm. The original house was destroyed in a fire in April 1567, and Sir John built it under architects Adrian Gaunt, Robert Smython, Alan Maynard, Humphrey Lovell and Hurt The house was successfully rebuilt with the help of Lord Ford. However, most of the design work was done by Sir John. The house was fully completed by 1580. Sir John Tien was the first of the Tien dynasty. Over time, the spelling of the surname was changed into different variations. However, the current family head gave the name back to Thien in the 1980s.

As the years passed, various nobles inherited the estate, each making different improvements or changes to the overall upkeep of the house. Thomas Dean, 1st Viscount Weymouth, created an extensive collection of books in the house. He also commissioned George London, Arnold Quillin, and Knight David to help create formal gardens, fountains, and canals.

Thomas also founded a boys' grammar school in the town of Warminster in 1707. It was later known as Lord Weymouth's School and in 1973 it merged with St Monica's Girls' School to create Warminster School. His son was also named Thomas, 2nd Viscount Weymouth, who married Louisa Carteret. Her ghost is said to haunt the house.

The next heir, who began life as a Marquis and inherited Thomas' name, wanted to modernize the land to reflect other famous landscapes. He commissioned the renowned Capabiliy Brown to design a landscape park that replaced the formal gardens and added additional access roads and dramatic drives for spectators to visit. His son also modernized the house by hiring Jeffry Wyaville to demolish different parts of the house, including the staircase, in order to build a larger staircase and a new gallery. He also built different structures outside the house, such as an orangery.

The events of World War I brought new needs to the home, when it was temporarily converted into a hospital to aid soldiers. During World War II, the house was converted into a royal school for the daughters of officers. Unfortunately, the war had a negative impact on the estate's overall finances. In order to pay death taxes, Henry Frederick Thien had to sell most of the estate's assets in 1947. He was also forced to open the house to the public for the sake of Longleat's prosperity. Alexander Thien, 7th Marquess of Bath, was responsible for creating all the maze patterns within the hotel. He designed the pieces himself. The house remains the private residence of the Thien family. What made this house famous around the world

The house is most famous for its safari and adventure park. The facilities first opened in 1966 and are believed to be the first through-safari park outside of Africa. The safari park is considered a very attractive place, unlike other parks