VisitWiltshire Travel Trade Guide 2023

TRAVEL TRADE GUIDE
SPECTACULAR STATELY HOMES & GARDENS
Bowood House and Gardens in Calne and Longleat near Warminster both bear the mark of industrious
18th-century master landscaper ‘Capability’ Brown.
At Bowood visitors can explore the flowing mix of woodlands and lawns sloping down to a lake, overlooked by
the formal terraces of the imposing stately home and the seat of the Marquis and Marchioness of Lansdowne.
Longleat is home to the 8th Marquess and Marchioness of Bath and Longleat House is a masterpiece of
Elizabethan architecture that contains one of the most significant private collections in Britain.
WESSEX MUSEUMS
Wessex Museums is a thriving partnership of museums across Dorset and Wiltshire – Dorset Museum,
Poole Museum, The Salisbury Museum and Wiltshire Museum.
The Salisbury Museum has begun its £5 million major redevelopment – Past Forward. Funded with
nearly £4 million from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the project will see the creation of exciting new
galleries dedicated to Salisbury’s history, ceramics, natural history and improved public facilities.
Whilst building work is underway, some areas of the museum will be closed. However, areas which remain
open include the Wessex Gallery of archaeology, the shop, and the temporary exhibition gallery. Major
events, such as the Spring Fayre and the annual Festival of Archaeology in July, are scheduled to take place.
Building work is likely to continue into 2024, with the development of new exhibition spaces, filling the
galleries with previously undisplayed objects and exhibits. The redeveloped museum will open in the late
spring of 2024.
groups@visitwiltshire.co.uk
5