Britain's What's On Event Guide
Houghton House Tour
Houghton House, Hazelwood Lane, Ampthill, Bedford, Bedfordshire MK45 2EY
Sat 7 Sep to Monday 9 Sep 2024
Sat 7 Sep:11am and 1pm only; Sun 8 Sep:11am and 1pm only; Mon 9 Sep:11am and 1pm only; Free Entry.
Spread the word
About this Event
Houghton House Tour
Heritage Open Day: Houghton House today is the shell of a 17th-century mansion commanding magnificent views, reputedly the inspiration for the ‘House Beautiful’ in John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress. Houghton House was built in the early 17th century by Mary Herbert, Countess of Pembroke, as an elaborate hunting lodge. An unusual mix of Jacobean and classical design, it retains two important early elements of classical architecture in the form of its two loggias, which have been attributed to Inigo Jones. The house may have been the inspiration for the ‘Palace Beautiful’ in the 17th-century Christian writer John Bunyan’s religious epic, The Pilgrim’s Progress. When it was dismantled in 1797, the ruins survived as a garden feature in the grounds of nearby Ampthill Park.