About
Buscot Park in Oxfordshire is one of the National Trust's most rewarding but least known properties — a neoclassical house of the late eighteenth century containing one of the finest private art collections in England, with an exceptional concentration of Pre-Raphaelite and Old Master paintings that rivals many public museums in quality if not quantity.
The house was built around 1780 in the Adamesque neoclassical style, with elegant reception rooms and a long saloon. Its most celebrated feature is the Saloon, which contains one of the masterpieces of Victorian painting: Edward Burne-Jones's Briar Rose series, four large panels depicting the sleeping princess and her enchanted court from the Sleeping Beauty legend, painted between 1871 and 1890. These monumental paintings, acquired by the first Lord Faringdon and installed with a purpose-built oak frame designed by Burne-Jones himself, fill the room with a sense of dreaming enchantment and represent Pre-Raphaelite decorative painting at its most ambitious and beautiful.
The remaining rooms of the house contain an equally remarkable collection of Old Master paintings including works by Rembrandt, Murillo, Reynolds, and other major names, alongside fine furniture, porcelain, and decorative arts assembled by successive lords Faringdon. The current collection is administered by the Faringdon Collection Trust.
The grounds at Buscot include a celebrated water garden, designed by Harold Peto in the early twentieth century, which links the house to a lake through a sequence of rills, pools, and classical ornaments in the Italianate manner. Together the house, collection, and gardens make Buscot Park one of the most rewarding half-day visits in Oxfordshire — all the more pleasurable for being less visited than the county's better-known attractions.
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Plan Your Visit
⏱️ Recommended Visit Duration
💡 Visitor Tips
- Check opening days very carefully before visiting — Buscot is only open Tue/Wed/Thu afternoons and selected Sundays.
- NT membership gives free entry and is strongly recommended; Buscot is one of NT's hidden gems.
- The Burne-Jones Saloon alone is worth the visit — stand in front of the paintings and read William Morris's poem on the frame.
- The water garden is superb in May and June; the formal canal and Italianate ornaments are beautiful.
- Combine with Kelmscott Manor (6 miles, William Morris's home) for a remarkable Arts and Crafts double bill.
- The Great Coxwell Tithe Barn (3 miles, free NT) is a magnificent medieval building and a worthwhile stop.
- Visitor numbers are very low; the intimacy of the experience is one of Buscot's greatest pleasures.
Highlights
Discover the unique exhibits and collections at this museum.
Collections
The Briar Rose Series by Burne-Jones
Four large panels from the Sleeping Beauty legend by Edward Burne-Jones (1871–1890), installed in the Saloon with a carved oak frame designed by the artist.
The Faringdon Collection
Old Master and Victorian paintings including works attributed to Rembrandt, Murillo, and Reynolds, plus fine furniture, porcelain, and decorative arts.
Harold Peto Water Garden
Italianate formal water garden of rills, pools, and classical ornaments linking the house to the lake.
Current Exhibitions
No current exhibitions. Please check the museum website for updates.