About
Arundells is a substantial Queen Anne townhouse in the historic Cathedral Close at Salisbury, Wiltshire, best known as the final home of Sir Edward Heath, the former Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, who lived there from 1985 until his death in 2005 and left the house and its contents to a charitable foundation established in his name for the benefit of the public.
Set within the medieval Close beside Salisbury Cathedral, one of England's finest examples of a walled cathedral precinct, the house itself dates in part to the thirteenth century, with its present elegant Queen Anne façade added in the early eighteenth century, giving Arundells a layered architectural history that predates its most famous resident by many centuries.
Heath, a keen collector and a man of wide-ranging cultural interests beyond his long political career, filled the house with an eclectic and personally revealing array of possessions: fine Chinese porcelain acquired over decades of collecting, modern British and international art including works reflecting his personal friendships and travels, and an extensive collection of ship models and sailing memorabilia connected to his passion for competitive yacht racing, a pursuit in which he achieved genuine international success, skippering his yacht Morning Cloud to victory in the 1969 Sydney to Hobart race and later captaining Britain's winning Admiral's Cup team.
Photographs, letters and mementoes throughout the house document Heath's decades at the centre of British and international politics, including his premiership from 1970 to 1974 and his role in taking Britain into the European Economic Community in 1973, alongside his subsequent decades as a senior backbench statesman and his personal friendships with numerous world leaders.
The house's walled garden, overlooking the water meadows towards the cathedral, was another of Heath's enthusiasms and remains a genuinely tranquil setting within the wider bustle of the Close. Because Arundells is preserved substantially as Heath left it, complete with his furniture, books and personal arrangement of rooms, a visit offers an unusually intimate and biographical experience compared with a conventional stately home, giving visitors genuine insight into the private tastes and interests of a major twentieth-century public figure.
The house is run by the Sir Edward Heath Charitable Foundation and opens seasonally to the public, with guided and self-guided visits available across the principal rooms and garden during the open season.
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Plan Your Visit
⏱️ Recommended Visit Duration
💡 Visitor Tips
- Check the current season's opening dates before travelling, as Arundells opens seasonally from March to November and is closed on Wednesdays.
- Allow time to visit Salisbury Cathedral, immediately adjacent, as part of the same day out in the Close.
- Ask about guided tour times if you want the fuller story behind Heath's collections rather than a self-guided visit.
- Take time in the walled garden, a genuinely peaceful spot within the wider Cathedral Close.
- Bring a camera for the house's elegant Queen Anne façade and its cathedral views.
- Combine your visit with Salisbury's historic city centre, a short walk from the Close.
- Note that the upper floors involve stairs with no lift access if you have mobility requirements.
- Book ahead for group visits if you would like a tour tailored to Heath's political career or his art collecting.
Highlights
Sir Edward Heath's Personal Collections
The house is filled with Heath's own collections of fine Chinese porcelain and modern art, assembled over decades and displayed largely as he arranged them, offering a genuinely personal window into the private cultural interests of a former Prime Minister rather than a curated institutional display.
Sailing and Yachting Memorabilia
An extensive collection of ship models, trophies and photographs documents Heath's celebrated sailing career, including his yacht Morning Cloud's victory in the 1969 Sydney to Hobart race and his captaincy of Britain's winning Admiral's Cup team, a passion pursued alongside his political life.
Cathedral Close Setting
Arundells occupies one of the finest positions within Salisbury's medieval Cathedral Close, with views towards Salisbury Cathedral and the water meadows immortalised in Constable's famous paintings, placing the house within one of England's most complete surviving cathedral precincts.
Political Memorabilia and Photographs
Photographs, letters and mementoes throughout the house document Heath's premiership from 1970 to 1974 and his decades at the centre of British and European politics, including material relating to his role in Britain's 1973 accession to the European Economic Community.
Collections
Arundells preserves the home and possessions of Sir Edward Heath substantially as he left them at his death in 2005, combining fine Chinese porcelain, modern British and international art, and an extensive collection of ship models and sailing trophies reflecting his career as a champion offshore yachtsman.
Political memorabilia, photographs and personal correspondence throughout the house document his premiership and decades of public life, while the house's own thirteenth-century origins and eighteenth-century Queen Anne façade add a further layer of historical interest to a collection that is above all a deeply personal and biographical record of one of the twentieth century's major British political figures.
Heath the Collector
Sir Edward Heath's personal collections of Chinese porcelain and modern art, displayed throughout the principal rooms of the house.
A Life in Politics and Sailing
Photographs, memorabilia and sailing trophies documenting Heath's parallel careers as Prime Minister and champion offshore yachtsman.
Current Exhibitions
No current exhibitions. Please check the museum website for updates.