Upstairs tours return to Knightshayes as part of anniversary celebrations

The National Trust at Knightshayes in Devon is excited to announce the return of daily upstairs tours of its spectacular Gothic Revival house.   
Running throughout June, the volunteer-led tours offer an opportunity for visitors to visit the first floor at Knightshayes for the first time since 2019. The tours are one of many events taking place this year as the property celebrates 50 years since it was gifted to the National Trust.  

The house at Knightshayes is a rare example of the work of William Burges, whose lavish designs have always inspired extremes of opinion. The upstairs tours showcase the rich history of the house and the Heathcoat-Amory family who lived there. They include a deeper look at Burges’s influence in the aptly named Burges Room, originally opened by Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page in 2002. Other curiosities waiting to be discovered include items on loan from the Victoria and Albert Museum, and a behind the scenes look at the conservation offices - specialist conservation spaces where visitors can see how the collections and house team care for the items in the collection at Knightshayes. 
 
Rachael Pett, Collections and House Manager at Knightshayes, comments ‘After having been closed for the past two years we are very pleased be able to let people visit the first floor of the house again. These tours will allow visitors to get a more in-depth view of how the house has changed over the years and how the Heathcoat-Amory family used it. For the first time in three years visitors will be able to see the magnificent Burges furniture, the ‘guest book’ bedspread and take in the fantastic views of the garden and parkland only offered from the top floor of the house.’ 
 
Knightshayes is open daily. Tickets for the tours are free (normal admission applies) and are available on a first come, first served basis from reception. Please check the website for full details: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/knightshayes