Architect Sir John Vanbrugh, famed for the palatial Blenheim and Castle Howard, designed this more compact country house for Sir Edward Southall, Queen Anne’s Secretary of State for Ireland. Fine interiors make a gracious setting for its current use as a conference centre. The house is open to the public when available and the grounds and park are generally accessible. The Vaulted Tea Room has open-air tables in good weather, with views over the Severn estuary.