Palace House, once the gatehouse of the medieval Beaulieu Abbey, has been the Montagu family home since 1538.
In an idyllic New Forest setting, overlooking the picturesque Beaulieu River millpond, Palace House was remodeled and extended during the 1800s and is now a fine example of a Victorian country house. Inside, its ecclesiastical heritage sets the grand gothic tone for a home bristling with character and adorned with family treasures, portraits, and memorabilia.
Restored Victorian Kitchen
How did the Victorians cook and what did they eat? Visit the restored Victorian Kitchen which has been put back to its original layout. Plus, there's now a working range, if you visit during the school holidays you may be able to see Lord Montagu's cook preparing dishes for the family. Find out more
Inspired to create your own dishes? Visit the gift shop to pick up a copy of To The Manor Born featuring recipes from the Montagu family archives.
Edward, Lord Montagu's Library
With entrance through a false bookshelf door, the library formed part of the late Lord Montagu's private apartments and is where Lord Montagu would play his records. If the windows were open, visitors could sometimes hear his favourite music playing across the lawn!
THE LADY AND THE REBEL
Discover the remarkable story of two women in the Montagu family, Pearl Pleydell-Bouverie and Elizabeth Montagu, whose lives give a unique perspective on many significant events of the 20th century.
Find out more about these extraordinary women with a series of books and films available from the Beaulieu Gift Shop.
ART RUSSE GALLERY
Beaulieu are pleased to host the first dedicated Soviet Russian art gallery in the UK. Displaying a selection of paintings and sculptures from the Art Russe foundation, this thematic collection will be renewed each quarter.
Guided Tours
Costumed guides assume the guise of Victorian household staff to illustrate and share the fascinating history of the building, its treasures, its secrets, its staff, and inhabitants - The Montagu family.
An English Gem
Today, Palace House is one of the Treasure Houses of England, a collection of ten of the most impressive stately homes, palaces and castles open to the public.
Itineraries: Plan Your Day Out
To help you make the most of your visit, we've put together some suggested itineraries with hints and tips to help you plan your day out at Beaulieu.
PALACE HOUSE ON FILM
Palace House was used as one of the primary locations in The Honourable Rebel, a feature film based on Elizabeth Montagu's life. The Dining Hall and Drawing Room are just two of the rooms you may recognise in this fascinating true story of Edward 3rd Baron Montagu's older sister - now available on DVD. Find out more...
Behind the scenes
How do you protect historic furniture from sun damage? What is it like to dust, wax and record over 3000 books?
Find out what it's like to work in a historic house and learn how the Palace House team care for the items in their collection in the Palace House blog.
Did you know...
...Palace House was one of the first historic houses to open to the public?
Find out more about this pioneering historic house.
A bus ride down to Palace House and a very entertaining tour of the house by Bellmore, the valet. He was informative and funny in his delivery and everyone was kept engaged with his stories.
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A Motoring Tribute
In 1952, Lord Montagu placed five Veteran cars on display in the Entrance Hall of Palace House as a tribute to his late father, a motoring pioneer. From these humble beginnings, the National Motor Museum would later develop.
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