The final episodes of Bridgerton season 4 are upon us. Will Sophie accept Benedict’s proposition after that staircase encounter? While we await the drama, escape to the ultimate day trip from London for Bridgerton fans. Basildon Park in Reading is an 18th-century Georgian mansion managed by the National Trust. It featured in season two of Shondaland’s hit Netflix show and then made a reappearance in season 3 (spot the stolen-kiss gardens scene with Bridgerton cast members Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton).
A Bridgerton day trip from London: why Basildon Park is worth a visit
Known as the “Bridgerton house” near London, Basildon Park is a magnificent 240-year-old country house set in the heart of a 400-acre parkland. So why was Basildon Park chosen as a Bridgerton filming location near London? For starters, it’s one of the finest surviving examples of a Palladian mansion with a grand columned portico and stunning Georgian façades.
In the grand entrance hall, visitors are met with Neo-classical elegance—Etruscan-style ceiling panels and pastel plaster medallions. Walk up the dramatic cantilevered stairs that lead up to the first floor, and you’ll reach the Octagon Drawing Room, fitted with a gilded Italian Renaissance ceiling and huge Venetian windows that provide gorgeous views of the surrounding greenery. This space was used as the wealthy widow Lady Tilley Arnold’s lounge in season 3.
After your visit, keep the Regency spirit alive back in London, where a live concert dedicated to the Bridgerton soundtrack brings the show’s sweeping covers to life on strings. Find out more here.
As if the interiors weren’t dazzling enough, the surrounding parkland (and the divine afternoon tea served there) is just as fabulous. There’s a colourful rose garden, an Italianate stone terrace from 1850 and a thatched “umbrello” seat inspired by the original designer J.B. Papworth.
Basildon Park’s gardens first stood in for the Featherington residence in season two, then reprised their role as a lush romantic setting. There, in the Formal Garden, Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington share their first kiss—pure Bridgerton magic.
Tickets, opening times and how to get to Basildon Park from London
Basildon Park’s house is open daily from 11:00 to 17:00, while the grounds, shop, and tea-room (until 16:30) operate from 10:00 to 17:00. Admission prices are £20 for adults (18+) and £10 for children.
Fancy a Bridgerton weekend getaway from London this weekend? To get to Basildon Park from London by car (one hour), take the M4 west from London, exit at J12 for Theale/Pangbourne, then follow A4/B471 signs to Lower Basildon. By train (two hours), you can take the GWR or Elizabeth Line from London Paddington, then get the #145 bus from Blagrave Street to Basildon Park.
Address: Lower Basildon, Reading, Berkshire, RG8 9NR, United Kingdom.