Photo of Houghton House, a landmark near Clophill, Bedfordshire, eastern England. — © Matthew Chadwick / Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

Houghton House

Local highlight

Open to visitorsan English Heritage site — check opening times and admission before you go

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Houghton House is the roofless shell of a mansion finished in 1621 for Mary Herbert, Countess of Pembroke, its classical loggias often attributed to Inigo Jones. Reputedly the ‘House Beautiful’ of Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, it stands high above Ampthill with views across the Marston vale. English Heritage keeps it as a free, open ruin. Millbrook station is around 3km west, and Ampthill Park lies just across the valley.

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More places to visit near Houghton House

Photo: Ampthill Park, a viewpoint near Clophill, Bedfordshire, eastern England.

Ampthill Park

Viewpoint near Clophill

A Capability Brown parkland on the Greensand Ridge with wide views, ancient oaks and Katherine's Cross marking a lost Tudor palace.

1.3 km W

Photo of De Grey Mausoleum, Flitton, a landmark near Silsoe, Bedfordshire, eastern England.

De Grey Mausoleum, Flitton

Landmark near Silsoe

Cross-shaped burial chapel of the de Greys of Wrest Park, built onto Flitton church and filled with some 17 carved tombs and effigies.

4 km SE

Photo of Wrest Park Gardens, a Grade I registered house & garden near Silsoe, Bedfordshire, eastern England.

Wrest Park Gardens

House & garden near Silsoe

French-style mansion and formal baroque gardens.

6.7 km SE

Photo of the Chilterns, a National Landscape in England.

Chilterns

National Landscape near The Lee

Beech woods and chalk downland within easy reach of London, laced with old ridge paths and grazing red kites

8.3 km S

Photo along the Chiltern Way, a 177-mile long-distance path in England.

Chiltern Way

Long-distance path

The Chiltern Society's grand loop through four counties of beechwood and chalk, grown from a Millennium project into 177 miles.

8.5 km S · spans 5 counties

Photo of Woburn Abbey Gardens, a Grade I registered house & garden in Bedfordshire, eastern England.

Woburn Abbey Gardens

House & garden near Woburn

Ducal seat with deer park and safari grounds.

9.6 km SW