Arlington Court
A National Trust estate near Barnstaple with one of the UK's largest carriage collections, a Victorian garden, a lake walk, and a house frozen in time from 1949.
National Trust
What is Arlington Court?
Arlington Court is a National Trust estate set in the hills about 7 miles north-east of Barnstaple, off the A399. It was the home of the Chichester family for several centuries, and the last owner, Rosalie Chichester, donated the entire property to the National Trust when she died in 1949. It has been open to visitors ever since, and the house and stables remain largely as she left them.
The estate includes the house, a large stable block housing the National Collection of Carriages and horse-drawn vehicles, a Victorian formal garden, a lake walk, and farm buildings with animals in season. A cafe and NT shop are on site. The combination of indoor carriage museum, Victorian house, and outdoor lake walk means Arlington Court works as a visit in almost any weather, which makes it a strong option for grey days in North Devon when the beach is not appealing.
The property is typically open from March to November, with restricted winter access to the grounds. The National Trust website has current opening times and prices. Entry is free for NT members; a charge applies to non-members.
The standout feature
The carriage collection
The stable block at Arlington Court houses one of the largest collections of horse-drawn carriages and vehicles in Britain. It is the feature that makes the estate genuinely unusual, and the reason most visitors cite for coming. The range is broad: state coaches, working everyday vehicles, specialist-purpose carriages, and rare examples from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Visitors can see the carriages at close range, which is unusual for a collection of this scale.
The stable block itself is a substantial Victorian building. On a wet afternoon, the carriage collection alone justifies the entrance fee for most visitors. Children who have any interest in horses and vehicles typically find it more engaging than a conventional NT house interior.
The Victorian house
Inside the house
The house itself is open seasonally, typically from spring through autumn (check the NT website for current dates). It is furnished as Rosalie Chichester left it in 1949, which gives it a distinctly different feel from grander NT houses that have been dressed to a specific period. The rooms reflect the tastes of one person accumulated over a lifetime: silver, pewter, model ships, natural history specimens, and a wide range of objects that were meaningful to her rather than arranged for effect.
It is not a grand showpiece house, and visitors expecting a sweeping stately home will need to calibrate expectations. What it is instead is a genuinely inhabited-feeling house, and one of the NT's more personal properties as a result. Allow 30 to 45 minutes to go through at a comfortable pace.
Outdoors
The garden, lake, and wildlife
The Victorian terraced formal garden and walled kitchen garden sit close to the house. A lake walk of roughly 2 miles around the lake runs on flat ground and is accessible when the NT property is open. A heronry is visible from the lake in season, and Shetland ponies and Jacob sheep graze in the estate paddocks in warmer months.
Below the house, the Chichester bat caves shelter one of the UK's largest colonies of lesser horseshoe bats. Bat walks are run by the NT in summer months, usually requiring advance booking through the NT website. The caves are not accessible on a standard visit.
The NT cafe on site is suitable for a light lunch or tea after the walk. It is not a full restaurant but is typically open during main visiting hours.
Practical
Getting there
Arlington Court is approximately 7 miles north-east of Barnstaple, off the A399. From Woolacombe, allow 30 to 35 minutes by car. From Barnstaple town centre, about 15 minutes. There is no practical public transport to the estate — it is effectively car-only for visitors. Parking is on site.
For full route options from further afield, see the getting here guide. The estate is not signposted from the main roads at any great distance, so use the postcode (EX31 4LP) for navigation.
Combining visits
Who it suits and how to plan your day
Arlington Court works best for families with children who are interested in horses or carriages, couples who enjoy NT houses and gardens, walkers who want a flat scenic route, and visitors looking for a half-day or full-day indoor option on a wet day. It is less well suited to visitors whose primary goal is beach or outdoor activity. Allow 2 to 3 hours for a thorough visit; 4 to 5 hours for a full day including the garden and lake walk.
A natural day structure: arrive at opening time, go through the carriage collection and house, then walk the lake before lunch at the cafe. If the afternoon is clear, the drive to Barnstaple (15 minutes) is a straightforward continuation, giving access to the Pannier Market and the town's cafes and restaurants.
Arlington Court is one of several heritage and NT properties on the North Devon day-trip circuit. Others include Hartland Abbey to the south-west and various Exmoor destinations to the east. See day trips from Woolacombe and North Devon day trips for a broader overview, or North Devon heritage for the regional heritage picture. On days when outdoor plans are curtailed by weather, things to do in Woolacombe when it rains and Woolacombe with kids cover other indoor and sheltered options.