Waddesdon Manor and Garden, Buckinghamshire

A popular tour when visiting the south of England is to Waddesdon Manor near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire. Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild created Waddesdon Manor in 1874. His love of France and French art is instantly obvious by the startling sight, confronted by first time visitors to Waddesdon, of an extravagantly turreted chateau in the French Renaissance style sitting on a hilltop in rural Buckinghamshire. However it is not only the exterior of Waddesdon Manor that is stunning. The Rothschilds were the greatest collectors of the 19th century and inside the house you can see one of the finest collections of French 18th century decorative arts in the world. Going round the house you get a glimpse of a way of life most of us can only dream of. Waddesdon was always intended as a venue to entertain and give pleasure to friends during