Longleat house stands on the site of a medieval priory of the Black Canons.
At the time of the dissolution of the religious houses it was bought by Sir
John Thynne, who lived there till it was burnt down in 1567. He spent twelve
years supervising the construction of the magnificent house which has been home
to his family ever since. It was built using the then newly-popular Italian
style, and a descendant of Sir John, the fourth marquesss of Bath, employed
Italian craftsmen to make the internal decorations and the furniture match.
In the eighteenth century the celebrated landscape gardner, 'Capability' Brown was employed to lay out the formal gardens, orangery, and terraces. This he did with his usual genius and complete lack of regard for cost.
The present
Marquess of Bath has turned the inner section of the estate into a wildlife
park. The Lions of Longleat are now famous worldwide.