Sezincote House & Garden
Nothing prepares you for Sezincote. Turn off the A44 just outside Bourton-on-the-Hill and suddenly a Mughal palace — complete with onion dome, minarets and peacock-tail windows — rises from the Gloucestershire hills. It is, without question, one of the most extraordinary buildings in England.
A Rajasthan Palace in Gloucestershire
Sezincote was built in the early 19th century by Charles Cockerell, who had served with the East India Company in Bombay and was determined to recreate the opulence of a Rajasthan palace amid Cotswold farmland. The result is a central dome, jali-work railings, minarets and pavilions — Mughal architecture executed in warm local stone.
A curving Orangery frames the Persian Garden of Paradise, complete with a fountain, linked pools and a Temple to the Hindu sun god Surya. The water features alone are worth the drive, their reflections doubling the drama of the architecture on a bright day.
Guided House Tours & the Gardens
Guided house tours run from May to September, taking visitors through six public rooms furnished with Regency pieces in keeping with the age of the house. Pre-booking is essential — tours fill quickly, especially on summer weekends.
The gardens are open from March to November independently of the house tours, making a spring visit — when the stream garden and bulbs are at their best — a quieter and equally rewarding option.
Sezincote House & Garden on video
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