Stately homes tour in England
 

I have tried for several years to find a tour that would visit 8 or more "stately homes" in England [not Scotland or Ireland or Wales]. We have found driving on the left side of the road a little tricky so would like a bus tour. I suppose that a driver could be hired but over several days that would be beyond our budget. Most of the tours I've found seem to stick close to London and we've seen most of those houses. Thanks.

A quick Google brought up a whole list; here's the URL:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...urs+in+England

I come from an area of England that has a few really good stately homes and have a couple of suggestions for "doing it yourself". Firstly, see is the National Trust has info. on the internet of its properties, this may give you some background. Otherwise, consult the travel section of a library or good bookshop.
Derbyshire in the north has some lovely stately homes: Chatsworth, Haddon Hall, Hardwick and several more. It should be possible to pick 2 places as bases and visits the homes from there. Taxis and buses would be cheaper than hiring a driver.
To visit Chatsworth (one of the very best stately homes in England), the market town of Bakewell is a good base. This is also a good base for Haddon Hall. Another option is renting a cottage in the Peak District and using the money you save on hotels for extra taxis and coaches. Bakewell is a good base for a non driver because there is a pretty good bus station from there to other towna and villages. Another possibility is the village of Castleton, although taxis would be easier to get in Bakewell.
Re. accomodation, look at Peak Cottages and Welcome Cottages. This is a beautiful part of the country with a lot to see.
Good luck,
Carolina

Make sure you don't waste your times on ones where most of the original contents have gone, and also try to go to the ones where the original owners still live in an apartment there.

Also, as many were built pretty much in the same era, you'll find lots of repitition of styles. Find ones that are unique, and noticeably different. I think eight is excessive, and you should find ones that can be easily accessed from London by train, but I never use trains so have no idea if that is possible.

I agree with Carolina.
Settle on one part of England and explore the stately homes in the area.
As she says, the Peak District is a good bet.
East Anglia is another area which is very rich in stately homes and also has many picturesque villages and small towns.

There is a website http://www.statelyhomes.com/
where you can select an area of England and find local stately homes.

If you lump grand houses, residential castles, and palaces into the general category "Stately Homes", there are several areas where you could base your self for 5 - 7 days and use a combination of buses, taxis, hired drivers or walking to visit several properties.

The Peak District/Bakewell already mentioned. Kent/East Sussex have a LOT of grand house off all sorts plus all the famous gardens. The Somerset/Dorset border - not some of the most famous homes but several terrific ones including Sherborne Castle and Montecute house.