Waddesdon Manor?
 

Is it worth a whole day?
We only can choose 2 tours among Waddesdon Manor, Buckingham Palace and Hampton Court Palace, due to time.
thanks!

It is well worth a visit -- doesn't take all day, but a good 3 hours plus travel time.

However I wouldn't go there <i>instead</i> of Hampton Court or Buckingham Palace. It isn't convenient to London since it is several miles from the nearest train station. When are you visiting -- do you already have your tickets to Buckingham Palace?

If you are staying in London HCP and BP are much easier/more convenient.

Waddesdon Manor is 3 miles from where I live, and 3 miles from Aylesbury Vale Parkway, though there are no taxis, so you're better off going to Aylesbury (Town) station.

It's not in the same league as Buckingham Palace or Hampton Court, but a nice place to spend half a day wandering the grounds, seeing the house and eating in the restaurant - where I took my wife and parents for lunch a few weeks ago.

I agree -- it is a really lovely day out. I've been maybe 10+ times (used to live not far away and visit just about every time I visit the general area). I once took a 'back stage' tour where they show how they put a Stately Home 'to bed' at the end of season.

If you have a car and are staying in Oxon/Bucks - its a no brainer. But taking the train to Aylesbury and then a taxi maybe 7 miles - just not a great use of time if you are staying IN London.

"If you have a car and are staying in Oxon/Bucks - its a no brainer."

It absolutely isn't.

If you have a car, are in Oxfordshire/Bucks, and are particularly interested in dull but pretty 19th century copies of French chateaux with no significant history, impact on the world, relationship with its neighbours or particularly interesting artefacts, Waddesdon might be worth trekking out to look at. But if you're American, you've probably got lots of zillionaire's French-style trophy mansions near you anyway.

There are several hundred more interesting things to spend half a day on in Oxfordshire. Even Blenheim would be way ahead of Waddesdon - even in my book.

It sounds to me as if the OP is trying to decide amongst three [coach] tours as part of a larger package.

I agree with flanner on this place anyway but of the three places offered as tours, this would be way down the list. Flanner is not a Blenheim fan, but I would choose it over Waddesden.

As a general rule, I have less and less interest in how rich people and their servants lived in the past, possibly because I live in a place where I am surrounded by [tedious] rich people and their servants all summer.

If the house has history because of the occupants, Cliveden for example, yes. Highclere? Why bother?

The house isn't old and I don't go there for its history (except for a bit of the family's history) . . . The house is an example one could do money no object in the late 19th century. I like it for the mod cons and some of the collections/furniture, and yes -- it is 'pretty'.

I compare it slightly to San Simeon on the California Coast. Not the same sort of architecture of course, but similarly interesting.

I would NOT go there if I'd never been to HCP or Buck House or the Tower of London or Windsor or Chatsworth or Castle Howard or any of huge of other first tier manors/palaces/castles. But like Hill of Tarvit House, or in a way Hill House (though Hill House is a very special case) in Scotland. Waddesdon is an example of a 'modern' house in a country full of ancient bldgs . . .

Good point, Janis, but Hill House and Lutyens and Philip Webb sort of led somewhere. Pseudo French Renaissance didn't except for the Hotel de Ville and Biltmore.

That's why I said Hill House was 'special'/in a different league.

Biltmore is a good comparison -- I do prefer Waddesdon though.

IMHO if you can do only one do Hampton Court Palace - but make sure you have the whole day - to tour the indoors, visit the grounds and explore that famous maze. If you have any interest/knowledge of British history this is a must.

Buckingham Palace would be second - but is seen in much less time and perhaps you can fit it in on another day if you can get tickets.

Waddesdon is my LEAST favourite National Trust property (in fact is isn't really fully NT at all). Yes, it looks impressive (in a film set sort of way) from the outside, but I've seen much better=kept grounds, and the interior is hot and stuffy in both senses of the words. Some of the most exceptionally officious, unhelpful staff to boot.

Janis - I've been to both Hearst Castle (several times) and Biltmore in the US, and found both of these miles more interesting than Waddesdon.

maybe I feel that way is because San Simeon is sort of in my back garden (not really but an easy weekend trip) and Waddesdon . . . isn't :)


I find the Bachelors wing my favorite bit of Waddesdon . . .

thanks a lot to all!
We will skip Waddesdon. The only reason we wanted to visit is to see one of properties owned by the real richest man/family in the world.
ooops, off the topic.