Loseley Park stands three miles south-west of Guildford, at Artington, close to the hamlet of Littleton. The house is a Grade I listed Tudor manor, and it has been in the same family for over 400 years. The family is still the More-Molyneux family. Historic Houses quotes them saying Loseley was built as a family home and still remains so.
A house built in the 1560s
The estate appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Losele. Christopher More, the son of a London fishmonger with legal training, bought the manor in 1508. In 1533 Henry VIII granted him a licence to impark 200 acres. His son, Sir William More, replaced the earlier house with the present one between 1562 and 1568.
Sir William was Sheriff and Vice-Admiral of Surrey and sat in every Parliament of Elizabeth I's reign. The Queen visited Loseley several times, and Burghley and Leicester were among the dignitaries who came. Much of the stone is said to have come from Waverley Abbey, near Farnham. Wikipedia records a tradition that the older, smaller house was judged inadequate for a royal visit, though that story rests on tradition rather than a primary source.
Inside, the great hall has panelling from Henry VIII's Nonsuch Palace and a minstrels' gallery. The house's own guided tours cover its works of art, the Nonsuch panelling and what it calls the magnificent chalk fireplace. The house describes itself as remarkably unchanged since 1562.
The walled garden
The Walled Garden covers 2.5 acres and is divided into rooms, based on a design by Gertrude Jekyll. Gardenvisit says it was first laid out formally in the 1500s and partly redesigned by Jekyll around 1900. After the Second World War the fruit trees were taken out for an organic market garden. Plans to recreate a formal garden were drawn up in 1991, and work began in 1993 with the Rose Garden, followed by the Herb, Flower and White Gardens. The organic Vegetable and Cut Flower Garden came most recently.
The Rose Garden: award-winning, with over 1,000 old-fashioned bushes, including bourbons, gallicas, rugosas, albas, moss, damask and English roses.
The White Garden: has a fountain, and visitors have mentioned a tea hut there serving light lunches and cake.
Elsewhere: a herb garden, a fruit and flower garden, a vine walk, herbaceous borders, a moat walk, and ancient wisteria and mulberry trees.
Beyond the walls, the Loseley Lakes sit within the landscaped parkland and are a haven for wildlife, according to Surrey Hills, which lists Loseley among its places to see.
When to go
The summer season runs Sunday to Thursday, closed Friday and Saturday. In 2026 the gardens opened on Monday 27 April, with house tours starting on Sunday 3 May, and the open season for Friends runs to 31 August. Entry has been 10.30am to 4pm in recent seasons. The first house tour is from 11am and the last at 3pm. Booking in advance is not needed. The wisteria is at its best in May and the roses in June, going by recent visitor comments, so late summer is quieter for roses but good for borders and the kitchen garden.
The RHS lists Loseley as a Partner Garden. RHS members get free entry on Free RHS Member days in May and August, Sunday to Thursday when open.
Prices and practicalities
Adults: gardens only £12.50, house tour only £9.50, house and gardens £22.00.
Children: gardens only £6.00, house tour only £4.00, house and gardens £10.00.
Under-5s are free.
Friends of Loseley is £50 for an individual for a year, with free garden entry for the member plus one guest.
Allow at least four hours for a full visit. There is free parking, accessible parking and loos, a café or restaurant and a shop. The site is mostly wheelchair accessible, and guide dogs are welcome. Check the Loseley Park visit page for closure dates and current prices before you set off.
Loseley in Surrey life
Loseley is not only a museum piece. The house is used for weddings, with a 17th-century tithe barn available, as well as corporate events, country fairs and artisan shows. An open-air entertainment series called Live at Loseley is also promoted for the estate. Christmas house tours ran in November 2025. Details are on the Historic Houses page and the Surrey Hills listing.
For anyone weighing up a day out from Guildford, Godalming or the Hog's Back, it is a rare chance to see a Tudor family home that is still lived in, with a garden that rewards a slow afternoon.
