Arundells

The House with paintings by Churchill and Sargent, Chinese ceramics from Chairman Mao, David Lloyd George’s writing desk and memorabilia from Nixon and Castro, Arundells is the former home of Sir Edward Heath KG MBE, Prime Minister and Statesman. Located within Salisbury’s magnificent Cathedral Close, the house is one of Salisbury’s most charming destinations.

Sir Edward bequeathed Arundells to the Charitable Foundation set up in his name following his death in 2005. He very much wanted as many people as possible to “share the beauty of Arundells” and to enjoy his diverse and very personal collection of artwork, photographs, sailing memorabilia and political cartoons.

The Gardens were redesigned in 1985 to Sir Edward’s wishes and much of the garden has remained unchanged over the intervening years. There is an interesting range of trees, including Mulberry, Magnolia, Yew, Liquidambar, Davidia and Birch.

Two particular features are the spectacular views of Salisbury Cathedral and the tranquil frontage to the confluence of two rivers – the Avon and the Nadder.

There are plenty of hidden spaces to explore; lots of nooks and crannies! Look out for the Victorian bronze figure of a girl holding a bowl by the sculptor G E Wade and the bow of Morning Cloud III, one of Sir Edward’s racing yachts. This is located within a quiet wooded Dell and serves as a memorial to the two crew members who lost their lives when the yacht was sunk in a severe south-westerly gale in September 1974.