The former Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath's Salisbury home has been secured and it is now open to the public again. Arundells, the 18th-century, Grade II*-listed house in which Sir Edward lived until his death in 2005, is the only former Prime Minister's residence to remain as it was during their lifetime.
Its numerous artifacts reflect his passions for music, sailing, Winston Churchill memorabilia- including a painting damaged by an IRA bomb-and politics; his desk was once owned by David Lloyd George.
Although Sir Edward requested in his will that the house be kept open for the public, a potential sale was avoided when Peter Batey, his former Private Secretary, stepped in to cover the budget deficit.
The house, parts of which date back to the 13th century, has a two acre medieval garden and is open for guided tours from Saturday to Wednesday until October 29 (01722 326546; www.arundells.org).
* Subscribe to Country Life and save
* Follow Country Life magazine on Twitter
-
'It’s not ironic that I really like wasps and that they nearly killed me. It’s simply a coincidence': What to do if you're stung by a waspAfter a close encounter with some wasps put him in hospital, William Kendall sought an unlikely remedy...
-
'No Yorkshire dale, no Scottish moor, no view from Westminster Bridge can match it': Charles Quest-Ritson on The Itchen Valley, his personal piece of heavenCharles Quest-Ritson lavishes praise on the Itchen Valley, a part of Britain that's so charming and unspoilt as to restore your faith in the world.
