book a group visit
Halswell welcomes group visits of more than 10 people, please e-mail us at contact@halswellpark.com to discuss a bespoke visit for your group.
2024 Open days
Mill Wood and the Temple of Harmony
Mill Wood and the Temple of Harmony will be open for public visits on Sunday afternoons from Sunday 5th of May, 2 pm until 5 pm. Entry is £3 per adult, children accompanied by an adult are free. Well behaved dogs on short leads welcome. Please be aware and take care, Mill Wood is a countryside location containing deep water, steep drops, unstable structures, uneven surfaces and animal holes, access is at your own risk. Parking is available in the field adjoining the Temple. No refreshment or toilet facilities, just a beautiful, peaceful location. More information can be found at www.thetempleofharmony.org.uk
National GaRDENS SCHEME
The Halswell Park Gardens will once again be open to the public on Saturday and Sunday, July 20th and 21st between 2 pm and 5 pm as part of the Goathurst Open Gardens event. More information can be found here: https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/38041/goathurst-gardens. Refreshments will be served in the old Manor House kitchen. We look forward to seeing you then.
Halswell House and Grounds – Invitation to view 2024
Open to the Public 2024, via Historic Houses
Halswell House and grounds will once again be open to the public during 2024 via the Historic Houses Invitation to View Scheme on the following dates:
Thursday 24th May 1pm to 4.30pm
Thursday 13th June 1pm to 4.30pm
Thursday 11th July 1pm to 4.30pm
Visits include a sandwich lunch, short talk about the history of the house and gardens, a tour of the house inside and out, a tour of Mill Wood and its follies, finishing with a tipple in the Temple of Harmony. All tickets must be pre-booked via the Historic Houses website. Tickets available via the Historic Houses website.
HERITAGE OPEN DAYS 2024
Halswell House and parkland will once again be joining with St Edward’s Church Goathurst, The Robin Hood Hut (Landmark Trust) and the gardens of the privately owned Temple of Pan to with an open house and heritage walk. This year’s event will take place over the weekend of 14 and 15 September between 12 noon and 5 pm each day. Light lunches and refreshments will be available in St Edward’s Church and drink and cake at the Temple of Pan. Children and dogs on short leads are very welcome to join in, both should be closely supervised. More information to be added nearer the date.
2023 OPEN DAYS
Heritage Open Days 2023
Halswell House, the gardens, parkland, ponds and follies will be open between 2pm and 5.30pm on Saturday 9th September and Sunday 10th September as part of the Heritage Open Days scheme. No booking required. The event includes some rooms open in the Mansion House, group tours up to the roof, open gardens, parkland, ponds, woodland and follies and a wider heritage trail incorporating St Edward’s Church, Goathurst and the gardens of the privately owned Temple of Pan. Refreshments will be available at the Temple of Pan and St Edward’s Church. Children are welcome but should be closely supervised, well behaved dogs are welcome on a short lead. Find out more here: https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/visiting/event/halswell-house-and-parkland
National Garden Scheme – Goathurst Open Gardens 2023
The recently created Knot Garden at Halswell House will be open on Saturday 15th July and Sunday 16th July, 2 pm to 6 pm, as part of the NGS along with three other beautiful gardens in nearby Goathurst. More details can be found here: https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/38041/goathurst-gardens
TEMPLE OF HARMONY AND MILL WOOD 2023
The Temple of Harmony and Mill Wood will be open for visitors on Sundays from 14 May to the end of September 2023 2-5 pm. Admission £3 per adult, accompanied children under 16 FREE, PRE-BOOKED TICKETS ONLY FROM TicketTailor/Halswell Events. Well behaved dogs and owners welcome on a short lead. Season tickets available £10 per per adult, please ask on your first visit. Free parking at your own risk in the adjacent field. Picnics welcome. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE SEPARATE HALSWELL HOUSE AND GROUNDS ARE NOT OPEN ON SUNDAYS, other than for the Heritage Open Week, see details above. Further information can be found on the dedicated Temple of Harmony site: https://www.templeofharmony.org.uk/.
HALSWELL HOUSE AND GROUNDS
Open to the Public 2023, via Historic Houses
Please click on any date to book your visit, or if you are interested in booking a large specialist group, please contact Historic Houses to discuss possible dates.
| Date | Time |
| Thursday 18 May | 1:00 pm – 4.30 pm |
| Thursday 15 June Thursday 13 July | 1:00 pm – 4.30 pm 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm |
HERITAGE OPEN DAYS 2022
Halswell House, grounds, Mill Wood and the Temple of Harmony will be open as part of this year’s Heritage Open Days event on 17 and 18 September between 2 and 5 pm as part of a larger community heritage trail to include the Landmark Trust Robin Hood Hut, St Edward’s Church, Goathurst and the Temple of Pan. Full details can be found here: https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk search under Goathurst, Halswell or TA5 2DH. This is a free event and no tickets are required for general access to the grounds. Throughout the event there will be short talks about the history of house followed by a walk up onto the roof – tickets (FOC) are required for this element of the weekend and can be reserved here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/halswellevents/. Walking maps are available to download here.
TEMPLE OF HARMONY AND MILL WOOD
The Temple of Harmony and Mill Wood will be open for visitors on Sundays from 7 May to the end of September 2022 2-5 pm. Admission £3 per adult, accompanied children under 16 FREE. Well behaved dogs and owners welcome on a short lead. Season tickets available £10 per per adult. Free parking at your own risk in the adjacent field. Picnics welcome. PLEASE NOTE THAT HALSWELL HOUSE AND GROUNDS ARE NOT OPEN ON SUNDAYS. Further information can be found on the dedicated Temple of Harmony site: https://www.templeofharmony.org.uk/.
Halswell House is currently undergoing a large-scale restoration and so cannot be open to individual visitors all the time. However individuals can book on the tour dates listed below and we are always very pleased to host interested groups who would like to learn more about the historic buildings or have an insight into a restoration project.
Halswell House and Grounds
Open to the Public 2022, via Historic Houses
Please click on any date to book your visit, or if you are interested in booking a large specialist group, please contact Historic Houses to discuss possible dates.
| Date | Time |
| Thursday 09 June | 1:00 pm – 4.30 pm |
| Thursday 30 June | 1:00 pm – 4.30 pm
1:00 pm – 4:30 pm |
RNLI Fundraising Classic Car Rally
Thursday 7th October 2021.
This will be the eighth year we have run this event in Somerset, generating funds for the RNLI, and we are delighted we will be able to finish the day at Halswell House with cars arriving at approximately 1-1.30pm.
Heritage Open Days
11th and 12th September 2021
Halswell House and Gardens, The Temple and Harmony, and Mill Wood will be accessible as part of a Goathurst Heritage Trail event between 2 pm and 5 pm. More information can be found at https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/, search for Goathurst.
Mill Wood & the Temple of Harmony
2-5 pm Sunday afternoons throughout the Spring and Summer
Suggested donation of £3 per person to the Quantocks AONB.
NO ACCESS TO THE HOUSE AND GROUNDS ON SUNDAY AFTERNOONS.
Mill Wood and Temple Opening for Summer Season 2020
The Temple and its pleasure grounds, Mill Wood, will be open to the public on Sunday afternoons and bank holidays from 2 pm to 5 pm from 19 July to 27 Sep 2020. Entrance fee is £3 per adult, £5 per couple, £2 for children/students/over 60s and £7 for a family of two adults and up to four children. Annual membership, special inaugural ‘Friends of Halswell Park’ half price offer to run for 2020 season: £5 per adult or £10 per family. CASH ONLY, PLEASE BRING THE CORRECT MONEY.
Well behaved dogs are welcome on a short lead. Guided tours of the House and Gardens can be booked. Details can be found on Here.
Directions
The Temple is situated on the narrow lane that connects the village of Enmore and the village of Goathurst. It is about half a mile outside Goathurst. Do not attempt to access the Temple via the main-gated drive to Halswell House as this is a private residence that is not open to the public.
These villages are close to North Petherton and Bridgwater in the county of Somerset. There are no buses and the only access is by very narrow, bendy lanes that are unsuitable for large vehicles. There is little or no parking in Goathurst, but there are two spaces in the lay-by at the Temple’s entrance.
Parking available in adjacent field at your own risk.
Please note: Mill Wood is historic parkland, access is suitable on foot only, there are uneven and slippery surfaces, deep ponds and steep drops. Children should be closely supervised. We look forward to seeing you!
Open to the Public 2020, via Historic Houses
Please click on any date to book your visit
| Date | Time |
| Wed 03 June | 1:00 pm – 5.00 pm |
| Fri 17 July | 1:00 pm – 5.00 pm |
Group Visits 2020
13th May – Yetminster History Society
4th June – West Somerset Asscociation of the National Trust Tour
Group Visits 2019
17th April – Conservation of Historic Buildings class from the University of Bath
29th April – Arts Society Taunton Valley
19th May – The South West Heritage Trust Open Day
7th June – Historic Houses Open Day
16th June – Garden Party for the Church of St Edward King and Martyr, Goathurst
19th June – Avon Gardens Trust
27th June – The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and Corbel Conservation
19th July – Historic Houses Open Day
21st August – Art Society Sedgemoor
14th September – Heritage Open Days
15th September – Heritage Open Days
These two Halswell House and Mill Wood Heritage Open Days events are being held in association with The Landmark Trust for Robin Hood’s Hut, the Halswell Park Trust for the Temple of Harmony and the Church of England for St. Edward, King and Martyr, Goathurst.
17th September – Arts Society Blockley
Group Visits 2018
26th April – The Devon Gardens Trust
26th April – The Somerset Gardens Trust
4th May – Bath University Masters Degree course
25th May – The Minehead Conservation Society
7th June – The Georgian Group
17th June – Garden Party for the Church of St Edward King and Martyr, Goathurst
16th July – The Gardens Trust
13th August – Heritage Tour Group
3rd September – Friends of the Quantocks
16th September – Heritage Open Days – Halswell House and Mill Wood open to the public
If you’ve enjoyed your visit, please tell us in the comments section below.
Visits 2017
Monday, 9th October – Historic Houses Association Group Visit
Monday, 25th September – Country Land and Business Association Group Visit
Sunday, 10th September – Heritage Open Day at the Temple of Harmony
Thursday, 10th August – Enmore and District WI Summer Party
Tuesday, 11th July – Picnic for Family and Goathurst
Monday, 26th June – Somerset Building Preservation Trust Annual General Meeting
Wednesday, June 7th – Bob Croft Visit
Saturday, May 20th – Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society Group Visit
Sunday, May 14th – BBC Radio Visit
Wednesday, May 3rd – Bath University Masters Degree Teaching Course Visit
Visits 2016
Sunday, 11th December – Historic England’s Somerset Conservation Officer’s Group Visit
Friday, 28th October – Halswell Topping Out Party
Monday, 17th October – SAVE Britain’s Heritage Visit to Halswell by Henrietta Billings, Emily Lunn and Mike Fox
Sunday, 11th September – Heritage Open Day Visit at the Temple of Harmony
Thursday, 18th August – U3A Visit
Friday, 10th June – Tipple at the Temple
Saturday, May 7th – Wiveliscombe Civics Society Visit
Friday, 29th April – Bath University Master Degree Teaching Course Visit
Saturday, 23rd April – Oxford Graduates Architectural Society Group Visit
Monday, 8th February – Tree Presentation with Somerset Gardens Trust
Monday, 18th January – Mill Wood Tree Planting with Somerset Gardens Trust
2015
Saturday, 19th September – Somerset Gardens Trust 25th Anniversary
Saturday, 11th April – Folly Fellowship Visit
Wednesday, 18th March – Bath University Masters Teaching Course
2014
Tuesday, 11th November – Edward’s Birthday and the Reopening of Halswell
Thursday, 9th October – The Georgian Group
Halswell Park 