Somerley House

Somerley House stands on the high west bank above the Avon water meadows, two miles north of Ringwood, on a 7,000-acre estate at the edge of the New Forest where Hampshire meets Dorset. The Earls of Normanton have owned it since the 2nd Earl bought it in 1828, and it is still the family's private home. The house was designed largely by Samuel Wyatt. The 2nd Earl, a collector who bid against George IV in the sale room, added the 90ft Picture Gallery in 1850 to hold his paintings, among them a large group of works by Sir Joshua Reynolds.

The house and estate are let for exclusive hire, for milestone celebrations, dinners, anniversaries and product launches, and the estate says it has hosted launches for watches and cars. The Picture Gallery seats 140 for dinner and takes 200 for a reception. The Drawing Room looks out over the grounds, the Dining Room seats 18 around its table, and the Libraries serve as quieter rooms off the main spaces. Nine bedrooms in the house sleep 18 when it is taken whole.

For a larger party a marquee goes up on the lawn beside the house, seating 200 or taking 250 for a reception, and it can be built around the Triton Fountain. Away from the house, a woodland of Douglas firs with a wooden folly is let on a ground-hire basis from May to September, closing at midnight. The estate is not open to the public, so every visit is by appointment. The house has appeared in The Crown and Bridgerton.