One of Wiltshire’s top tourist attractions, Longleat, is celebrating its 75th anniversary with a special exhibition at Longleat House.
‘1949: A brave new Longleat’ will run until July 17 and transports visitors back to a turning point in Longleat’s history when the 15th-century house first opened its doors to the public on April 1 1949.
It features original photographs and memorabilia, including the original ‘House Open’ sign, the first-ever guidebook signed by Lord and Lady Bath, and details of the first Longleat documentary filmed by the BBC that same year.
Lord Bath, the 8th Marquis, said: “When my grandfather, Henry, decided to open Longleat as a tourist attraction back in 1949 he was blazing a trail. It was a family affair!
“On opening day, he directed traffic, my grandmother sold the entry tickets and the children, my father and his siblings, sold the guidebooks which had been written by their mother.
“They couldn’t have known just how popular Longleat would become - from 138,000 visitors during that first season, we now welcome almost a million visitors each year.”
Visitors can join in the celebrations by posting photographs or memories of visiting Longleat House in the early days on social media and tagging #Longleat. To book visit www.longleat.co.uk
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