Longleat was built by Sir Thomas Thynne and has been the Thynne family home for more than 450 years. Longleat is claimed as the first Elizabethan mansion built in the style of the Italian Renaissance and is regarded as the best example of high Elizabethan architecture in Britain. The house is set in grounds which were landscaped by Lancelot 'Capability' Brown.

In 1949 the doors of Longleat were opened to the public, the first stately home in England to do so. Today it is one of the country's most popular visitor destinations, with attractions including Britains first Safari Park.