Tyntesfield, a spectacular Victorian Gothic-Revival country house, lying 7 miles from Bristol, was purchased by the National Trust in 2002.
Set on a ridge overlooking the Land Yeo Valley, the mansion was created by William Gibbs who bought the original Regency-Gothic house in 1843 and commissioned John Norton to remodel it as a Gothic-Revival extravaganza in 1864.
At the time Gibbs was one of the richest men in England, having made a fortune trading in South American guano (fertiliser produced from bird droppings).
The Tyntesfield estate passed through four generations of the Gibbs family before being put up for sale in 2001.
After a successful fund-raising appeal to raise £8.2 million, the National Trust purchased the house in 2002.
The Grade I listed mansion, built of mellow Bath stone, has an elaborate roof, bristling with towers and turrets, and a dramatic stone-vaulted chapel.
The 19th century interior has survived intact and includes an unrivalled collection of Victorian decorative arts and family memorabilia.
Surrounding the house are 500 acres of land including farmland, woodlands, formal gardens and a walled kitchen garden.
The National Trust's project to restore Tyntesfield to its former glory is only at its early stages.
Although new rooms have been added to the visitor route, only ground-floor rooms can be viewed at present.
Entry is by timed ticket issued at Reception on the day and cannot be pre-booked.
On busy days entry to the house cannot be guaranteed.
