Discover the house and collection at Upton

Inside the Long Gallery at Upton House, Warwickshire, with its floor-to-ceiling windows and 18th-century English furniture. — The Long Gallery at Upton House, Warwickshire | © National Trust Images / Nadia Mackenzie

Upton House is the country house and weekend retreat where 2nd Viscount Bearsted, Walter Samuel, assembled one of the finest art collections in 20th-century England. Immerse yourself in a remarkable range of world-class paintings, from Stubbs and Hogarth to Bosch and El Greco. See how Lord Bearsted furnished every square inch with his pictures and 18th-century English and French porcelain.

Beauty and pleasure

Upton House and Gardens was the beloved country home of the Jewish philanthropist, collector and Chairman of Shell, Walter Samuel, 2nd Viscount Bearsted and his family.

Remodelled in the 1930s as a weekend retreat, it had modern comforts, gardens and outstanding collections of paintings and porcelain.

A varied collection

While his greatest love was paintings, he also collected tapestries, illuminated manuscripts and oriental works of art, as well as early French and English porcelain, all of which are represented at Upton.

Sevres Wine Cooler, showing nymphs worshipping the bust of Pan, from a service made for Louis XVI, dated 1792, in the Porcelain Lobby at Upton House, Warwickshire — Sevres wine cooler from a service made for Louis XVI at Upton House, Warwickshire | © National Trust Images/Nadia Mackenzie

See the paintings as Lord Bearsted intended

The paintings cover a considerable range of masterpieces from Bruegel and Guardi to Hogarth and Stubbs, as well as a number of English sporting pictures.

It reflects Walter Samuel's interests in that almost all the pictures at Upton are concerned with human beings and their relationship with each other, as well as with the world around them.

Rare porcelain

The porcelain is 18th-century soft-paste Sèvres and Chelsea. Of special historic and artistic interest is the coffee can and saucer, made to royal order for Catherine the Great of Russia and the rare complete 10-figure Chelsea set of Apollo and the Nine Muses.

A legacy for us all to enjoy

In the changed world after the Second World War, Walter Samuel, already in failing health, wanted to ensure that the collections and gardens he and his wife had created and loved were kept intact for others to enjoy for ever.

Gifted to the National Trust

He decided to gift Upton House, the garden and the collections to the National Trust.

His generosity and philanthropy live on today every time visitors come to Upton House and enjoy the artwork he was so passionate about.

Picture in Focus - Love Among the Ruins

Painted by Sir Edward Burne-Jones 1894. Oil on canvas.

Purchased by the 1st Viscount Bearsted, Marcus Samuel, at Christie's in 1913. On loan to Wightwick Manor (National Trust) since 1949. The picture is now on temporary display at Upton in the Sitting Room.

Edward Burne-Jones was a celebrated 19th-century artist and designer. He learnt his craft as an apprentice to the Pre-Raphaelite painter, Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Burne-Jones was good friends with William Morris and was a founding partner of Morris &Co.

Love Among the Ruins is one of Burne-Jones’ most admired paintings and meant a great deal to the artist. It depicts two lovers clasped in an intimate embrace, surrounded by classical ruins. It is thought that the female model represents Maria Zambaco, with whom Burne-Jones had an intense affair.

Two versions of this painting exist. This oil on canvas painting was created 21 years after the original watercolour. The watercolour was irreparably damaged when mistakenly varnished. Burne-Jones was so distraught he immediately set out to create the oil version. He later restored the watercolour.

The picture is one of the most important in the National Trust collection, and for the first time, it will on display at Upton House in the Sitting Room. Find out more information from our house volunteers and art catalogues and on the National Trust Collections page.

Discover Smartify at Upton

New for the spring and summer, you can now delve deeper into the collection and discover more about the treasured art, porcelain and tapestries. Using the Smartify app on your mobile, take an audio tour with the Property Curator, dedicated volunteers and past family members who share their unique insights and stories. See the collection through a new lens with close-up images and more detailed information. You can find out more and share your feedback here.

Please note: Upton houses an important collection of art and porcelain and it isn't possible to have all items on display permanently.

The portrait of the Earl (1709-1783) and Countess of Ely (d.1821) by Sir Joshua Reynolds usually hangs in the Picture Room. This is currently away for conservation works, and we will share updates when it is due to be back on display.

To find out if a particular room or work is currently on display, on loan or in storage, please contact us before travelling.

Get in touch

From Saturday 23 November until 4 January, our Picture Gallery will be closed for its annual deep clean and condition check. Whilst the house is decorated for Christmas, we take the opportunity to clean and check each of our paintings in our Picture Gallery and give the room an in-depth clean from top to bottom. Please feel free to speak to our team of staff and volunteers to find out more about how we care for the paintings in the Bearsted Collection. During this time the main Christmas decoration display takes centre stage in the Entrance Hall, Dining Room, Long Gallery , Porcelain Lobby and Picture Room.

Picture of Love Among the Ruins by Sir Edward Burne Jones | © National Trust Images/Derrick E Witty

See all the events and activities we have going on inside the house based on the collection and history of Upton.

Winter afternoon tea talks

17 December 2024 talk - Candlesticks, Fables and the Chelsea Porcelain Factory, 21 January 2025 talk - Uncovering hidden women in the Bearsted Collection 11 February 2025 - Deviant females, myths and muses in the Bearsted Collection. Pre booking required. Non sparkling option £48 per person and sparlking option £56 per person. See here for more information and booking.

Feed your senses this winter with our series of afternoon talks about the collection followed by traditional afternoon tea.

Join one of our house guides to discover compelling insights into the Bearsted collection at Upton House and Gardens. Indulge afterwards with a classic afternoon tea served in our Pavilion cafe, reserved exclusively for you and fellow guests.