Widely acknowledged as one of the finest Elizabethan stately homes in Britain, Burghley House is the setting for one of the equestrian social events of the year. The Burghley Horse Trials, which take place in the surrounding beautiful parkland, attract the world's finest riders. There are various disciplines, from dressage to cross-country and show jumping. It's a comprehensive test of all-round horsemanship, and involves almost every activity of which the horse is capable. Every competitor must complete each section and their overall score provides the final placing. Burghley is more than just an equestrian competition: it's also a social event (2,000 bottles of Champagne and 40,000 cups of tea and coffee are drunk every year) and an excuse for a shopping spree, with hundreds of shops and stands selling everything from luxury goods and bespoke kitchens to country clothing and rural crafts.

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Gates open at 0730 each day.