“Since Port Eliot Festival began, we’ve always been adamant there should be no exclusive areas or VIP spaces. This includes the house, which is open to all during the festival.
There are over 100 rooms in the house. Some of the larger rooms are used as venues during the festival including the vast Soane Round Room - with its heroic and brooding mural by Robert Lenkiewicz - which will become Port Eliot’s brand new science venue this year.
The Drawing Room - with its chandelier of flowers and feathers by festival Creative Director Michael Howells - is often used for early morning yoga sessions. Last year, it also provided the setting for a display of costumes from Cinderella by Oscar winning costume designer Sandy Powell.
The Big Dining Room has hosted many films over the years, with Ralph Steadman and Anita Pallenberg showing their own home movies.
The labyrinthine basement, a village in itself at more than 100 yards long, hosts the Flower and Fodder Show and the gigantic two storey Georgian kitchen is used by the chefs to prep for their demonstrations.
On Sunday festivalgoers can explore the whole house on one of our guided tours - a lovely opportunity to uncover the mysteries of Port Eliot House, which is thought to be the longest continually inhabited residence in the UK.
Please come on in during the festival, and enjoy our home while you’re here.”
Cathy St Germans