West Wycombe Park

Built from 1740, for Sir Francis Dashwood (1708-1781), 2nd Bt., 11th Baron le Despencer, the rakish Chancellor of the Exchequer and Founder of the notorious Hellfire Club. Set amid beautiful landscaped gardens, it was inspired by the villas of Veneto in Italy. It is open to the public during the summer months as though owned by the National Trust, it is still home to the Dashwood family today. Its interior was used to portray the London home of Lady Rosamund Painswick in Downton Abbey, the address of which (35 Belgrave Square) has strong real-life American connections.