Melbourne Hall

Om museet

Melbourne Hall stands at the east end of the village of Melbourne, above a 20-acre mill pool. The oldest parts of the house, including the Serving Room and the Dining Room, were rebuilt by Sir John Coke between 1629 and 1631 after he made Melbourne his home. Later owners added to the house, and the staircase hall and the rooms beyond it were built between 1742 and 1745 for George Lewis Coke. The Billiard Room, a conservatory-style entrance, was added in 1911 by Lord Walter Kerr.

The gardens were laid out in the early 18th century by Thomas Coke, Vice Chamberlain to Queen Anne, with the designers George London and Henry Wise. They are regarded as the best surviving garden in the style of the French designer Le Notre in England. Their features include a long yew tunnel, lead statues from the workshop of Jan van Nost, among them the Four Seasons urn said to have been a gift from the queen, and the Birdcage, a wrought-iron arbour made by the ironsmith Robert Bakewell between 1706 and 1711. Fountains were supplied with water by the engineer George Sorocold. Lord Walter Kerr and his wife restored the gardens in the early 20th century.

The house passed through the Coke and Lamb families and later to the Kerr family, and during the second half of the 19th century the house and gardens were let. Today it is still a family home of the Marquis and Marchioness of Lothian, and the Marquis took over running the estate in 1987. The house is opened to visitors only in August, and the gardens are open on set days from spring to autumn.

Højdepunkter

• Formal gardens in the manner of Le Notre from the early 18th century
• The Birdcage, a wrought-iron arbour by Robert Bakewell
• Yew tunnel and the Four Seasons lead urn
• Lead statues from the workshop of Jan van Nost
• Lived-in house with portraits of the Coke and Kerr families
• Great Basin pool and avenues

Permanente udstillinger

• The house – Lived-in rooms such as the Drawing Room, the Dining Room, the Library and the Staircase Hall, with portraits of the Coke, Lamb and Kerr families.
• The gardens – Early 18th-century formal gardens with the Birdcage arbour, a yew tunnel, lead statuary, fountains and a tree trail.

Entrépriser & rabatter

The prices are those of the 2026 season, when the hall was open only in August. The regular price shown is the hall ticket; the garden ticket costs £10 and a combined ticket £16. Tickets can be booked online or paid for on arrival, but numbers for guided tours are limited.

Tilgængelighed

• Delvis kørestolsvenlig
• Elevator: ingen oplysninger
• Handicaptoilet: ingen oplysninger
• Handicapparkering: ingen oplysninger
• Servicehunde tilladt
• Taktile tilbud: ingen oplysninger
• Rundvisninger på tegnsprog: ingen oplysninger
• Letlæste tilbud: ingen oplysninger
• Synstolkning: ingen oplysninger

The gardens are mostly accessible to wheelchairs and buggies, but there are some steep slopes and steps, usually with an alternative route, and some paths are uneven because of tree roots. The gardeners help on request. Public toilets are in the visitor centre by the garden entrance. Dogs are not allowed except guide and assistance dogs.

Børn og familie

• Barnevognsvenlig

The garden is accessible to buggies, although some paths have slopes, steps and tree roots. Unfenced ponds mean that children must not be left unsupervised.

Transport & parkering

Melbourne is 8 miles south of Derby and 4 miles from East Midlands Airport. From junction 24 of the M1 follow the signs for the airport, Isley Walton and Melbourne; from the A42 leave at Ashby-de-la-Zouch, follow the airport signs and turn left at Lount crossroads towards Melbourne.

Service & spisesteder

Museet har ikke offentliggjort oplysninger om dette.

Arrangementer & udlejning

Museet har ikke offentliggjort oplysninger om dette.

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