Arley Hall and Gardens
A Victorian Tudor-style hall in Cheshire, open on selected days, set in 15 acres of award-winning gardens that the owning family has developed for 270 years.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Arley Hall lies in the Cheshire countryside between Northwich, Knutsford and Warrington. The present hall stands on the site of a first house built by the family in 1469. It was rebuilt between 1832 and 1845 for Rowland Egerton-Warburton to designs by the Nantwich architect George Latham, in Hollington stone, and it overlooks the gardens and landscaped park at the centre of the estate.
The interiors show Latham's Elizabethan-style work: the oak Grand Staircase with strapwork, the library with bookcases made in London in 1843, and richly decorated ceilings and panelling in the Front Hall, Gallery and Small Dining Room. A virginal of 1675 is among the oldest surviving English keyboard instruments, and the Emperor's Room is named after Napoleon III, who slept there in the winter of 1847 to 1848. A Gothic chapel by Anthony Salvin was added to the house in the 1840s and is still used for services. The great dining hall of the earlier house was demolished in 1968.
The gardens, which the family describes as among the finest in Europe, have been created over about 270 years by successive generations. They include eight acres of formal gardens, notably the pleached lime avenue at the entrance, and seven acres of woodland garden with a children's play area. The hall is still the home of the family of Lord Ashbrook, a descendant of Rowland Egerton-Warburton, and is open to visitors on several days each month.
Highlights
- Victorian hall of 1832 to 1845 designed by George Latham
- Grand Staircase and decorated Elizabethan-style rooms
- The Emperor's Room, once used by Napoleon III
- Gothic chapel by Anthony Salvin
- Eight acres of formal gardens and seven of woodland
- Children's PlayZone with zip wire, slides and climbing frame
Permanent exhibition
- The Hall – Victorian family rooms including the Grand Staircase, Library, Gallery, Drawing Room, Small Dining Room and the Emperor's Room, open on selected days.
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £7 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | £4Child ticket for ages 4 to 16. |
| Visitors with disabilities | –companion free · Carers accompanying a disabled visitor enter the gardens free; proof is required. |
| Groups (15+ people) | –Group rates are available for 15 or more visitors; contact the estate for details. |
| Families | £202 adults and 3 children. |
| Hall upgrade (adult), on days the hall is open | £8Child ages 4 to 16 £4, family of 2 adults and 3 children £22; added to garden entry. |
| Parking per vehicle | £4Free for annual pass holders and Blue Badge holders. |
Garden entry in the winter season (2 November to 28 February) is £7 for adults, £4 for children and £20 for a family; in the summer season it is £13, £6.50 and £36. Advance booking is not required, but tickets bought online in advance are cheaper for both entry and parking. Members of Historic Houses are welcome, but parking charges apply.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: not available
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
Most of the gardens can be entered by wheelchair, but a waymarked route has steep slopes and gravel or grass surfaces, so manual wheelchair users need a companion. The hall is entered by a steep ramp and only the ground-floor rooms are accessible, with a photograph album of the upper floor; there is no lift. The chapel is accessible. Accessible toilets are in the Stable Yard and in The Gardener's Kitchen. Three manual wheelchairs and a motorised buggy can be hired from the shop (booking advised). Valid Blue Badge holders do not pay for parking. Assistance dogs are welcome throughout.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Family ticket | £20 · 2 adults and 3 children. |
|---|
- Playground / play area
The Children's PlayZone has a slide and castle, climbing frame, swings, seesaws, zip wire, willow domes, a bird hide and an activity barn, with picnic benches around it. Dogs are not allowed in the play zone.
Getting there & parking
By car
Paid parking
Car park with a gravel surface and level access to the entrance; £4 per vehicle. Annual pass holders, valid Blue Badge holders, pre-booked coaches and wedding and corporate guests do not pay.
- Accessible parking
Arley is at the centre of a triangle formed by Northwich, Knutsford and Warrington, about 25 miles from Manchester, Liverpool and Chester, and is signposted from the M6 (junctions 19 and 20) and M56 (junctions 9 and 10). Satnav postcode CW9 6NA. Cyclists can use the bike racks by the entrance.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
The Gardener's Kitchen Café has indoor seating and an outside eating area. There is a gift shop and a plant nursery (free to enter, open daily from March to the end of October).
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
- Private parties
- Corporate events
- Weddings / ceremonies
Weddings and ceremonies, celebrations, celebrations of life, corporate meeting rooms and conferencing, and filming can be arranged; enquiries through the website.
Inquiries & detailsPlan your visit
| Photography | Photography is not allowed inside the hall. |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Garden entry includes the chapel and the children's play zone. Dogs on leads are welcome in the formal gardens, the Grove, the Woodland Walk, the café and the shop, but not in the play zone or the hall. |
