Benthall Hall
National Trust manor house above the Severn Gorge with a Victorian plantsman's garden, tile history and parkland walks near Ironbridge.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Benthall Hall is a mullioned manor house on a plateau above the River Severn, home to the Benthall family, who trace their roots on this site back to Anglo-Saxon times. The present house is thought to have been built around 1535 by William Benthall and was improved in 1580. During the Civil Wars it was fortified for the Royalists and then taken by Parliament, and damage from the fighting can still be seen in the stonework.
The family lost the estate through the female line, and from 1845 to 1930 the house was let to tenants. The best known were the brothers George and Arthur Maw. Arthur ran the family firm of Maw and Co., which made decorative encaustic tiles at nearby Jackfield, and used the entrance hall as a showroom, laying it with the firm's tiles. George was a geologist, botanist and plant collector who made the garden his home for collecting rare bulbs, above all crocuses, and published a monograph on the genus in 1886. Hybrid crocuses from his collection still flower there.
When the house came up for auction in 1934, Mary Clementina Benthall bought it and restored it. She gave it to the National Trust in 1958. A member of the Benthall family has lived in the house as tenant ever since. A new glasshouse was built in 2025 to grow some of the plants Maw collected, and the neighbouring Restoration-period church of St Bartholomew has recently come into National Trust care.
Highlights
- 16th-century manor house with panelling, staircase and plaster ceilings
- Entrance hall floor of Maw and Co. tiles, visible through a trap door
- Walled garden with George Maw's crocus collection and a restored glasshouse
- Children's trail following Victorian plant hunter George Maw
- Parkland and woodland walks with views of the Ironbridge Gorge
Permanent exhibitions
- Benthall Hall house – A 16th-century manor house still lived in by the Benthall family, with panelling, plaster ceilings and a hall floor of Maw and Co. tiles.
- Maw garden – A walled Victorian garden laid out by plant collector George Maw, with crocus hybrids and a restored glasshouse.
- Operated by
- National Trust
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £11 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | £5.50free up to age 4 · Children aged 5 to 17; under 5s are free. |
| Groups | –Group visits with house, art and garden tours can be booked. |
| Families | £27.502 adults and up to 3 children. |
| One adult family ticket | £16.501 adult and up to 3 children. |
Admission covers the house and garden. National Trust members enter free. Prices shown are without the optional Gift Aid donation. Parking is £3 for the day for non-members and free for members; the car park uses the JustPark app or payment machines.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- 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
The entrance has an access ramp and the main hall on the ground floor is step-free, but the other ground-floor rooms are reached by steps and the upper rooms by stairs. Main garden routes are step-free, with some steep slopes and compact earth, gravel and cobbled surfaces; the woodland walk is steep and uneven. An accessible toilet is through the rose garden, and two accessible parking spaces are by Visitor Reception. A braille guide and a large-print guide are available, as is a sensory bag. The site is part of the Sunflower Lanyard Scheme, and there are quiet corners in the garden. Assistance dogs are welcome in the house and garden.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 4 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | £27.50 · 2 adults and up to 3 children. |
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Hands-on stations
A children's trail, George Maw's Global Suitcase Journey, has hands-on activities and a stamp passport, and there is an orienteering trail in the woods and park. Under 5s enter free.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Telford Central railway station
Arriva bus route 18 runs between Telford and Much Wenlock. The nearest railway station is Telford Central, 7½ miles away, with taxis at the station.
By car
Paid parking
Car park 100 yards from Visitor Reception, £3 for the day for non-members and free for National Trust members (JustPark code 80512). Space for one coach.
- Accessible parking
1 mile north-west of Broseley on the B4375, 4 miles north-east of Much Wenlock and 1 mile south-west of Ironbridge. Follow the brown signs from Broseley or Much Wenlock to avoid narrow roads.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Restaurant: not available
- Museum shop
The independently run Shepherd's Shed café kiosk in the car park sells takeaway hot drinks, snacks and cakes, open 10:00 to 16:00 Saturday to Wednesday, with some outdoor seating. A bookshop is listed among the facilities.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Guided tours of the house, art and garden can be arranged for groups. Dogs are welcome in the woodland and parkland, on a lead near livestock or nesting birds, but not in the garden or house. |
