Burton Agnes Hall
Elizabethan country house near Driffield, still a family home, with Norman manor house, walled gardens, woodland playground and courtyard cafe.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
A Norman manor house was built on the site in 1173 by Roger de Stuteville, and its lower chamber survives beside the later hall. The estate passed to the Griffith family in the fifteenth century. Sir Henry Griffith, who joined the Council of the North, built the present Elizabethan hall in the early 1600s, and its design is attributed to the architect Robert Smythson. The hall and the Norman manor house are both Grade I listed.
The house passed by marriage to the Boynton family and, in 1899, to the Wickham-Boyntons. Inside, the richly plastered Long Gallery, the carved alabaster overmantel and the Great Hall survive from the original building. A local legend tells that the skull of Sir Henry's youngest daughter, Anne, is bricked up in the Great Hall and returns whenever it is removed.
Marcus Wickham-Boynton restored the house and gathered a collection of French paintings, bronzes by Epstein, Chinese porcelain and furniture. When he died in 1989 the property passed to a distant cousin, Simon Cunliffe-Lister, and it is owned by a charitable trust that protects the hall and its contents. The hall is still a lived-in family home that is open to visitors from spring to autumn.
Highlights
- Elizabethan hall with a plastered Long Gallery and carved Great Hall
- Norman manor house, one of the oldest buildings in the area
- Collection of French paintings, bronzes and Chinese porcelain
- Walled gardens with a yew maze and giant games
- Woodland adventure playground and sculpture walk
Permanent exhibitions
- The Hall – Elizabethan rooms with a plastered Long Gallery, carved Great Hall and a collection of paintings, sculpture and furniture.
- The Gardens – Walled gardens with a yew maze and giant games, plus woodland walks and a sculpture trail.
- Operated by
- Burton Agnes Hall Preservation Trust
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £18.50 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | £9.50free up to age 3 · Children aged 4 to 15, hall and gardens ticket. |
| Visitors with disabilities | –companion free · A visitor with a disability who pays admission or holds a membership may bring one carer free of charge; proof of disability may be requested. A reduced rate applies because the upper floors cannot be reached by wheelchair. |
| Groups (15+ people) | £16.65 per personHall and gardens price per person for groups; groups of 15 or more receive a 10% discount. |
| Families | £46.50Hall and gardens ticket for 2 adults and 2 children; a ticket for 1 adult and 2 children costs £28. |
| Gardens only, adult | £12.50 |
| Gardens only, child (4 to 15) | £8 |
| Gardens only, family (1 adult and 2 children) | £20.50 |
| Gardens only, family (2 adults and 2 children) | £33 |
| Hall and gardens, family (1 adult and 2 children) | £28 |
Prices for 2026 include a voluntary 10% donation towards the upkeep of the hall, and UK taxpayers can make a Gift Aid declaration. Members of the hall and gardens enter free whenever it is open to day visitors, except during the Jazz and Blues Festival weekend, and Historic Houses members are also admitted free on normal opening days. Booking online is encouraged, and tickets bought on arrival can only be paid for by card because cash is not accepted. Prices may differ for special events.
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
The ground floor of the hall is reached through a side door and an indoor ramp, but the first and second floors cannot be reached by wheelchair. The walled gardens, grounds and woodland can be used by wheelchair users, although some paths are gravel and an outdoor wheelchair is recommended. The stableyard shop and cafe are accessible. Two self-propelled or hand-pushed wheelchairs can be used inside the hall on a first-come basis, and wheelchairs can be borrowed at the admission desk. Motorised wheelchairs, buggies and scooters are not allowed in the house. Unisex accessible toilets with baby changing are in the stableyard and in the woodland adventure playground. Disabled parking bays nearest the entrance in the main car park are reserved for Blue Badge holders. Assistance dogs on leads are welcome.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 3 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | £46.50 · Hall and gardens ticket for 2 adults and 2 children; a ticket for 1 adult and 2 children costs £28. |
- Family tours & workshops
- Baby changing facilities
- Playground / play area
The woodland adventure playground has a double zip wire, a tower with a twisting slide, basket and tyre swings, a seesaw and a roundabout, plus a gentler area for toddlers. It is included with garden admission and has an accessible toilet with baby changing. Children under 4 enter free, and breastfeeding is welcome in the hall. Seasonal events such as a Halloween trail and Christmas at Burton Agnes Hall, a woodland sculpture walk and giant games in the walled garden.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Driffield station
The nearest station is Driffield, about 5 miles away, and a bus runs from outside the station to the hall. Bus services also run from Bridlington, Driffield, Beverley, Scarborough, Hull and York.
By car
Free parking · 2-min walk to the entrance
The free car park is a two-minute walk from the hall. Use the postcode YO25 4NE for the car park.
- Accessible parking
The hall is on the A614 between Driffield and Bridlington. Follow the brown signs.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
The Carriage House cafe and shop are inside the admission area and open to visitors of the hall or gardens. Plants raised in the walled garden nursery are for sale in the courtyard. Dogs on leads are welcome in the grounds but not in the playground.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| School programs | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Group visits can be booked, and school groups pay a concessionary rate of £2.50 per person. A hip seat for carrying toddlers can be borrowed in the hall. |
