Gawsworth Hall

About the museum

Gawsworth Hall is a black-and-white timber-framed manor house built in 1480 in the Cheshire village of Gawsworth. The estate has been held by only five families since Norman times. An earlier Norman house stood on the site of the present rookery, and the Fitton family chapel is first mentioned in 1365. The first owners were the Fitton family, whose daughter Mary Fitton, maid of honour to Elizabeth I, is traditionally linked with the Dark Lady of Shakespeare’s sonnets.

In the late 1590s Sir Edward Fitton laid out a large Elizabethan pleasure garden with a tilting ground, wilderness walks and possibly a maze, hoping for a royal visit that never came. A later dispute over the estate led to the famous duel in Hyde Park in 1712, in which Lord Mohun and the Duke of Hamilton were both killed. The house was remodelled and reduced in size in 1701, and its chapel is still used by the family.

The Richards family bought the hall in 1962 and still lives there. It is open to visitors on a few weekends in summer, when a tour shows paintings, furniture, sculpture and stained glass, and the grounds can be explored. Garden theatre performances have been held in the pleasure garden since 1969, and the hall is also used for weddings and events.

Highlights

• Tudor black-and-white manor house built in 1480
• Home of Mary Fitton, linked with Shakespeare’s Dark Lady
• Elizabethan pleasure garden, tilting ground and rookery
• Open-air garden theatre season since 1969
• Paintings, furniture, sculpture and stained glass
• Orchard Tearoom

Permanent exhibition

• Tour of the Hall and grounds – A tour of the lived-in Tudor manor house, with paintings, furniture, sculpture and stained glass, plus the pleasure garden, tilting ground and rookery.

Operated by

Richards family

Admission & discounts

Entry price covers the hall and grounds. Theatre performances are ticketed separately.

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 hall is a privately owned historic building with a stepped entrance and staircases, so access for visitors with mobility difficulties is restricted. The rose garden next to the theatre has level access, but the rest of the grounds are lawn with natural slopes and a wooded bank. There is a designated parking area, a slightly sloping drive to the hall and a drop-off point near the entrance. The toilet attached to the tearoom has turning space, grab rails and room for a carer. The garden theatre has level wheelchair access but limited wheelchair space, so early booking is needed. Assistance dogs are welcome in the garden; notice is needed for house visits.

Kids & families

A reduced child ticket is offered for under-16s.

Getting there & parking

The hall stands on Church Lane in Gawsworth, near Macclesfield.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant: not available

The Orchard Tearoom is reached by a gentle slope on a well-surfaced path.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Weddings / ceremonies

The hall is available for weddings; the grounds also host events and car shows.

Plan your visit