Hoghton Tower

About the museum

Hoghton Tower stands on a hill above the Ribble Valley in Lancashire. Earlier buildings on the site are recorded back to 1109, and the present house was built in 1565 by Thomas Hoghton. It is the ancestral home of the de Hoghton family, who still own the Grade I listed building. The hilltop position made the site strategically important for centuries and gives views towards the Lake District, the Irish Sea and Wales.

The house has hosted many notable guests. King James I stayed in 1617, a visit the tours recall with a projection, and a well-known local legend says that he knighted a loin of beef there, giving the English word sirloin. The house is also linked in local tradition with William Shakespeare, and later visitors included William III and Queen Mary, and George V and Queen Mary. Writers such as Charles Dickens are also said to have visited.

Today the house is cared for by the Hoghton Tower Preservation Trust, an independent charity founded in 1978. Visitors see the State Bedroom, the Ballroom, the Banqueting Hall and the underground passages on a guided tour of about one and a half hours, and on selected Saturdays they can walk round the house on their own. Outside are three walled gardens and a ramparts garden with long views. A collection of more than 70 vintage and modern dolls' houses can be seen on selected dates, and the tea room serves afternoon tea. The site is also used for events, weddings and filming.

Highlights

• Guided tours of the State Bedroom, Ballroom and Banqueting Hall
• Underground passages and the Well House
• Three walled gardens and the Ramparts Garden with long views
• Dolls' House Collection of more than 70 houses (selected dates)
• Tea room with afternoon tea

Permanent exhibitions

• Guided house tour – A tour of about one and a half hours through the State Bedroom, Ballroom, Banqueting Hall and underground passages, with a projection about the visit of King James I in 1617.
• Dolls' House Collection – More than 70 dolls' houses from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, shown on selected dates with limited numbers.

Operated by

Hoghton Tower Preservation Trust

Admission & discounts

Prices are the online ticket prices without the voluntary donation; with the donation (Gift Aid) the adult guided tour is £15.00, the child tour £7.50, the adult garden ticket £4.50 and the child garden ticket £2.20. Members of Historic Houses can join a guided tour free of charge on showing a valid membership card. On the third Sunday of each month, when the farmers' market is held, a site admission fee of £3 per car or walking group of up to six people is payable in cash. Other site fees apply on some special event days.

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

Because of the historic buildings there are no lifts and no ramps except for the ramp to the accessible toilet in the cobbled Outer Courtyard. The tea room and the courtyards are reached by steps, and the courtyards have cobbles and flagstones. The house tour includes several staircases and uneven floors. The gardens are reached by a steep, uneven path and have gravel, shale or sand paths, with steps between some gardens. The Great Barn is reached over gravel and hardstanding. The car park is about a quarter of a mile from the house up a steep drive. A limited number of Blue Badge bays are in the car park and on the grass in front of the house. Only assistance dogs are allowed beyond the gatehouse.

Kids & families

Great for kids & familiesRecommended for ages 5+

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Stroller-friendly: not available
• Baby changing facilities

Children over five are welcome on the house tours, which last about one and a half hours and are mostly followed by adults. Family events include Spooky Tours for ages over five in the October and February school holidays and seasonal garden trails. A baby-change table is next to the toilets in the house, but no mat is provided. Pushchairs are not allowed on house tours.

Getting there & parking

Use sat nav reference PR5 0SH. The house is about 5 minutes from junction 3 of the M65, by road; follow the brown tourist signs.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant: not available

The tea room, off the Inner Courtyard, serves afternoon tea (booking essential), snacks and drinks, and has a small number of highchairs. Card and cash are accepted at the ticket office and tea room.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

The house, Great Barn and grounds can be hired for weddings, celebrations, meetings and conferences, and for filming and photography.

Plan your visit