Holker Hall

About the museum

Holker Hall stands on the edge of Morecambe Bay in the Cartmel peninsula. The first house recorded on the site dates from the early 16th century, and the estate has never been sold: it has passed by inheritance through just three families, the Prestons, the Lowthers and the Cavendishes. Each generation changed the house or reshaped the landscape around it.

In 1871 a serious fire destroyed the whole west wing, together with paintings, furniture, statues and books. William Cavendish, the 7th Duke of Devonshire, decided to rebuild it on a grander scale and appointed the Lancaster architects Paley and Austin. The new wing, built in red sandstone in an Elizabethan Gothic style, is the part of the house that visitors see today. Its rooms reflect Victorian confidence and craftsmanship, including a hand-carved cantilever staircase in which every baluster is different.

The Library holds about 3,500 books, some saved from the fire and others brought from Chatsworth. The furnishings include an estate rent table, pieces by Chippendale, a regulator clock and a nursery yacht. The house is still the home of the family, who run it together with the formal and woodland gardens and the deer park.

Highlights

• Victorian west wing rebuilt after the fire of 1871
• Library with about 3,500 books
• Hand-carved cantilever staircase
• Furnished rooms including the Drawing Room, Dining Room and Billiard Room
• Formal and woodland gardens of about 25 acres
• Deer park with fallow deer

Permanent exhibition

• Holker Hall state rooms – Furnished Victorian rooms in the rebuilt west wing, including the Library, Main Hall and staircase, Drawing Room, Dining Room, Billiard Room and bedrooms.

Admission & discounts

Hall and Gardens £15.95 for adults; gardens only £11.95. Tickets can be bought online in advance for a chosen date or at the kiosk on arrival; there is no need to book. Members of Historic Houses and the RHS (partner garden) are welcome on showing their membership card.

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 grounds are step-free with ramps and smooth paths. Wheelchair users can see the ground floor of the Hall; the first floor is not accessible, but the full Hall can be explored through the Holker Hall app. Free wheelchair loan on a first-come basis, and a Tramper mobility scooter can be hired through Outdoor Mobility. Blue Badge parking is central, and accessible toilets are in the Courtyard Café complex. Tours can be arranged for visitors with hearing or sight impairments. Assistance dogs are welcome in the Hall.

Kids & families

• Stroller-friendly

Children under 12 are admitted free. Visitors may bring their own buggy; the garden paths are accessible.

Getting there & parking

About 5 miles south of the A590 between Kendal and Barrow-in-Furness. From the M6 leave at junction 36 and follow the brown signs through Grange-over-Sands, Flookburgh and Cark; the entrance is about 1 mile beyond Cark. Satnav postcode LA11 7PL.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

The Courtyard Café serves hot food until 16:00 and has indoor and outdoor seating. There is a gift shop. Picnics are welcome on the lawns but not in the Hall or café. Cash and cashless payments are accepted.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Weddings / ceremonies

Civil ceremonies and blessings can be held in the Main Hall, Drawing Room or Library. The 18th-century stables seat up to 70 for a reception, and the parkland can be hired separately.

Plan your visit