Hutton in the Forest

About the museum

Hutton-in-the-Forest lies on the northern edge of the Lake District, a few miles north-west of Penrith. The site is first recorded in 1292, when it belonged to the de Hoton family, who served as foresters of Inglewood Forest. In 1605 the estate was bought by Richard Fletcher, a merchant from Cockermouth, who turned the old border pele tower into a country house.

The house grew over the following centuries. A long gallery was added in the 1630s, a new east front followed in the 1680s, and the interiors were redecorated several times in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The estate passed to the Fletcher Vane family, and after the death of Sir Henry Vane in 1909 his widow Margaret shaped much of the present character of the rooms, with Arts and Crafts decoration, William Morris wallpapers and Keswick School metalwork. In 1964 the estate passed to a distant cousin who became the first Lord Inglewood. His family still owns it and continues to restore the house and grounds.

Visitors can see rooms from several periods, family portraits, tapestries and needlework, and a collection of contemporary ceramics. The grounds include terraces with topiary, a walled garden from the 1730s, ponds with cascades, a wild-flower meadow and a woodland walk with an arboretum of American conifers planted in the 1860s.

Highlights

• Medieval pele tower at the core of the house
• Cupid Room with its 1740s rococo ceiling
• Long gallery from the 1630s, a rarity in northern England
• Arts and Crafts rooms with William Morris wallpapers
• Terraces with topiary and a walled garden from the 1730s
• Woodland walk with red squirrels and a nineteenth-century conifer collection

Permanent exhibitions

• The house – Rooms from several periods, including the Stone Hall, the Cupid Room and the Long Gallery, with portraits, tapestries and contemporary ceramics.
• Gardens and woodland walk – Terraces with topiary, a walled garden, ponds and cascades, a wild-flower meadow and a woodland walk.

Operated by

Inglewood family

Admission & discounts

The published price of £11 is for the gardens and woodland walk. House admission prices are not currently listed. Members of Historic Houses are admitted free.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• 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 house is accessible to wheelchair users; the second floor can be reached by stairs only. In the gardens the terraces, the walled garden and part of the woodland walk are accessible, although gravel paths can be hard to push over. The tearoom is reached by a short ramp at a side door. An accessible toilet is in the toilet block. Visitors are asked to call ahead with questions.

Kids & families

Under-16s enter the gardens free. Tailored school visits can be arranged around topics such as the Victorians, architecture, nature and wildlife.

Getting there & parking

The house is about 6 miles north-west of Penrith and 2 miles from junction 41 of the M6, on the Wigton road. Coach parking and access are available.

Amenities & dining

• Café

Cloisters Tearoom (closed for the season). A toilet block with an accessible toilet is on site.

Events & venue rental

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

Rooms in the house of different sizes are offered for receptions, dinners and concerts, and the grounds can host a wedding marquee and outdoor events. No capacity figures are published.

Plan your visit