Moggerhanger Park
Grade I listed Georgian house remodelled by Sir John Soane, set in Repton parkland, with a tearoom and guided house tours on selected days.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Moggerhanger House began as a modest Georgian house that was bought by Godfrey Thornton, a merchant and director of the Bank of England. He asked John Soane, the architect of the Bank, to remodel it between 1790 and 1793. Soane went on working for Thornton’s son Stephen, and the scheme was completed in 1812. The landscape was planned by Humphry Repton, whose Red Book for the estate dates from 1792, with a supplement of 1798.
The Thornton family sold the estate in 1857. In 1919 Bedfordshire County Council took over the house as a sanatorium for tuberculosis patients, and later it served as an orthopaedic hospital until 1987. After the hospital closed the building was restored. The World Monuments Fund helped to recover Soane’s original design for the Eating Room.
Today the Grade I listed house stands in about 33 acres of parkland and woodland. Visitors can walk in the grounds free of charge, have refreshments in the Orchard Tearooms and join guided tours of the house on selected dates. An exhibition in the Education Room behind the tearooms explains the history of the house and the Thornton family.
Highlights
- House remodelled by Sir John Soane between 1790 and 1812
- Parkland and woodland landscaped by Humphry Repton
- Soane’s restored Eating Room
- Guided house tours on selected dates
- Free access to the grounds and Orchard Tearooms
Permanent exhibition
- History of the house and the Thornton family – A small exhibition in the Education Room behind the Orchard Tearooms about the history of the house and the family who built it.
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £10 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | £5free up to age 4 · Children aged 5 to 16 pay £5; children under 5 are free. |
| Visitors with disabilities | –companion free · A carer accompanying a visitor who could not otherwise enjoy the house, for example a wheelchair user or a BSL signer, goes free. |
| Students & apprentices | £5With an NUS card. |
Prices are for the guided house tour. Entry to the grounds is free, with donations welcome. Members of the Historic Houses Association go free with a valid card.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 4 |
|---|
Children aged 5 to 16 pay a reduced price for the house tour, and the tearooms offer a children’s menu.
Getting there & parking
By car
Free parking
A free car park with plenty of space is available at the park.
The park is in Park Road, Moggerhanger, near Bedford.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
The Orchard Tearooms serve tea, coffee, cakes, ice cream and light lunches, with a children’s menu. Picnics are allowed in the grounds, but the tables outside the tearooms are for customers. Dogs on leads are welcome in the grounds and in the tearooms.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Guided house tours must be booked in advance through the website. |
