Shibden Hall
Medieval halls house near Halifax, home of the diarist Anne Lister, with period rooms, a barn folk museum and a Victorian park with a lake.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Shibden Hall is a timber-framed house in the Shibden valley near Halifax whose oldest parts date from around 1420. It was built for a cloth merchant and later grew into a larger gentry house. From 1619 it was the home of the Lister family, wealthy mill owners and cloth merchants, who owned the estate for more than 300 years.
The house is best known for Anne Lister (1791–1840), who inherited the estate in 1836 and had already taken over its management ten years earlier. In 1830 she had the house and grounds improved, adding a Gothic tower with a library and shaping the park with terraces, rock gardens, cascades and a boating lake. Her partner Ann Walker lived with her at Shibden, and Anne’s diaries, partly written in code, document her life and the estate. The diaries were found hidden in the hall many years later.
In 1926 a local councillor bought the hall and presented it with its parkland to the people of Halifax, and it became a museum run by the council. Interest in Anne Lister’s story has since brought many more visitors.
Highlights
- Medieval hall house, parts dating from around 1420
- Home of the diarist Anne Lister
- Gothic tower library added in 1830
- Historic barn with the Folk Museum collection
- Park with lake, terraces and rock gardens
Permanent exhibitions
- Shibden Hall – Period rooms that show how the people who lived and worked in the house over six centuries used it.
- The Fashion Gallery – A gallery of historic dress from the Calderdale Museums collection.
- Founded
- 1420
- Operated by
- Calderdale Council
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £10 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | £7.50Under 16s, over 65s and students |
| Children & teens | £7.50Concession price for under 16s. |
| Seniors | £7.50Over 65 |
| Visitors with disabilities | –companion free · Carers of disabled people are admitted free. |
| Students & apprentices | £7.50 |
| Families | £27.50 |
Timed-entry tickets can be booked online through TicketSource.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: not available
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- 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
Wheelchair access is limited to the ground floor and there is no lift to the upper floors. For level access, ring the bell on the right as you enter the courtyard and staff will meet you. The historic barn is partly accessible but has uneven cobbles, and the Folk Museum is not wheelchair accessible. An accessible toilet is near the disabled parking area. Contact the Hall in advance for help.
Kids & families
| Family ticket | £27.50 |
|---|
A family ticket is available.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Halifax bus station · 20-min walk
About a 20-minute uphill walk from Halifax bus station or 25 minutes from Halifax railway station. Buses run frequently; timetables are available from West Yorkshire Metro.
By car
Parking available
The Mereside car park (off the A58) is the main car park, about a 10-minute uphill walk from the Hall. The smaller Upper Car Park (off Shibden Hall Road) is a short walk down. The museum car park next to the Hall is for Blue Badge holders only. Charges are listed on the council website, and an annual parking permit is available.
- Accessible parking
Blue Badge parking is reached from Lister’s Road.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
A small tea room inside the Hall serves snacks and drinks. Mereside Café, a separate business by the lake, serves meals and drinks. The gift shop sells crafts and books, including titles on Anne Lister.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
Venue hire is offered through Calderdale Museums.
Inquiries & detailsPlan your visit
| Good to know | The Folk Museum is in the historic barn. |
|---|
