Blakesley Hall

Over het museum

Blakesley Hall is a timber-framed farmhouse built in 1590 by Richard Smalbroke, a member of a leading Yardley merchant family, at a time when Yardley still lay in Worcestershire. With its close studding, herringbone patterns and jettied upper storeys, it was designed to show off the owner's wealth and standing, and it is one of the oldest buildings in Birmingham. After 1685 it passed to the Greswolde family and was let as a tenant farm for about two centuries. It was bought in 1899 and restored, and later belonged to the Merry family, the last people to live there.

The hall became a museum in 1935, when it was used to tell the story of the medieval manors that make up Birmingham. It was badly damaged by a bomb in November 1941 and did not reopen until 1957. Wall paintings from 1590 in the painted chamber came to light after the bomb loosened the plaster. After research in the 1970s the rooms were returned to a period appearance and refurnished from an inventory of the contents taken in the 17th century.

The hall is run by Birmingham Museums Trust, and a visitor centre and car park were added in 2002. Visitors can see the Great Hall, the parlours, the kitchen, the Long Gallery and the painted chamber, and the grounds include a Tudor-style herb garden and an orchard.

Hoogtepunten

• Timber-framed Tudor house built in 1590
• Painted chamber with wall paintings rediscovered after bomb damage
• Great Hall, parlours and Long Gallery furnished from a 17th-century inventory
• Tudor-style herb garden and orchard, free to enter
• Family Room with dressing-up costumes, games and a puppet theatre

Vaste collectie

• The Building – The Tudor house itself, furnished from a 17th-century inventory to show how a wealthy family lived, with the painted chamber and the Long Gallery.
• The Gardens – A herb garden planted in the style of a Tudor household, an orchard and a quiet Silent Space, all free to enter.

Opgericht

1935

Beheerder

Birmingham Museums Trust

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

Standard admission is £8 for adults aged 16 and over, or £8.80 with a Gift Aid donation. Admission is charged to enter the hall; the gardens are free. Pre-booking is advised, but tickets can also be bought on arrival if available. Members of Birmingham Museums get free general admission. Visitors travelling by National Express bus or National Rail train can claim a discount on tickets. Outdoor Explorer Backpacks for the gardens can be hired for £3.50.

Toegankelijkheid

• Deels rolstoeltoegankelijk
• Lift: niet aanwezig
• Aangepast toilet
• Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats
• Hulphonden welkom
• Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten: geen informatie
• Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
• Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
• Audiodescriptie: geen informatie

The hall is not fully accessible. The visitor centre, with the shop, gallery and toilets, is on one level and has level access. The ground floor of the hall is on one level, with a small ramp to the historic kitchen, and includes the Great Hall, parlours, buttery, still room and kitchen. The floors above can only be reached by stairs, because a lift cannot be installed in the historic building. An accessible toilet and baby-changing facilities are in the visitor centre. The free car park has 2 spaces for Blue Badge holders and a grassy overflow area. Assistance dogs are welcome, display information is available in braille, some rooms have low lighting, and chairs can be provided on request. A 360-degree online tour shows all rooms and floors open to visitors.

Kinderen & gezin

Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen

• Gezinsrondleidingen & workshops
• Speurtocht, doeboekje of kinderaudiotour
• Doe- en voelstations
• Verschoonruimte
• Speeltuin / speelhoek

The Family Room has a dressing-up area with costumes from several periods, board games and puzzles, a soft seating area with books and a puppet theatre. The gardens have free garden games such as giant Jenga and skittles, and Outdoor Explorer Backpacks for ages 4 to 11 can be hired for £3.50. Pushchairs can be left in the porch at the owner's risk. Baby changing is in the visitor centre, and a microwave is available for warming bottles. Children under 3 are free. Family events run at weekends and in Birmingham school holidays.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

The hall is about 6 miles east of Birmingham city centre in Yardley; the entrance is off Blakesley Road (sat-nav postcode B25 8RN). From Stechford station, turn left, then right onto Station Road and walk about a mile before turning right onto Blakesley Road. Visitors travelling by National Express bus or National Rail train can claim a discount on tickets.

Service & horeca

• Café: niet aanwezig
• Restaurant: niet aanwezig
• Museumwinkel

The cafe is closed while the Trust reviews its catering, so there is currently no cafe. The shop is free to enter and sells gifts, books and souvenirs. There is a picnic area and bike racks.

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

• Ruimtes te huur
• Privéfeesten
• Zakelijke evenementen
• Bruiloften / trouwceremonies

Tot 100 personen.

The Gallery (up to 100 standing) and the Great Hall inside the house (up to 40) can be hired for meetings, parties and away days; civil ceremonies are offered, and the gardens are included free for hirers. Guided tours can be added.

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