Doddington Hall

Over het museum

Doddington Hall was built between 1595 and 1600 for Thomas Tailor, Registrar to the Bishop of Lincoln, who chose a site within sight of Lincoln Cathedral. Experts regard it as a fine late work in the manner of the architect Robert Smythson, although no document proves his authorship. Instead of the inward-facing courtyards of Tudor houses, it has a symmetrical plan with large windows that look out over the countryside. The outside of the house has changed very little since 1600.

The hall has never been sold and has passed through the female line five times, from the Tailor family to the Husseys, the Delavals, the Gunmans and the Jarvis family. John Hussey Delaval redecorated the interior in the 1760s, and much of that scheme survives, together with many of the best paintings and furniture. Soldiers and sailors in the families left a collection of weapons dating from the English Civil War to the present. After the Second World War the house was in poor repair; grants paid for a new roof, and it has been open to the public since 1954.

Since 2006 the estate has been run by Claire and James Birch. The walled Elizabethan gardens, the Kitchen Garden and the National Plant Collection of Tall Bearded Irises are part of the visit. The hall's collections include Flemish tapestries of the seventeenth century, paintings including a large work by Joshua Reynolds, the MC Tsen military uniform collection and a collection of English farm wagons. Since 2021 the Wilder Doddington project has been returning surrounding farmland to a more natural state.

Hoogtepunten

• Elizabethan house of about 1600, never sold and still a family home
• Seventeenth-century Flemish tapestries in three bedrooms
• Long Gallery with a large painting by Joshua Reynolds
• MC Tsen military uniform collection
• Collection of English farm wagons in the Stable Yard
• Walled gardens with the National Plant Collection of Tall Bearded Irises

Vaste collectie

• Doddington Hall – A late Elizabethan house with eighteenth-century interiors, tapestry bedrooms, paintings and furniture, shown on a timed-entry visit.
• Collections – Collections of Flemish tapestries, paintings, military uniforms and English farm wagons kept at the hall and in the Stable Yard.

Opgericht

1954

Beheerder

Doddington Hall (Birch family)

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

Prices are those published for the 2026 season. A hall ticket includes the gardens. Historic Houses members enter the hall and gardens free; Art Fund members get 50% off the hall and gardens ticket, CPRE members 2-for-1 on that ticket, RHS members free garden entry and Gardeners' World cardholders 2-for-1 garden entry. Season tickets give unlimited admission for 12 months. The farm shop, cafés and estate walks can be visited without paying admission.

Toegankelijkheid

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

A ramp gives manual wheelchairs access to the ground floor of the hall; the upper two floors are not wheelchair accessible, and electric wheelchairs and scooters cannot be used inside. A virtual tour of the upper floors with audio and text is shown on the ground floor. Most of the gardens can be reached by wheelchair, but many paths are grass or gravel and are harder in wet weather; a free map of step-free routes is available from the Gatehouse. Accessible toilets are in the gardens, the Farm Shop Café courtyard, the Grain Store Café and the Coach House. Blue Badge spaces are outside the Gatehouse and the Farm Shop. Sensory tours of the hall and gardens with tactile drawings and plans can be booked, with a volunteer companion if needed. Assistance dogs are welcome throughout the estate.

Kinderen & gezin

Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen

• Gezinsrondleidingen & workshops
• Kinderwagenvriendelijk: niet aanwezig

The estate promotes itself as a family day out, with nature walks and cycling, estate trails, family activities in the Wilder Doddington programme and children's tickets for ages 4 to 16. The hall is not suitable for pushchairs because of the stairs, and pushchairs should be left at the front desk.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

Doddington Hall is 5 miles west of Lincoln on the B1190 and is signposted from the A46 and A57. Cyclists can use the Georgie Twigg Cycle Track from Lincoln, which joins National Cycle Network Route 64; the track is on Kennel Lane opposite the hall.

Service & horeca

• Café
• Restaurant
• Museumwinkel

Grain Store Café, Grain Store Restaurant and Bar, Farm Shop Café and afternoon tea in the tearoom; the Farm Shop, a home and clothing shop and a bike shop are on the estate. Dogs on leads are welcome on the estate trails, downstairs in the Grain Store Café and in the Farm Shop Café courtyard.

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

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

Weddings, Christmas parties and corporate events are held on the estate.

Je bezoek plannen