Arley Hall & Gardens

About Us

Arley Hall & Gardens is one of the most interesting and attractive stately homes in the North West. 

The Gardens, which are amongst the finest in Britain, are outstanding for their vitality, variety and historical interest and are particularly celebrated for the magnificent double herbaceous border. The Hall is an impressive example of a Victorian country house built in the Elizabethan style.

The Gardener’s Kitchen café is open for meals or just delicious tea and cake.

Hall

Arley Hall is one of the most interesting and attractive stately homes in the North West. The elaborate ceilings & oak panelling, impressive fireplaces, intricate stained glass and beautiful contents are features which make Arley Hall so special. Shows the history of a family that has cherished Arley as their home for over 500 years.

The present Hall stands on the same site as the first Hall built by the family 1469. The Hall standing was built between 1832 and 1845 by Rowland Egerton-Warburon to the design of George Latham, a Nantwich architect.

In the Dining Room the doorways and panelling were designed by Latham as were the fine ceilings.

In the Library the bookcases and chimney piece were all made in London by H Wood & Company of Covent Garden in 1843 at a cost of £520. The Gallery was the principal sitting room of a house in the nineteenth century.

The Small Dining Room has a barrel-shaped ceiling and is one of the architect’s happiest designs. It combines successfully the warm panelling and the cleverly contrived door to the garden. The virginal by Stephen Keene, 1675 is one of the oldest surviving English keyboard instruments.

The Grand Staircase and doorways are made from fine oak with the elaborate strapwork and panelled pasterwork are a marvellous evocation of the grandest Elizabethan staircases.

The Emporer’s Room is so called because it was the bedroom of Napoleon III in the winter of 1847-48.
 

Garden

Amongst the finest in Europe the Gardens have been created over the last 250 years by successive generations of the same family. They offer an unusual blend of long history and traditional design with inspired modern ideas and additions. The result is a garden rich in atmosphere, interest and vitality.

The Herbaceous Border is its best know feature which is thought to be the first border of its kind planted in England. This along with the unique Quercus Ilex Columns, Pleached Lime Avenue of trees and the furlong walk make this simply the most amazing and interesting garden.

Within its eight acres of formal garden, which can take you several hours to meander around, there are many different areas, each with its own distinctive character. On the NE side of the house, beyond the Chapel is The Grove, a well established arboretum and a Woodland Walk of about 6 or 7 acre. The Grove has a pathway approx 1/3rd of a mile long and it will take you approx 30 minutes to walk around depending on your pace and interest in the planting, while the Woodland Walk is approx 1/5th of a mile long and will take you approx 15 minutes to walk, once again depending on your pace.

At Arley you will see a huge range of plants of all kinds, making it a treasure trove both for the keen plantsman and for the less specialised visitor.

Families

A great day out for families. If you are looking for a great family day out look no further than Arley as there is plenty to keep the kids busy for hours.

All dogs are welcome on a lead!

If it is outdoor fun and games you are searching for then head for our Adventure Play Zone (suitable for children up to the age of 10).

Children will enjoy zooming along the zip wire, building castles in the sandpit or flying on the swings and down the slides.

For those who want to let their imaginations run wild there is a willow dome that in a child’s mind can become the perfect den in the woods.

For those wanting to build their own, there are enough branches to do just that.

After playtime there’s our picnic area that is perfect for lunch or simply a place for everyone to catch their breaths.

The fun doesn’t stop there, however, as families will enjoy a walk around The Grove – the more informal part of our gardens.

There’s also plenty of space for ball games so bring one along to extend the hours of fun.

Secret Garden Is Just Magic, the gardens themselves are full of twists and turns and no doubt our tea cottage will look more like something out of a fairytale to the children.

There are lots of secrets to uncover, and hours of outdoor fun for everyone.

Filming

Arley Hall, the Gardens and the Estate has been used as a location for a wide variety of filming from news stories on BBC Breakfast News to Disney productions.

Among some of the productions filmed at Arley have been the BBC’s Peaky Blinders, Antiques Road Show, Body Farm, Great British Garden Revival, Songs of Praise, Our Zoo and we have been the link setting for Inside Out North West several times. ITV’s Coronation Street, Cold Feet, The Voice, Tonight with Trevor McDonald, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Cold Blood, The Forsythe Saga, Midwinter of the Spirit and Britannia High. Channel 4’s Hollyoaks and of course our involvment with Disney UK for Evermoor. Additionally we have also been the venue for the Manchester United Football Clubs Christmas message and CBBC’s Mr Tumble, Who Let The Dogs Out and Marrying Mum & Dad!