Norton Priory Museum & Gardens

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Tudor Road, Manor Park, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 1SX

Tel: 01928 569895

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Come and discover a story which spans 900 years and uncover the site’s transition from St Augustinian priory, to mitred abbey and onto the family home of the Baronets of Norton.  Today, Norton Priory Museum and Gardens is recognised as Europe’s most excavated monastic site and is an accredited museum surrounded by 42 acres of woodland and the stunning 2.5 acre Georgian Walled Garden.

Uncover the site’s fascinating history in the two museum exhibition galleries, where you will find such treasures as a Gainsborough painting, a magnificent seventeenth century Flemish Collector’s cabinet and a recreation of the stunning cloister which was once a central feature of this remarkable space.  In the visitor centre’s atrium, meet the gigantic medieval sculpture of St. Christopher, a late fourteenth century statue of international significance and showing the skill of the craftsman who created it.  The same statue inspired author Lucy M. Boston, leading to the statue being prominently featured as a benign force in her ‘Green Knowe’ series of children’s books.

Step back in time as you enter the Victorian porch which leads through to what is considered the finest Norman arch in Cheshire, before entering the hush of the medieval undercroft.  Once used as store rooms for the monastic complex, and the later Georgian mansion, the largest of the spaces became the grand entrance to the Georgian mansion in 1868.  As the last remaining element of the priory still standing, this area includes a passageway which would have once formed an entrance for visitors into the priory.

Outside the excavated remains of the priory reveal themselves, tracing out the outline of the key structures that made up this site.  Further beyond lies the woodland, within which a series of paths will lead you to the stream glade, children’s play area, a summer house and onto the banking of the Bridgewater Canal.  During the summer season, the 2.5 acre Georgian Walled Garden reveals its hidden secrets to visitors through a series of ‘garden rooms’: a cottage garden, an orchard, a croquet lawn, a vegetable garden, a children’s garden and onto the magnificent Rose Walk.

Visit on a Sunday and experience ‘Discover Sundays’, a programme of additional activities for no additional cost.  Norton Priory Museum and Gardens has a packed event schedule, offering something for everyone, from outdoor theatre, to music concerts and from meditation sessions to traditional skills workshops… and much more! 

Norton Priory is family-friendly, with lots to entertain younger visitors, including dressing up, play houses in the Walled Garden, and a giant bell to ring in the woodland! They’re also dog-friendly, with dogs welcome in both museum galleries and the Walled Garden.  The only place dogs aren’t allowed is inside the café, but there is alternative seating outside and in the atrium, so there’s no reason not to bring your four-legged friend along with you!  There is free car parking on site as well, so there is no need to ‘clock-watch’ on a visit to Norton Priory; in fact they positively encourage you to take you time, wind down and relax as you uncover the stories and explore the spaces.

Book Tickets

Guide Prices

Adult - £10.50 / £9.50 if bought online in advance
Concession, child and family tickets also available. See website for more details.

Opening Times

2024 (1 Jan 2024 - 31 Dec 2024)
DayTimes
Monday - Tuesday10:00 - 17:00
Wednesday - ThursdayClosed
Friday - Sunday10:00 - 17:00

* Thursdays - Closed, except during school holidays. Check website for details.
Please note: site closes at 4pm in the winter months (November – March), during which time the Walled Garden is also closed.

Awards

  • Regional and MiscellaneousMC Small Visitor Attraction of the Year 2016 MC Small Visitor Attraction of the Year 2016 2016
  • Regional and MiscellaneousMC Small Visitor Attraction of the Year Award MC Small Visitor Attraction of the Year Award 2017
  • Regional and MiscellaneousMC Family Friendly Tourism Business of the Year - Highly Commended MC Family Friendly Tourism Business of the Year - Highly Commended 2017

Special Offers

  • Membership

    As a member you'll be helping for us care for Norton Priory Museum & Gardens for years to come, protecting and preserving everything you love about us.

    Our Norton Priory members get great value for money as they receive a whole host of benefits including:

    12 months free entry to Norton Priory Museum & Gardens during opening hours

    Free tickets or discounted entry for selected events

    10% discount in the Museum gift shop

    Regular e-newsletters to keep you up to date with Norton Priory news and events

    Discount in the Museum Brooke Café

    Membership lasts for twelve months and costs £30 for an individual, £55 for two adults and £60 for a family (this admits up to two adults and three children). Membership terms and conditions can be read and downloaded here .

    If you are a UK taxpayer, you can choose to Gift Aid your membership for free*. This means that we can reclaim 25% of the cost of the membership from the Government - helping your money go even further. For example, a Gift Aided adult membership costing £30.00 per year means that we will receive an extra £7.50, at no cost to you whatsoever.

    *You can only donate Gift Aid if you pay income or capital gains tax in the UK. Your donations will qualify as long as they're not more than 4 times what you have paid in tax in that tax year (6 April to 5 April).

    LOVE NORTON – JOIN NOW

    You can join online by using our online form. Please contact us following payment to arrange for your membership card. Alternatively, you can join at the museum reception on your next visit or phone 01928 569895 between 10am and 4pm. Full terms and conditions can be read and downloaded here .

    For more information:

    Norton Priory Museum & Gardens | Membership

     

    Memberships - redeem this special offer immediately

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  • Discover Sundays

    Our 'Discover Sundays' programme brings extra value to visits to Norton Priory Museum and Gardens on Sundays.  Activity will be included in the ticket price every Sunday, throughout 2023. 

    The activities will vary from week to week, and will include drama performances, workshops, craft sessions for children, tours, music performances and many more. 'Discover Sundays' have been made possible thanks to Arts Council England as part of Norton Priory joining the National Portfolio.

    If you want to make the most of your day out at Norton Priory Museum and Gardens, this is a great way to make for a truly special and memorable day.   Don't forget, our best ticket prices are online (sales end at 11:59pm the day before) and can be found by following the 'Buy Advance Tickets' link which you'll find at the top of most of the pages on this website.

    For really great value, why not consider an annual membership?  We've held our prices for memberships since 2016, so they are great value for money.  Adult memberships are £30 per person, Joint memberships (for 2 adults) are £55 and Family memberships (for 2 adults and up to 3 children) are £60.  Ask at reception for more information or check out the 'Membership' page on this website.  Members also receive a 10% discount in the museum shop and money off in the Brooke Cafe.

    Cheshire Attraction Deals - redeem this special offer immediately

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Directions

Road Directions

From M56, jct 11, turn for Warrington and follow brown Norton Priory signs. All other directions follow 'All other runcorn Traffic' and then the brown Norton Priory signs.

Located on Tudor Road. 

Public Transport Directions

Train- Transport for Wales to Runcorn East, Bus No. 2 to Norton Priory, 12-minute walk (0.6 mile)

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor Traveller Rating:

4.5 of 5 stars
    • Excellent
      266
    • Very Good
      70
    • Average
      19
    • Poor
      7
    • Terrible
      2

    Recent Reviews:

    • Coastal59022658221
      Warrington, United Kingdom
      Trip Type:
      Family
      Worth a visit
      4 of 5 stars
      Monday, 4th September 2023
      First time here and we will definitely return. They had lots to keep the children entertained and the receptionist was very informative about all of the activities going on/things to see. We visited... Read full review
    • Chris C
      Trip Type:
      Couples
      Well worth a visit
      5 of 5 stars
      Friday, 13th October 2023
      A fantastic museum and grounds with well laid out displays. The grounds are great to explore. The cafe is good and reasonably priced. Read full review
    • C9310GRrobl
      Great museum and cafe
      4 of 5 stars
      Thursday, 18th January 2024
      The museum is great and very interesting. The woodland and gardens are fantastic and great to explore. The priory is in absolute ruins but there is plenty in the exhibitions. Overall, the entry price... Read full review

    Facilities

    Other

    • Snowdrops found here

    Accessibility

    • Guide Dogs Permitted
    • Parking Areas for Disabled Visitors
    • Ramp / Level Access
    • Some Areas Accessible to Disabled Visitors 
    • Toilets for Disabled Visitors

    Attraction Facilities

    • All Weather Attraction

    Catering

    • On-Site café/restaurant
    • Picnic Site

    Parking & Transport

    • Parking (free)

    Payment Methods

    • Special group rates
    • TIC Staff Admitted Free

    Provider Facilities

    • Civil Weddings
    • Dogs Accepted
    • Event Venue
    • Toilets

    Provider Features

    • Marketing Cheshire Member
    • Outdoor Attraction

    Target Markets

    • Family Fun
    • Marketed Towards Children
    • Marketed Towards Families

    Tours and Demonstrations

    • Educational Visits Accepted
    • Guided Tours Available for Groups

    Travel & Trade

    • Group discounts available

    Contact Us

    Tel: 01928 569895

    Check availability for Norton Priory Museum & Gardens (opens in a new window)

    Tel: 01928 569895

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