History
& Heritage in North West England

During Tudor & Elizabethan Times

Near Congleton, Cheshire CW12 4SD. Tel: 01260 272
018
A National Trust Property, Little Moreton Hall is considered to be
the most perfect example of a timber-framed moated country house in
Great Britain. Begun in the 15th century, it has a central cobbled
courtyard, a long wainscoted gallery, a chapel and a great hall –
all very fine examples of their kind.
The formal knot garden is of particular interest, and a good example
of 17th century garden layout. Early varieties of herbs and vegetables
are still grown there. The moat has a profusion of large Koi Carp
and Goldfish, and the property has commanding views of the surrounding
Cheshire countryside, with the hill of Mow Cop about 3 miles west,
and a footpath to the picturesque Macclesfield Canal about 1 mile
away.

Location
Little Moreton Hall lies 100 yards off
the main A34 Alderley Edge to Congleton Road about half a mile north
of Scholar Green.
Opening
From 1st April to 30th September, Wednesday-Sunday
12noon-5.30pm; October : Saturday & Sunday, 12noon to dusk. Bank Holiday
Mondays 11.00am-5.30pm, closed Good Fridays. Other times by prior
arrangement. Optional free guided tours in the afternoon. Times may
change – please check before setting off.
Prices
Admission charge applicable, with discounted
family tickets. There is also a car parking charge which is refundable
on entry to House (National Trust members free). For current prices,
please check by phone before setting out.
Facilities
Wheelchair access to ground floor and
gardens. Lunches and teas served, Braille & large print guides, WCs,
gift shop, baby changing and high chairs. Schoolroom available by
arrangement. Educational resource pack available. Dogs in car park
only. Chapel each Sunday afternoon – phone for times.

Haddon
Hall

Near Bakewell, Derbyshire DE45 1LA
Tel: 01629-812855 Fax: 01629-814379. Website: www.haddonhall.co.uk

Haddon Hall. Aerial Photo Courtesy of www.webbaviation.co.uk
© 2008

Member of the Historic Houses Association. Haddon
Hall is one of Britain’s last remaining 12th century fortified manor
houses still in a more-or-less fully preserved and unspoiled condition.
The ancestral home of the Dukes of Rutland, the Hall is strategically
placed on a limestone outcrop; its wooded hill overlooks the River Wye
and was ideal for ultimate defence. The approach to the hall is via
the 16th century stone bridge over the river. An inhabited dwelling
has existed on the present site since well before the Domesday Survey
of 1087, and successive generations of the Peverel, Avenel, Vernon and
Manners families have lived there with unbroken residence until the
late 19th century when it was abandoned, needing a great deal of maintenance.
The 9th Duke returned in the early part of the 20th century and devoted
his life to its careful restoration. Over the years, many new parts
were added, and building as it stands represents around 500 years of
architectural history. Then original land was granted by William the
Conqueror to William Peverel, his illegitimate son who held it at the
time of Domesday. None of that original building remains. Present buildings
date from 1170. Haddon Hall still has virtually intact apartments, including
the kitchens, pantry and buttery, the Banqueting Hall, bedrooms, the
Long Gallery, the Chapel, and the Great Chamber. The cottage adjoining
the stable block has a beautiful walled garden with topiary work of
shaped yews in the form of a boars head and a peacock representing the
respective crests of the Vernon and Manners families. There are guided
tours around the Hall, which are well worth taking. The property is
noted for its tapestries and woodcarvings. The gardens, through which
the visitor exits from the house tour, are noted for their many varieties
of rose, and for its many old fashioned flowers and herbs. A small museum
on site displays artefacts from the old building – coins, combs and
other small domestic objects.

Location
About 2 miles south of Bakewell, well signposted
on the A6 Buxton-Matlock road. From Manchester, follow the A6 road via
Stockport, Hazel Grove, Disley, New Mills and Buxton. From Buxton follow
signs to Matlock, and as you approach Bakewell, Haddon Hall is well
signposted. Travel time is about 1½ hours, though Hazel Grove
and Bakewell can become very congested at peak holiday times, and it
can take considerably longer.
Opening
April: Saturday to Monday. Easter: Good Friday
– Tuesday. May to September open daily
October open Saturday to Monday. Phone for exact opening times which
are always liable to change.
Prices
There is an admission charge payable, with discounts
for concessions, children, family tickets and groups by prior arrangement.
Please phone to check current prices.
Schools
Special prices for educational visits with one
adult free with every 10 children.
Costume room £25.00 (per 20 children). Check for other prices.
Free copy of resource pack on confirmation of booking.
Car Parking:

There is a charge per car – check prices before setting out.
Disabled Visitors
We welcome all visitors, but please note that
access for visitors with disabilities and wheelchair users is very restricted.
Please telephone in advance for further information. No dogs permitted
other than assistance dogs.
Facilities
Refreshments – morning coffee, lunches and afternoon
teas in the Stables Restaurant specialising in “home-made” produce and
local delicacies, with full meals and snacks available throughout opening
hours. Toilets. An attended car park (small parking charge) is available
outside the property across the busy A6 road. Banqueting facilities
by appointment, Clay pigeon shooting. The house is virtually impossible
for access by disabled persons, and the elderly or people with walking
difficulties are warned that the Hall is difficult with steep stairs,
rough cobbles and worn and uneven stone floors.

Sources: See Bibliography
– Books about Manchester

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