It seems a lifetime ago since we took my Father in Law to Middleton Hall for Fathers Day last year. We had lunch in the courtyard coffee shop be exploring the hall and gardens.

The history of the hall spans over 1000 years:

Our history spans over 1,000 years so this means that we have a lot of stories to tell. Over the centuries the Hall has grown and changed as have the people that have called this place home. During your visit you will meet the commander of the Norman cavalry at the Battle of Hastings; a Medieval Lord who escaped a prison sentence; a Tudor explorer who died whilst trying to find a North-East passage to China; our two famous seventeenth-century naturalists; A Duchess renowned for her love of music and of course our team of volunteers who have spent the last 40 years restoring and caring for our Hall. The buildings themselves tell their own fascinating story, of construction styles from the Medieval through to the Georgian period and therefore changes in the methods and materials used.

Our eighteenth-century Walled Garden boasts original heated walls which are amongst the oldest of their kind date from the eighteenth-century and also an original bothy. The Georgian bed design is planted full of flowers loved by pollinators over the summer months. Within the walls is also our herb garden, dedicated to our two famous naturalists John Ray and Francis Willughby and our working Smithy. Our gardens also contain a heritage orchard, short lakeside walk through seasonal displays of snowdrops, daffodils and bluebells, and our West Lawn upon which you can while away the hours playing croquet.