Logo

Home

The City of
Chester

Historic Buildings
Ecclesiastical
Buildings

Gardens
Visitor Attractions
Landscape
Villages and
Towns

Prehistoric Sites
Walks

Map & satellite


Services

Contact
Links


Arley Hall



Arley Hall and Gardens, winner of 'Small Visitor Attraction of the Year' at the 2006 Northwest Tourism Awards, is situated near the village of Great Budworth. The Arley estate has been held by the Warburton family since the end of the twelfth century. In 1469 Piers Warburton moved his principal seat from Warburton to Arley, and built the first house to occupy the site.

Arley Hall

The present Hall, a Victorian country house built in the Elizabethan style, was designed by George Atham and boasts fine panelling and plasterwork, intricate stained glass, a magnificent library and historic furniture, pictures and porcelain.

The large medieval cruck barn, beyond the Stable Yard, dates from 1471 and was built from huge English oaks. The cruckbarn is known as The Ride since it housed an indoor riding school in the 19th century. The clock tower which surmounts it is a 19th century addition.

The Cruck Barn at Arley

Cruck barn, Arley Hall

The gardens, which cover eight acres, are amongst the finest in the country. Features include the superb double herbaceous border laid out in 1846, the pleached lime avenue at the front of the house, which was planted in the 1850s, the giant cylinders of Quercus Ilex, topiary, collections of shrub roses, rhododendrons and azaleas and well established arboretum. Arley Hall Gardens were voted one of the top 50 gardens in Europe by 'The Independent'.

Gift Shop, Tudor Barn Restaurant and Plant Nursery. Events include horse trials, garden festival, antiques and craft fairs, concerts and art exhibitions.

Arley Hall Gardens

Stockley Farm, part of the Arley estate, is an additional visitor attraction for children and families.