Discover more in Cheshire and Greater Manchester
Great houses and glorious gardens, moorland landscapes and medieval deer parks around Cheshire and Greater Manchester.
Houses and buildings in Cheshire and Greater Manchester
From grand mansions with opulent state rooms to a restored working mill, there is something for everyone to discover in the houses and buildings around Cheshire and Greater Manchester.
Houses and buildings open for Christmas
Many of the places we care for in the North West are alive with Christmas colour, glistening trees and festive decorations over December. Step inside to experience the historic houses in new ways.
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Lyme
Animal Crackers returns for its second year. Step inside the house to find a menagerie of magnificent and unusual beasts exploring winter traditions. Join in with interactive fun for all the family: monkey around as you learn to wassail, sing carols with the birds, and join the Lord of Misrule for a festive feast.
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Dunham Massey
Dunham Massey’s house will be open by booking only on weekends this December. Inside hidden rooms, ‘The Winder Wanderer’s Wonderful Feast’ is an immersive experience for families, filled with puppetry, music and laughter.
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Speke Hall
Step inside a decorated Tudor house and enter a magical retelling of the Twelve Days of Christmas. Marvel at fresh garlands, twinkling trees and the joy that music brings as you spot the Partridge in a Yew Tree and wonder at our Lords a ‘Leaping.
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Little Moreton Hall
Discover the unique Tudor house like never before as you travel through Christmas past, without the need for a time machine. Escape to the higgledy-piggledy, hearty hospitality of the hall. Wrap up warm, bring some festive cheer and create a new Christmas tradition at Little Moreton Hall.
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Quarry Bank
Inside the Apprentice House and Quarry Bank House this Christmas you’ll meet guides dressed in festive outfits. Inside the Mill, you families with young ones can track down mischievous mice as they make their final preparations for Christmas.
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Rufford Old Hall
Explore rooms decorated in festive splendour, exactly as it would have been during Victorian times. Follow a Christmas themed trail around the house to help you get in the festive mood, and look out for beautifully decorated Christmas trees around the house and courtyard.
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Tatton Park
Journey to Oz inside the mansion at Tatton Park this winter. Get swept away on a magical adventure through the iconic scenes of the Wizard of Oz, brought to life within the grandeur of the historic mansion – all adorned with festive decorations.
Houses and buildings to visit in Cheshire and Greater Manchester
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Quarry Bank
Step inside the mill which led the way into the Industrial Revolution and experience the machines in action. Visit the homes of mill owner and worker to see what life here was like.
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Lyme
Step inside the house and discover unusual objects and strange secrets as you walk through six centuries of family history at Lyme in Cheshire.
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Dunham Massey
Explore the Georgian house at Dunham Massey, see the extensive collection, and uncover the stories of those who lived and worked here.
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Little Moreton Hall
While modern life rushes by outside, Little Moreton Hall, encircled by a moat, survives as a Tudor fantasy, transporting you back to another time.
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Tatton Park
Explore the mansion at Tatton Park, a National Trust property cared for by Cheshire East Council. Discover its opulent state rooms, vast collection and complete servants’ quarters.
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Nether Alderley Mill
Concealed under the long sloping roof of this medieval building is a fully restored, working corn mill.
Top collection items to see
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The Sarum Missal at Lyme
You can see one of the most important books in the National Trust’s care in the Library at Lyme. The Missal, dating back to 1487, provides a fascinating insight into religious practices in England. Pen-and-ink annotations and additions show how the Legh family reacted to the Reformation.
Little Parlour wall paintings
Wall paintings dating back to the 16th century were discovered behind panelling at Little Moreton Hall in 1976. The paper border tells the biblical story of Susanna and the Elders and show how the Moreton's responded to religious change. The paintings are set for conservation work in 2025.
Ceremonial Ethiopian shield
This highly decorated ceremonial shield was gifted to Roger Grey, 10th Earl of Stamford, by the Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen, son of His Majesty Haile Selassie. Grey invited the men to Dunham Massey after their exile from Abyssinia and remained friends ever since.
Indenture of a child worker
Children were a central part to the early successes of mills and made up a large percentage of the workforce. This indenture from 1795 tells the story of children as young as eight who were handed over by their parents or the Workhouse to work in the mills. This item is part of a collection of around 60 indentures held at Quarry Bank.
Houses to explore further afield
Houses and buildings in Liverpool and Lancashire
From the Elizabethan architecture of Gawthorpe Hall to the homes that were the birthplace of the Beatles, there's plenty to discover inside the buildings we look after in Liverpool and Lancashire.
Houses and buildings in the Lake District
Alongside its natural outdoor wonders the Lake District also has many inspiring houses and buildings to visit, from the impressive Allan Bank where Wordsworth once lived, to the former farmhouse of Beatrix Potter.
Houses and buildings in Yorkshire
Discover Yorkshire's history with visits to the grand halls of Nostell, Beningbrough and Nunnington, while the ruins of Fountains Abbey will give you a different perspective.
Houses and buildings in Wales
Explore magnificent Welsh mansions and their collections, from ancestral homes to buildings designed by renowned architects. Discover the history and tales from bygone days, in breath-taking settings across Wales.