Visiting the house at Lyme

An art installation of a 7ft green Christmas tree made of paper with a deer face and horns. — See the animals take over the house this Christmas at Lyme | © Chris Doyle

Like many great houses, Lyme was built and rebuilt, embellished and enlarged throughout its ownership by the Legh family, with each generation making its mark and creating the house we see today. Explore the many rooms of the house and discover unusual objects and strange secrets as you walk through six centuries of family history at Lyme in Cheshire.

Christmas in the house

The house looks a little different at time of year, beautifully decorated for Christmas with an art installation of magnificent and unusual beasts celebrating winter traditions by Sophie Tyrrell. The house will then close for conservation works, re-opening in February.

Christmas at Lyme

29 November to 24 December | 11am - 3pm

Animal Crackers is back! Explore Lyme’s beautifully decorated house, now taken over by magnificent and unusual beasts created by artist Sophie Tyrrell.

Celebrate the handmade, joy in the imperfect and laugh, play and sing together as you make Christmas memories.

Find out about Christmas

Collection items to look out for

Over 600 years, Lyme has acquired all kinds of unusual objects and strange secrets so you're bound to notice hidden details on every visit. Here are some highlights from the collection.

The Sarum Missal at Lyme showing the initials of William Caxton who produced the book in 1487 in conjunction with the printer Guillame Maynyal in Paris. — The Sarum Missal is the only surviving, largely intact, book of its kind. | © National Trust Images/Paul Harris

The Sarum Missal in the Saloon

The Sarum Missal at Lyme is the only surviving, largely intact, book of its kind. Printed by William Caxton in Paris 1487, the book is unique in having belonged to one family for over five centuries and represents the changing religious views of the country during that period. The Sarum Missal can be found in the Library.

Discover the most important printed book in the National Trust

Lyme has the finest clock collection in the National Trust | © Andreas von Einsiedel

Clock collection in the State Bedroom

The collection at Lyme is so large that the majority of the older clocks are displayed in the State Bedroom and Dressing Room. Take a closer look at the intricate inner workings and find out more about their individual histories. In this room you’ll find the Fromanteel clock. Dating from 1658, this timepiece is thought to be from the first ever batch of pendulum clocks made in England. It is likely to be the oldest surviving pendulum clock in the entire country.

The Erard Harp in the Drawing Room

This beautiful golden harp was bought by Thomas Legh in 1829, a year after his marriage to the young heiress Ellen Turner. However their relationship was to be tragically short-lived, as she died in 1831. After this, Thomas went back to travelling the world, and it would be 12 years before he settled back at Lyme again.

Greek stele in Library at Lyme Park. Dating from the 5th century, it depicts an actor or poet holding masks of the tragic and comic muses. — Discover explorer Thomas Legh’s most important archaeological find in the Library | © Andreas von Einsiedel

Greek Stele in the Library

Discover explorer Thomas Legh’s most important archaeological finds. He discovered these marble sculptures in Athens in 1812 and asked Lewis Wyatt to incorporate them into the design for the new library at Lyme. Thomas displayed his most treasured objects here to showcase the ancient culture he had witnessed and admired.

1 of 4

Visitors admiring the collections at Lyme, Cheshire

Lyme Park's collections

Explore the objects and works of art we care for at Lyme Park on the National Trust Collections website.

Search the collections

Inspiring, leading and resourcing the UK’s heritage to create positive and lasting change for people and communities, now and in the future.

Visit website

Family walking at Fell Foot in winter, Cumbria

Article

A family-friendly day out at Lyme

From running, skipping and jumping around Crow Wood play area and dressing up in period costume inside the house, to spotting red deer in the park, there’s something for everyone at Lyme.

Looking at the Lyme Missal during Filming the Secrets of the National Trust with Alan Titchmarsh at Lyme, Cheshire

Article

The Sarum Missal at Lyme

Find out more about the fascinating Lyme Missal, deemed the most important printed book in the National Trust's care.

Lyme Hall reflected in the wintery Lake at Lyme, Cheshire

Article

Explore the garden at Lyme

Explore all the different areas of the garden at Lyme. This Autumn appreciate the changing colours of the garden with the wild moors and parkland beyond.