Visiting the house at Lyme

View of the South Front of the house over the lake at Lyme Park, Cheshire | © National Trust Images/Annapurna Mellor

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.

House closed on Wednesdays

At this time of year, the house is closed every Wednesday to allow for conservation work.

Free Talks and Tours

Please note that these talks and tours are run by a dedicated team of volunteers and are subject to availiabilty.

Spotlght talks

Free | No need to book, just pop in to the chapel

Daily (except Wednesday). Check the times on the board in the courtyard

From a hunting lodge to a country house there's 600 years of history hidden at Lyme. Before you visit the house, why not introduce yourself to Lyme's story with this 20 minute spotlight talk led by a Lyme expert? Find out about the battle that changed the Legh's fortunes and why images of "severed arms" and ram's heads feature on the walls, ceilings and furniture in the house.

Behind the scenes tours

Free | Pick up a lanyard on the day from the Ticket Office at the house to claim your space

Check in with the Ticket Office for today's times

Take a tour downstairs, to the working areas of the Legh family's servants which are normally strictly behind the scenes. Step back in time to Lyme's 'golden era' at the turn of the 20th century and discover the lives and quarters of servants who worked here then.

Model of the Wyatt Redesign of the house at Lyme made from recycled copies of the Lyme Letters by Lady Newton | © Jan-Christof Telford

Lyme through the ages exhibition

From a medieval hunting lodge to the palladian inspired house you see today, discover how Lyme's house has changed and developed over time with a collection of bespoke models created by artist Jennifer Collier.

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.

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Visitors dressing up in period dress at Lyme, Cheshire | © Jan-Christof Telford

Regency Dressing Room

Free | 11am - 2pm |Each day (except Wednesday when the house is closed)

Whether you're 2 or 102, visit the dressing room to step back in time to Regency England. Become Mr. Darcy or Elizabeth Bennet and take a turn about the house and garden which served as Pemberley in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. With a range of size inclusive options from children to XXL women's and mens sizes, it's perfect for families, couples and groups of friends.

Mums help their son with a weaving activity in the house at Lyme, Cheshire | © National trust images / James Beck

House open Thursday - Tuesday

Lyme's house is closed on Wednesdays for conservation work.

Explore Indoors

Discover 600 years of history in the house at Lyme. Whether you're looking to see what stories you can uncover or escape a sudden downpour, we’ve got plenty of fun things to do inside with top indoor adventures for autumn rainy days.. From dressing up at little Leghs to playing billards in the Long Gallery, there's plenty of interactive fun indoors. Here's some ideas for your visit:

1) Dress up!

Visit the Dressing Room between 11am and 2pm to step back in time to Regency England and discover what life was like for the people that lived at Lyme. Suitable for the whole family with children's sizes, mens sizes from XS to XXL and from women's size 6 to size 24.

2) Pick up a free Animal spotter trail in the Entrance Hall

From Ram's heads to red dragons, there are dozens of animals to spot in Lyme's house in this new family trail for 2024. See how many you can find hidden on objects, walls and ceilings throughout the house. Pick up a free trail from the entrance hall to find out about Lyme's history and see how many you can spot!

3) Play billiards in the Long Gallery

Looking for a fun and relaxing activity for the whole family? Why not try your hand at billiards in the Long Gallery at Lyme? Billiards is a classic game of skill and strategy that can be enjoyed by players of all ages and abilities.

4) Play with toys of a bygone era in the Nursery Bedroom

Look and touch in the Nursery Bedroom and play with Victorian-style toys. Who will win at dominos or get the most balls in the cup?