Things to see and do at Benthall Hall

A view of a small wooden hut surrounded by trees in the garden at Benthall Hall — A wooden hut in the garden at Benthall Hall | © National Trust Images/P J Howsam

Benthall may be a small estate, but it’s packed full of things to do. As well as guided tours around the house you can stroll around the gardens or walk through the park and woods. Here’s what you can see and do at Benthall Hall.

Visit the house

The house is still tenanted by the Benthall family today, and they can trace their lineage back to the Saxon period on this site.

Inside the house you can discover more about the family, how their family line lost the estate, only to return home years later. You'll also find out about the impact of the tenants on the estate during this interim period.

Things to look out for indoors

There’s a number of interesting features to see in the house, including the staircase, wood panelling and plaster ceilings.

The flagstone floor in the Entrance Hall was replaced in 1859 with locally made tiles with designs inspired by medieval heraldic patterns. These were manufactured by Maw and Co. of Jackfield when the house was occupied by brothers George and Arthur Maw, who ran the tile works.

The tiles were covered by the present oak floor in 1918, but it’s still possible to view the colourful Maw tiles through a trap door.

Visitors talking to a room guide who is pointing at an artwork above a bookshelf at Benthall Hall — Visitors exploring Benthall Hall | © National Trust Images/James Dobson

Explore the garden

Benthall's 19th-century garden was planted by George Maw, a passionate bulb collector and breeder. Based on his collection of over 3,000 plant species, Maw published 'A Monograph of the Genus Crocus' in 1886. The book is illustrated by his own watercolours and brings together 10 years of research gathered from his plant collecting expeditions around the world.

The neighbouring church, St Bartholomew’s, has recently been acquired by the National Trust. This is an interesting and unusual building to explore, as it was rebuilt during the Restoration period after the original church was destroyed during the Civil War.

Visitors exploring Benthall Hall, Shropshire. This fine stone house is situated on a plateau above the gorge of the River Severn. — Visitors exploring Benthall Hall | © National Trust/James Dobson

Park and woodland walks

Out in the wider landscape, there are some lovely walks around the park and woodland. You can even walk to Ironbridge and back if you don’t mind a bit of a slope.

Through the trees spy great views towards the Ironbridge Gorge and across to the Long Mynd. Look out for large flocks of migratory birds and sightings of deer.