Visit the mansion at Berrington Hall

The Marble Hall at Berrington Hall featuring grand marble pillars and substantial wooden doors. — The Marble Hall at Berrington Hall | © Andreas von Einsiedel

Built in 1778-81 for Thomas Harley, son of the 3rd Earl of Oxford, Berrington Hall is one of the few masterpieces of the architect Henry Holland's to survive intact. The mansion boasts a grand ionic portico, stunning interior paintwork and Holland’s most sophisticated experiment in space, light and colour – the Staircase Hall.

Winter opening in the mansion

On weekdays from Monday 4 November - Friday 14 February, the mansion at Berrington Hall will be open for guided tours only. Join our knowledgeable volunteers for a guided tour of select rooms in the mansion, learning more about the history of Berrington Hall and the families who lived here. Tours take place at 11am and 1pm and last approximately 45 minutes. No booking required. Ask for a ticket at Visitor Reception when you arrive. First come first served. *There will be no guided tours from Monday 11 - Friday 15 November, as the team will be busy setting up for Christmas. The mansion is open as normal on weekends.

Explore the rooms

We open as many rooms as possible but this does vary depending on conservation work and volunteer availability.

The bold red sandstone exterior highlights the delicacy of the neo-classical interior, which contains elegant chimney pieces, plasterwork and the Staircase Hall. This impressive staircase, with bronze balustrading is a Piranesian succession of sweeping arches beneath a great faceted dome.

The interiors are characteristic of Holland’s refined Louis XVI manner, many containing mythological references to the marriage of Harley’s daughter Anne to George, the eldest son of Admiral Rodney, one of the most distinguished naval commanders of the day. See if you can spot them.

An interior view of the top of the Staircase Hall at Berrington Hall, Herefordshire, which has tall pillars and decorative plasterwork on the ceiling. — The top of the Staircase Hall at Berrington Hall | © National Trust Images / Andreas von Einsiedel

The Dining Room, with its four impressive battle paintings, the Staircase Hall, with elegant domed skylight and the Drawing Room, is thought to have been used by the Red Cross nurses during the Second World War when Berrington was used as a Field Convalescent Hospital.

Explore the basement

The basement covers areas where the butler, footmen, housekeeper and maids worked, offering a sense of what working life was like for them during the Georgian period and beyond. These rooms are typically open during the Christmas period, but on occasion we are able to open the basements at other times of the year.

When we are able to open these additional rooms it's with the support of our fantastic team of house volunteers. Keep an eye on our event listings for any basement opening times or contact us in advance of your visit.

Two volunteers are inspecting some of the items on display at Berrington Hall, Herefordshire. — Volunteers at work at Berrington Hall, Herefordshire | © National Trust Images / Eleanor Dobson

The families who lived at Berrington

As you walk through the rooms, discover more about the people who lived here, including Thomas Harley, who was the original owner and creator. He commissioned Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown and Henry Holland to design Berrington and its surrounding landscape in around 1783.

The Rodney and Cawley families followed the Harleys as owners of Berrington; you’ll be able to see the victories of Admiral Lord Rodney through four battle paintings in the Dining Room and find out more about Vivienne, Lady Cawley, in the Back Hall, where she would sit and watch television in her later years.

Visit the exhibition

As you explore the ground and first floor of the mansion, with its elegant reception rooms, look out for the exhibition, 'A Dress Fit for a King' on the first floor. Discover the original and restored court mantua dress which belonged to Ann Harley in the 18th-century.

Kept in specially-created environmental conditions, the sections of the dress that were recovered were restored and pieced back together. See the dress in its entirety and discover more about the story of Ann.

Accessibility

We’re passionate about giving all our visitors the very best experience so we have began introducing measures to ensure everyone can make the most of their visit to Berrington Hall.

Large print guides and braille guides are available in the house and access maps can be picked up from visitor reception. Please speak to a member of staff or volunteer if you would like to know more about these options.

The mansion is only accessible via 12 steep stone steps at the entrance. If you or someone in your party has limited mobility, we have installed a 360° interactive virtual tour in the stables. This tour shows all areas of the building and includes videos of our staff and volunteers who will tell you more about the building’s history. Please speak to a member of staff or volunteer if you would like to know more about our virtual tours.

To find out more or to book virtual tour session, please call 01568 615721. Visit the access section on our homepage for more information about accessibility across the site.