Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: visit (13) lovely (12) Hall (12) house (11) volunteers (11) Clayton (10) friendly (9) open (8) room (8) Chetham (8)
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  • 5/5 Abby S. 6 months ago on Google • 7 reviews
    Lovely little house to explore with lots of things you can actually pick up and look through. The cafe is nice and very affordable. Good cake!
    5 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Mark K. 5 years ago on Google • 61 reviews
    What a beautiful (history rich) quaint place with dedicated knowledgeable staff providing interesting tours of its past. The building is truly lovely set within a surrounding moat, which unfortunately is now dry. The staff run a little cafe that serves tasty soups, sandwiches, bacon butties and a variety of cakes, oh and not to forget the usual teas, coffees and hot chocolate drinks. Additionally in the house area the staff members encourage children to dress up in period costumes and experience first hand what is was like to live and work within the buildings periodic heyday. Well worth a trip, plus please join their Facebook site for further details on upcoming events.
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Chris D. 4 years ago on Google • 260 reviews
    Interesting Victorian interior run by friendly volunteers. The cafe' is a bonus with home made food.

  • 5/5 Frankie H. 1 year ago on Google • 54 reviews
    Highly recommend this little gem! Myself, my mother & my grandmother visited for afternoon tea, the food was delicious and home-made, beautiful scenery & building along with friendly people who make the experience what it is! We really enjoyed every minute and can not wait to visit again soon for some of the open days, history and more events! 🥰💕
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 johnny m. 5 years ago on Google • 215 reviews
    The volunteers are so passionate and informative. The fact that children could dress up in period clothes and learn what it used to be like working in a household was great.

  • 5/5 Joanne O. 1 year ago on Google
    Myself and my sisters took our mum here on Saturday, we had a lovely couple of hours and brought back some old memories for our mum from her school years 80 years ago. We met Walter who was so kind showing us round, and all members of the staff were very knowledgeable, not to mention the homemade cakes in the cafe. Highly recommend a visit. Thankyou.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Julie W. 1 year ago on Google
    Just had a really good Afternoon tea here. All home made , bottomless drink choice of teas or coffee , excellent service all volunteers a real gem . Sadly not open all the time and booking essential but well worth it
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Julie P. 1 year ago on Google • 96 reviews
    Such a lovely place to visit. So many beautiful items in every room, many of which we were told had been donated. Each room set out beautifully. Lovely staff, making you feel very welcome and with lots of knowledge on Clayton Hall also. Lovely tea room too. Well worth a visit!!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Chris G. 5 months ago on Google • 131 reviews
    Fascinating jewel in the Clayton landscape

  • 5/5 Andrew B. 1 month ago on Google • 116 reviews New
    What a hiddem gem. Volunteers were brilliant and keen. Great opportunites to see what a grand house was like over 100 years ago and for children (small or grown up) to dress up. Cafe was very reasonably priced and we had some home made cakes. Only open first and third Saturday of the month.

  • 5/5 Bexxy N. 1 year ago on Google • 13 reviews
    Really enjoyed the Halloween event held here yesterday! Me and the kids had some much fun! Lots of things to do so well worth the small cost at the entrance. Looking forward to the Christmas event they have in December!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Francesca G. 1 month ago on Google • 10 reviews New
    I had never heard of Clayton Hall, until it was mentioned by our tour guide at Cheetham's Library as the house Humphrey Cheetham lived at. So once I realised it was right by the tram stop, I headed over on the next open day. And what a lovely little gem of a place. The rooms are really nicely propped and set up to take you back in time and the guides / volunteers are ready to share info / answer questions and tell you snippets of facts about each room. We arrived in time for a talk about the building and its owners, which was really fascinating and gives you lots of insights into the place and its history. We had sandwiches / cakes (homemade and delicious) and cups of tea in the cafe with really friendly, chatty staff. We didn't go with children, but there were lots of families there with little ones - it's brilliant as they can touch, pick up, play, dress up, sit, and interact with the furniture and items so keeps them entertained! Absolutely brilliant work being done by the volunteers. Highly recommend a visit on the next open day!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Stace Nelson (. 1 year ago on Google
    The volunteers here were very friendly and very informative. Wonderful experience!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 hebbe w. 2 years ago on Google
    Clayton Hall is a 15th-century manor house on Ashton New Road, in Clayton, Manchester, England. It is hidden behind trees in a small park. The hall is a Grade II* listed building, the mound on which it is built is a scheduled ancient monument, and a rare example of a medieval moated site (grid reference SJ88099857). The hall is surrounded by a moat, making an island 66 m by 74 m. Alterations were made to the hall in the 16th and 17th centuries, and it was enlarged in the 18th century. The building has Georgian and Tudor sections which form the remaining western wing of a once larger complex. The hall is reached across the moat over a listed stone bridge, thought to be dated around the late 17th Century. The oldest section of the remaining wing of Clayton Hall was built in the 15th century on the site of a 12th-century house built for the Clayton family. When Cecilia Clayton married Robert de Byron in 1194 it passed to the Byron family, of which poet Lord Byron was a later member. The Byrons lived there for more than 400 years until they sold it for £4,700 in 1620 to London merchants, George and Humphrey Chetham, who originated from Manchester. George Chetham died in 1625, leaving his share to his brother Humphrey Chetham, who later died at the Hall in 1653. Ownership then passed to his nephew, George Chetham, son of his brother James and part of Humphrey's legacy was used by his family to found Chethams School and Library in the centre of Manchester, close to the Cathedral. This had long been a dream of Humphrey's, as depicted in one of artist, Ford Madox Brown's, Manchester Murals which are held in the Great Hall of Manchester Town Hall. George Chetham was High Sheriff in 1660 and died in 1664. In 1666 James Chetham had 18 hearths liable for hearth tax, making it the largest house in the area. Clayton Hall then passed to Edward Chetham, and from him to his sister Alice, who had married Adam Bland. Their daughter Mary married Mordecai Greene, a Spanish merchant and their only son James was MP for Arundel in 1796 and died in 1814. Clayton Hall then passed with Turton Tower, the other Chetham, seat to one of James' five daughters Arabella Penelope Eliza Greene, who had married banker Peter Richard Hoare. From 1863 to 1897 the Hall was the rented to Lomax (1863–1867), W. H. Burns (1872–1890) and John White (1890–1897), clergy of St Cross Church. In 1897 the Hall was sold by Charles A. R. Hoare to Manchester City Corporation and it was restored in 1900. The 16th-century part of the Hall was rented to tenants. The 18th-century part contained the dining room, kitchen, larder, scullery and pantry. The oldest structure on the site is the sandstone bridge crossing the now empty moat. Dating from the late medieval era, it was built to replace the original wooden drawbridge. During the Civil War, Parliamentary cavalry were stationed there, before the attack on Manchester. Afterwards, according to legend, Oliver Cromwell was said to have spent three nights there.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Wayne R. 2 years ago on Google
    A must visit! It adopts two styles in the form of a classical Victorian and Tudor house. The guide (in light of COVID-19) was very friendly and made us feel most welcome. Would thoroughly recommend! Mr. Wayne Ramwell Law LL.B. (Hons), LL.M. (Distinction) Policy (Administrative) Assistant for a Member of Parliament (MP)
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Louisa W. 4 years ago on Google • 78 reviews
    Amazing place, lovely people. We visited for some fun days over the summer holidays the kids loved it!!

  • 5/5 Jarek R. 6 months ago on Google • 56 reviews
    Nice charming place. A rich collection of equipment from years ago.

  • 5/5 Federica T. 8 months ago on Google • 18 reviews
    Very well preserved and looked after historic building, family friendly and lovely cafe on site

  • 5/5 Becky G. 7 months ago on Google • 8 reviews
    Well worth a visit.

  • 5/5 Ian W. 9 months ago on Google
    Lived there . moved in on the 28th.Sept. 1974. Moved out on the 19th Narch 1978 to my present address . "the new house" the part of the building to the left. Enjoyed it there. The X didn't ! To spooky. Has had a few alterations but they are doing the old place well.

  • 5/5 Pam W. 1 year ago on Google
    Great place to experience local history,the volunteers were all friendly and very knowledgeable. They even have a lovely tea room, which is very reasonably priced

  • 5/5 robert f. 1 year ago on Google
    Great as had special Halloween day. Volunteers lovely and helpful. House does not have many rooms but for an hour or so then a walk around park and playground a good afternoon for young kids. Check website for opening times.

  • 5/5 Colin 4 months ago on Google • 4 reviews
    Brilliant visit on the 18th November 2023. Lots of interesting things to see and artifacts in the various rooms. Excellent knowledge from the charming staff. Enjoyed the talk with slides from the two guys and found a connection with my local stately home, Stourhead House and the Hoare family. And to finish the visit, a lovely cup of coffee and a mince pie in the quaint tea room. Well worth a visit. Well done, all involved with maintaining and running this piece of history

  • 5/5 zoe h. 1 year ago on Google
    A lovely place to discover with a delightful little cafe in an idyllic setting a pleasure to visit and all run by knowledgeable volunteers

  • 5/5 eric s. 2 years ago on Google
    A fantastic, informative visit to your February open day. The welcome was outstanding and the cakes were excellent too. Carole

  • 5/5 Petros 1 year ago on Google
    Brilliant place to visit for everyone. Very warm and welcoming. The volunteers were all superb. Had some cracking cake with a coffee too. I actually found the whole experience therapeutic which I wasn't expecting. I'll be coming here again.

  • 5/5 Sian G. 1 year ago on Google
    Came with my family and what a lovely afternoon out over the jubilee weekend open day. The house was extremely educational for all of us and the hardworking volunteers are wonderful, so friendly and welcoming. They took time to explain about the house history and display items, letting my five year old touch and learn about the artefacts. We had tea, cake and snacks in the tea room and all of it was homemade and extremely reasonable. The bouncy castles for the jubilee were an added bonus for my son as was meeting the lovely Lord mayoress!

  • 5/5 Jane R. 4 years ago on Google
    Lovely friendly volunteers, full of information, will go back for the talks.

  • 1/5 jennifer w. 2 years ago on Google
    was going to go to the open day,but on entering I stood to read the sign over the door that said way in(and smaller writing underneath) and was told"exuse me"in a rude manor i took a step back and said I was just reading the way in sign,the woman dressed as a victorian said "we are doing accompanied tours if you wait a minute!!!"I was only reading a bloody sign and do not appreciate being spoken to in such a manor so we walked right back out!extremely rude!!!!!!!!!


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