UK – England

NORTH WEST

Heaton Hall, Heaton Park, Prestwich, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M25 5SW, England.
0161 773 1231 – www.manchestergalleries.org.uk
10th April – 3rd October Wed – Sun 10.00-17.30
This late Georgian gentry house has many original features, including furniture and paintings.

Chetham’s Library, Long Millgate, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M3 1SB, England.
0161 834 7961 – librarian@chethams.org.uk – www.chethams.org.uk
Monday to Friday 9.00-12.30 and 13.30-16.30
The first free Public Library in the world with over 100 000 books, many rare.

Wythenshawe Hall, Wythenshawe Park, Wythenshawe Road, Northenden, Northenden, Greater Manchester, M23 0AB, England.
0161 998 2331 – www.manchestergalleries.org.uk
5 June until 25 September, Saturdays only, 10.00-17.00
Home of the Tatton family for 400 years, this house dates back to 1540 and is feet in 250 acres of parkland.

THE WEST COUNTRY

Kirkham House, Kirkham Street, Paignton, Devon, TQ3 3AX, England.
0117975 0700
9 April, 12 April, 3 May, 31 May, 30 Aug and every Sunday in July & Aug 14.00-17.00 11th & 12th September 11.00-16.00
Permanent collection of furniture, fabrics and pottery designed to imitate the interior of a 14C house.

Ashton Windmill, Chapel Allerton, Axbridge, Somerset, England.
01278 435399
Easter through to September, Sunday 14.30-16.30 July and August, Wednesday 14.30-16.30
Unique 18th century flour mill with famtastic view of Cheddar Gorge, Somerset Levels and Brent Knoll.

Church House, Widecombe – In – The – Moor, Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ13 7TA, England.
01364 621 321
Open daily to visitors when not in use as the village hall
This 1537 brewhouse is leased to the Village for use as the Village Hall.

Meare Fish House, Meare, Glastonbury, Somerset, England.
Access at any reasonable time
The key for the house is available from Manor House farm. A 14C Hill house with fish ponds that would have been built for the Abbey, who were at the time in charge of fisheries. The fish ponds have since dried up.

Oldway Mansion, Torquay Road, Paignton, Devon, TQ3 2TD, England.
01803 207 933
April – Oct Daily 09.00-17.00 Nov – March Mon-Fri 09.00-17.00 Guided tours of the house have a small charge of approx £1 but there is free admission without a guided tour.
Known for its marble staircase, main hall and glass work, this 1873 mansion was bought by The Paignton Council in 1946 to be used as a Civic Centre. The mansion was built in 1874 by Isaac Merritt Singer, founder of the sewing-machine empire.

LONDON TO THE SEVERN

Merton College, South Side of Merton Street, South of Oxford High Street, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 4JD, England.
01865 276 310 – www.merton.ox.ac.uk
(Mon-Fri) 14.00-16.00 (Sat,Sun) 10.00-16.00
Historically this is the most important college in the University town of Oxford and was founded in 1264.

All Souls College, The Broad Street Area, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 4AL, England.
01865 279 379 – enquiries@all-souls.ox.ac.uk – www.all-souls.ox.ac.uk
Oct – April (Mon-Fri) 14.00-16.00 April – Oct (Mon-Fri) 14.00-16.30
The college boasts twin mock Gothic towers and a coloured sundial designed by Sir Christopher Wren.

Exeter College, Enter from Turrel Street, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 3DP, England.
01865 279 600 – academic.administrator@exeter.ox.ac.uk – www.exeter.ox.ac.uk
(Daily) 14.00-17.00
This college has one of Oxford’s most elaborate chapel’s.

Mansfield College, Mansfield Road, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 3TF, England.
01865 270 999 – info@mansfield.ox.ac.uk – www.mansefield.ox.ac.uk
09.00-17.00
This College was designed by the architect Basil Champneys, and the library and chapel are regarded as examples of his best work.

Houghton House, 1 mile NE of Ampthill, Off A421, Bedford, Bedfordshire, England.
01223 455 532
Access at any reasonable time
17C country house ruins which are believed to be “House Beautiful” in Bunyan’s “The Pilgrims Progress”.

Antiques At Wendover, The Old Post Office, 25 High Street, Wendover, Buckinghamshire, HP22 6DU, England.
01296 625 335 – antiques@antiquesatwendover.co.uk – www.antiquesatwendover.co.uk
Mon-Sat 10.00-17.30 Sun 11.00-17.00
This Tudor building is now used as an antiques centre, housing approx. 30 dealers. The barn has been restored and now houses a gallery for Aviation Art.

CENTRAL ENGLAND

Aston Hall, Trinity Road, Aston, Birmingham, West Midlands, B6 6JB, England.
0121 327 0062
Open Easter to the end of October Tuesday to Sunday 11.30-16.00. Closed Mondays.
Spectacular turreted Jacobean mansion with roughly 20 rooms open to the public. Including the panelled long gallery which runs the entire width of the house.

Bear Steps Hall, St Alkmond’s Square, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY1 1UH, England.
01743 356 511
Daily 10.00-16.00
Set of medieval buildings restored by Shrewsbury Civic Society which now house varying art exhibitions by local and national artists which change every two weeks.

Billinghay Cottage and Parish Office, Church Street, Billinghay, Lincolnshire, LN4 4HN, England.
01526 861 845 – tic_sleaford@n-kesteven.gov.uk
Please contact for exact opening times
This thatched cottage dates from 1650 and has a display of old village photographs.

Oak House, Oak Road, West Bromwich, West Midlands, B70 8HJ, England.
0121 553 0759
April – Sept Mon, Tues, Wed & Fri 10.00-17.00 Sat & Sun 14.00-17.00 Oct – March Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri 10.00-16.00 Sat 13.30-16.00
Elizabethan period house with unique lantern tower and many panelled rooms houses a collection of English Oak furniture dating from the 16 & 17C.

Haden Hill House, Off Barrs Road, Cradley Heath, West Midlands, B64 7JU, England.
01384 569 444 – www.lea.sandwell.gov.uk/museums/hadenhill.htm
Mon-Thurs 10.00-17.00, Fri 10.00-16.30 Sat & Sun 13.00-17.00 Closed 13-17 April.
Grade 2 listed Victorian building of three storeys. Features many architectural styles including Gothic, Dutch, Tudor and Classical.

Sutton Scarsdale Hall, Sutton Scarsdale, Between Chesterfield and Bolsover, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S44, England.
01604 735 400
Summer Daily 10.00-18.00 Winter Daily 10.00-16.00
The shell of a great 18C Baroque Mansion which was designed in 1721. English Heritage have restored the building to make it safe and visitors can now see fragments of its former rich plaster decoration.

Moseley Hall Ice House, Moseley Private Park, Alcester Road, Moseley, West Midlands, B13 8DD, England.
0121 449 2133
Exterior view at all times. Occasional weekend openings to the interior please telephone for details.
This 18C ice house was recently excavated and restored by the Moseley Society and is in a remarkably good state of preservation.

The Old House, High Town, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR1 2AA, England.
01432 260 694 – llatcham@herefordshire.gov.uk – www.herefordshire.gov.uk
Open all year Tues-Sat 10.00-16.00 April-Sep Sun 10.00-14.00
Built in 1621 and furnished in 17C style throughout its three floors, the house includes kitchen and bedrooms originally part of Butchers Row. There is also an interpretative display on Hereford during the Civil War.

Bishop Asbury Cottage, Newton Road, Great Barr, West Midlands, B42, England.
0121 553 0759 – oakhouse@sandwell.gov.uk
Open to public on selected days in the year please contact for dates
The boyhood home of Francis Asbury who was sent to America in 1771 and became the first American Methodist Bishop.

EAST ANGLIA

Ipswich Ancient House, 30 Buttermarket, Ipswich, Suffolk, England.
Exterior View – Visitors can see the interior when the Lakeland shop is open
This 17C house is now used as a shop so visitors can feel free to browse the shop’s interior and look at the original features inside. The exterior of the house has some extraordinary plaster work.

Christchurch Mansion, Christchurch Park, Ipswich, Suffolk, England.
01473 433 554
(Tue-Sat) 10.00-17.00, (Sun) 14.30-16.30 (Closes at dusk in winter)
This Tudor building supports 17C Dutch gables and is set in 65 acres of Park land. The building also contains the Wolsey Art Gallery.

Toad Hole Cottage, Howhill, Ludham, Norfolk, NR29 5PG, England.
01692 678 763 – toadholeinfo@broads-authority.gov.uk – www.broads-authority.gov.uk
East, April, May & Oct Mon-Fri 10.30-13.00 & 13.30-17.00 Sat & Sun 10.30-17.00 June – Sept Daily 09.30-18.00
This is an old eel catcher’s cottage dating from the 18C that contains a small exhibit describing this history of this unusual trade.

Thetford Warren Lodge, Thetford, 2 miles West of Thetford off the B1107, Thetford, Norfolk, England.
01233 582 700
Access at any reasonable times
This ruin can only be viewed from the outside and is of a two storey medieval game keepers lodge set in woods.

Blakeney Guild Hall, In Blakeney off A149, Blakeney, Norfolk, England.
08453 006 116
Access at any reasonable times
The remains of a large 14C building probably a merchants house.

The Ipswich Unitarian Meeting House, Friars Street, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP1 1TD, England.
01473 218 217
Open May 1 – Sep 30 Tues & Thurs 12.00-16.00 Sat 10.00-16.00 Services Sunday 10.45
Built in 1699 and opened in 1700 this Grade I listed building is one of the finest surviving meeting houses in the country. It is an example of a purpose built timber framed meeting house.

HAMPSHIRE / DORSET / WILTSHIRE

The Great Hall, The Castle, Winchester, Hampshire, England.
01962 846 476 – the.great.hall@hants.gov.uk
Daily 10.00 – 17.00
Features King Arthur’s round table. This is the only surviving part of Winchester Castle and there is also a 13C Herb Garden named after Queen Eleanor.

Northington Grange, 4 miles N of New Alresford, Northington, Near Winchester, Northington, Hampshire, England.
02392 581 059
Exterior View Only 1 April – 30 Sept Daily 10.00-18.00 1-31 Oct Daily 10.00-17.00 1 Nov – 31 March Daily 10.00-16.00 (Closes at 15.00 June & July)
Built at the beginning of the 18C this is a magnificent example of a Neo Classical Country House. Onegin, starring Liv Tyler and Ralph Fiennes was filmed here.

YORKSHIRE

Bolling Hall, Bolling Hall Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD4 7LP, England.
01274 723 057
Open Wed, Thurs & Fri 11.00-16.00, Sat 10.00-17.00, Sun 12.00-17.00
This house contains architecture from several different historical periods,including a medieval tower and an 18C wing. The rooms are decorated with period furnishings and there is also a stunning Central Hall with a gallery and early stained glass windows.

Ilkley Manor House, Castle Yard, Church Street, Ilkley, Yorkshire, L529 9DT, England.
01943 600 066
Tues 14.00-16.00 Wed – Sat 11.00-17.00 Sun 13.00-16.00
This house which dates from the 16 & 17C was probably the vicarage or a farmers house and was built on the site of an original Roman Fort. Notable features include a 17C king post roof and privey. There is also a museum and art gallery within the building.

Oakwell Hall and Country Park, Nutter Lane, Birstall, Batley, West Yorkshire, WF17 9LG, England.
01924 326 240 – oakwell.hall@kirklees.gov.uk – www.oakwellhall.f9.co.uk
ONLY FREE 1 NOV – 28 FEBRUARY outwith special events. Admission charge at other times Open Mon-Fri 11.00-17.00, Sat & Sun 12.00-17.00
An Elizabethan Manor House dating from 1583, but decorated in 17C style with period furniture. The house stands in its original 11 acre estate which includes period gardens.

Top Withens, Near Haworth, Haworth, West Yorkshire, England.
Access at all times
A ruined farmhouse situated on the desolate moor is reputed to have been the inspiration for the house in Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, The walk to the ruin takes in the beautiful scenery and passed the Bronte Falls and the Bronte Chair.

NORTH EAST

SURRY KENT AND SUSSEX

Watt’s Charity, Six Poor Travellers House, Maidstone Road, Rochester, Kent, ME1 1SE, England.
01634 842 194
Please contact for opening times
These 16C Alms Houses were featured in Charles Dickens short story “The Seven Poor Travellers”. The inside features galleried Elizabethan bedrooms.

Southover Grange, Southover Road, Lewes, Sussex, BN7 1TP, England.
01273 484 999
Open all year dawn – dusk
The grange that was built in 1575 still retains it’s priory and beautiful gardens, the building now houses the local registery office and is popular for weddings. The gardens surrounding the Grange are open to the public and stunning.

Undercroft, 72 High Street, Guildford, Surrey, England.
East-Sep (Tue, Thur) 14.00-16.00 (Sat) 12.00-16.00
Well preserved 13C basement of vaulted arches.

Old Soar Manor, Plaxtol, Borough Green, Kent, TN15 0QX, England.
01732 810 378
3rd April – 30th Sept Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs, Sat & Sun 10.00-18.00
A 13C Knight’s dwelling. There is a ghost of a servant said to haunt the Chapel.

The Guildhall, High Street, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 3AA, England.
01483 444 035
Open Tues & Thurs for guided tours at 14.00 & 15.00
This former 16 & 17C Courtroom and Council Chamber houses the civic plate. A wonderful bracket clock dating 1683 dominates the building.

St Augustine’s Cross, 2 miles East of Minster, Off the B29048, Ebbsfleet, Kent, England.
0800 696 996
Access at any reasonable time
This cross marks the site of arrival of St. Augustine in AD 597.

St Leonard’s Tower, On unclassified road W of A228, 1 mile from West Malling, West Malling, England.
01732 870 872
Exterior View at any reasonable time
Interior view by appointment please contact West Malling Parish Council on 01732 870872 Viewing is restricted to the outside only of this Norman Tower.

LONDON CITY – INNER LONDON

Prince Henry’s Room, 17 Fleet Street, London, Inner London, EC4Y 1AA, England.
020 7936 4004
(Mon-Sat) 11.00-14.00
One of the few buildings that survived the Great Fire Of London. It was built in 1611 and named after James I eldest son. The interior has an intact plaster ceiling and oak panelling and is now the home of a collection dedicated to Samuel Pepys.

Freemason’s Hall, 60 Great Queen Street, London, Inner London, WC2 5AZ, England.
020 7831 9811
(Mon-Fri) 10.00-17.00 Sat 10.30-13.00 ( Admission to the interior by booked guided tours only – book tours at the hall )
This is the central meeting place for the 8660 Masonic lodges throughout the UK. The interior contains acres of white marble and green jade that stretches from floor to ceiling.

Old Bailey, Corner of Newgate Street and Old Bailey, London, Inner London, EC4M 7BH, England.
020 7248 3277
(Mon-Fri) 10.00-13.00 & 14.00-16.00 No under 14s and 14-16s only with adult.
The Central criminal Court has witnessed some of the most famous trial’s in London’s history. Including Oscar Wilde, Dr Crippen, Peter Sutcliffe. Built on the site of the famous Newgate Prison. The Public are allowed to watch the trials taking place.

OUTER LONDON