Gawthorpe Hall
Gawthorpe Hall
Gawthorpe Hall
The Hall will reopen to the public in Spring 2025.
Gawthorpe Hall is a superb Jacobean historic house set in over 40 acres of woodland. On a visit you can stroll through the woods, take in the views across to Pendle Hill and children can enjoy the natural play area. Inside the Hall's beautiful historic rooms show life as it was in the Victorian period for the Kay-Shuttleworth family and have a homely feel, despite the grandeur of the building. You can find out more of its history from our friendly and informative volunteers and buy a guidebook in our shop.
The Hall is managed by Lancashire County Council and owned by the National Trust.
Photo gallery
Plan your visit
Opening times
The Hall is closed for the Winter and will re-open in April 2025.
We have two special events in November and December 2024.
Wednesday 2 April 2025 to Sunday 2 November 2025
| Day | Times | |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Closed | |
| Tuesday | Closed | |
| Wednesday | 12pm - 5pm | |
| Thursday | 12pm - 5pm | |
| Friday | 12pm - 5pm | |
| Saturday | 12pm - 5pm | |
| Sunday | 12pm - 5pm | |
Admission charges
- Adults £7
- Children up to 18 years - free
- National Trust members and Friends - free (proof of membership required)
- Guided tours £8
- Xplorer pass £25
Please note there is no tearoom available. Ask in the Hall for details of good local ones nearby.
Please note the last entry time is 4.15pm
How to find us
Gawthorpe Hall
Padiham,
Burnley,
Lancashire,
BB12 8UA (Satnav BB12 8SD)
Use M65 motorway, exit at junction 8 or 10, follow signs for Padiham.
The driveway leading to the Hall is off the A671 in Padiham, on the outskirts of Burnley.
Public transport. There are regular bus services from Burnley bus station. Plan your journey and view bus timetables for your area. Why not take advantage of our bargain bus fare offers to visit?
Facilities, access and contact details
Facilities
- Free parking
- Picnic tables
- Small shop in our reception
- Woodland walks
- Assistance dogs welcome
- Limited disabled access
- Toilets
Access
Gawthorpe Hall is a tower shaped building over 3 floors, with steps between rooms on the same floor. Due to its historic listing it is not possible to install a lift, see the access statement (PDF 1.14MB) for more detail or please ring us if you have any questions.
Contact us
Phone: 01282 771 004
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Discover more of Lancashire's diverse history and visit one of our other Lancashire Museums. Which of our museums will you visit next?
Things to see and do
Situated over 3 floors the Hall contains both original Jacobean features and historic Victorian rooms. The rooms showcase many pieces of original family furniture, paintings and portraits selected from the National Portrait Gallery, London.
On a visit you can see the original seventeenth century panelling and plasterwork in the Drawing Room; period Victorian rooms redesigned by sir Charles Barry (architect of Houses of Parliament) showing what life was like for the family in the 1890s and enjoy the splendour of the Long Gallery.
Outside are pleasant grounds with woodland walks.
The Bourne Casket was made in the 1660s by Eunice Bourne from Wyersdale, Lancashire. It is one of the finest examples of its kind, decorated with embroidered silk and silver brocade panels which depict the stories of Abraham, Isaac and Rebecca from the Old Testament. The interior of the casket is lined with velvet and fitted with drawers and secret compartments for small trinkets and keepsakes.
One of the internal compartments contains an embroidered acorn which is said to have been from the Boscobel Oak tree where Charles II hid after his defeat at the Battle of Worcester in 1651 during the English Civil Wars. Although embroidery of small objects was a fashionable pastime, it is likely that the acorn was a symbol of Royalist support for Charles II, who was restored to the throne in 1660.
Learn more about the object on our 50 objects page. You can also see it on display at Gawthorpe Hall until Sunday 2 November 2025.
Gawthorpe Hall is a superb example of a Grade 1 listed Jacobean historic house. During the English Civil War it was a target for the Royalist forces.
In the early 1850's the family chose Sir Charles Barry, architect of the Houses of Parliament and Highclere Castle, to carry out restoration work, incorporating designs by Augustus Pugin.
Charlotte Bronte is known to have visited Lady Shuttleworth at the Hall and was introduced to fellow author Elizabeth Gaskell by the family.
In 1913 King George VI and Queen Mary lunched at Gawthorpe whilst on their tour of Lancashire.
The Hall was the inspiration for best selling 2019 novel The Familiars by Stacey Halls.
The grounds offer a mixture of formal gardens and woodland areas. During 2018's drought we saw the amazing 'ghost garden' re-emerge on the front lawn. The magnificent outline of the Victorian formal garden appeared as various types of soil dried at different rates. The garden made headlines across the world as far afield as Australia, America, Canada, Germany, Holland, Italy and Japan.
Once you've explored the formal gardens with views of the river, the whole family can enjoy the extensive woodlands on the estate. During the summer you can join the National Trust Ranger for a guided walk round the wider estate of Gawthorpe Hall including the walled garden and Great Barn.
If you've visited us, what was your favourite thing you learnt about the hall? Let us know by sharing your experiences on social media using #GawthorpeHall and don't forget to tag in @LancsMuseums on X and @LancsMuseums on Facebook.
What's on: events and exhibitions
We hold exhibitions, events and activities. We look forward to seeing you.
Lancashire Museums on X
Schools
Heritage Learning Lancashire's aim is to give pupils the opportunity to explore and appreciate Lancashire's rich heritage through access to our unique collections and stimulating sites.
Find out more about Learning with Lancashire Museums.
"The students love using the items we loan from you and it adds real value to the teaching of history."
Primary school teacher
Museum loan boxes
Our museum loan boxes contain a wide range of historical artefacts, replica objects and useful resources loan boxes are a great way of bringing a little bit of the museum into your classroom.
Learn more about loan boxes.
Volunteer with us
We have some fantastic volunteering opportunities at Gawthorpe Hall. Our wonderful volunteers create a warm, friendly and welcoming environment to our visitors and provide them with the knowledge and information about this historic site during their visit.
You don’t need any previous experience or qualifications to volunteer, just enthusiasm and a willingness to learn.
Our current volunteer Ruth shares her experience of what it's like to take on this interesting role.
Hear from our volunteers
Ruth, at Gawthorpe Hall, said: "I’ve enjoyed talking to lots of interesting people about their memories and interpretations of the historic hall and its surroundings."