Gawthorpe Hall
Gawthorpe Hall
Gawthorpe Hall
Bank holiday Mondays
Gawthorpe Hall will be closed on Monday 8 May 2023.
We will be open on May Day Monday 1 May, Spring Bank Monday 29 May and Summer Bank Holiday Monday 28 August.
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.
Discover the life and textile collection of Miss Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth who grew up at the Hall. Her Textile Collection is now displayed on the first floor from which you can also enjoy views over the south lawn. With over 200 windows and its distinctive tall shape Gawthorpe Hall is unique in the architecture of Lancashire and has something for everyone to discover.
The Hall is managed by Lancashire County Council and owned by the National Trust.
Photo gallery
Plan your visit
Opening times
Wednesday 29 March 2023 to Sunday 5 November 2023
We will be open on Spring Bank Monday 29 May and Summer Bank Holiday Monday 28 August.
| Day | Times | |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Closed | |
| Tuesday | Closed | |
| Wednesday | 12pm - 5pm | |
| Thursday | 12pm - 5pm | |
| Friday | 12pm - 5pm | |
| Saturday | 12pm - 5pm | |
| Sunday | 12pm - 5pm | |
Admission charges
- Adults £6
- Concessions £4 (over 65, people with a disability, unwaged and students)
- Accompanied children free (up to 16 years old)
- Carers accompanying visitors with a disability - free
- National Trust members free (may be a charge for special events)
- Family and friends Xplorer pass £20
- For group bookings or guided tours please contact us to discuss your needs
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.
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 847KB) for more detail or please ring us if you have any questions.
Contact us
Phone: 01282 771 004
Find us on TripAdvisor
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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.
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.
The magnificent hall houses one of the finest collections of textiles in the UK. A lifetime passion of Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth, you can just imagine the labour of love involved in every single stitch. Rachel was the last family member to live at Gawthorpe Hall. She was a maker, teacher, collector, philanthropist and social activist who started amassing textile and craft items as early as 1912 to help her to teach heritage techniques - keeping them alive for future generations to learn from and be inspired by.
There are now over 27,000 items in the collection all of which is housed at Gawthorpe Hall. The collection is displayed across five galleries at the Hall and includes historic and contemporary lace, quilts, costume, samplers and embroidery from all over the world. The image featured opposite shows a bedspread in the Huntroyde Room, sewn by Miss Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth.
Today the team continue Rachel's vision with displays of historical textiles from the collection, contemporary exhibitions inspired by the collection and a programme of workshops and events for people to get involved.
Following the temporary closure of the hall due to the COVID-19 outbreak the team hope to be able to reschedule some of the programme, so please check back on the Gawthorpe Textiles Collection website in future and follow @RBKS_Textiles on Twitter, Gawthorpe textiles on Facebook and Gawthorpe textiles on Instagram for updates.
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 Twitter and @LancsMuseums on Facebook.
What's on: events and exhibitions
Search for the latest events at Gawthorpe Hall. If there are no current events listed check back for new events soon. We look forward to seeing you.
Our latest exhibition is Gawthorpe's Remarkable Women 29 March to 5 November 2023.
Please keep an eye on this page for further updates to our rescheduled events and exhibitions programme.
Lancashire Museums
Schools
Our Heritage Learning Team'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 such as our magnificent hall.
School sessions can be tailored to complement your curriculum. We work closely with teachers to meet individual needs and reinforce classroom learning.
Find out more about Learning with Lancashire Museums.
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.