What to do at the Weekend:
Visit Little Moreton Hall
It was our first time visiting the 16th Century Tudor Manor House near Congleton, but what a lovely place Little Moreton Hall truly is.
Ben has lived just three miles from Little Moreton Hall for his whole life, but has never previously visited.
One sunny Sunday during the 2022 July heatwave, we decided it was high time to rectify that.
About Little Moreton Hall
Part of the National Trust, Little Moreton Hall is located on the A34 just outside Congleton.
This grand black and white building has been catching the eye of passers by ever since it was constructed by the Moreton family in the 16th Century.
At the time, England still had a Tudor Monarch on the throne.
In relative terms, not a huge amount is actually known about the Moreton family because they were not born of nobility or royalty.
They were a self-made farming family, who gained wealth through making savvy investments in cheap land during Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries.
They weren’t shy about showing their acquired wealth.
Little Moreton Hall is a true monument to their display of wealth. Which explains the scale and grandeur of the building and grounds.
Our Experience of Little Moreton Hall
Little Moreton Hall is best accessed by car due to its reasonably remote location.
It has a large free car park on site, which is needed because it does get really busy at times.
This is especially the case when there is an event on-site (such as the Easter egg hunt in Spring).
All events can be found here, if you want to keep your weekend free.
Little Moreton Hall Opening Time
Little Moreton Hall opens at 11am each day except for Monday and Tuesday. So, that gives you ample time at the weekend to have a lie in and get breakfast.
Parking and Reception
After parking up, we went towards the reception area – this is actually the only way in and out of the Hall itself.
You pay the entry fee (see a bit further down for the entry prices) or get your National Trust membership card scanned (if you have one) and they’ll give you a cute little site map.
From there, you’ll be greeted with amazing views of Little Moreton Hall.
The Moat
As you approach the hall, you’ll cross the moat that surrounds the building.
We kind of love the fact that moat was installed by the Moreton family as more of a fashion accessory because it was the ‘done thing’ at the time amongst the elite.
Status was everything in those days.
The Moretons were definitely not fighting any wars, so it wasn’t really functional as a defensive moat.
It was basically a receptacle for the latrine and a fish pool.
However, we are now thinking of putting a moat into our first house.
The building itself is beautiful on the outside and inside.
The exterior is ornately decorated in the striking Tudorbethan black and white, which looked incredible against the lush greenery of the surrounding gardens and bright blue sky on the day we visited.
Due to its age, Little Moreton Hall has a quaint topsy-turvy kind of look, especially outside the Long Gallery that is reminiscent of something from Harry Potter.
In fact, the volunteer tour guide described the wooden floor of the Long Gallery as ‘like the sea’ due to its warp and the 16th Century fireplace in the adjoining room is at an (almost) 45 degree angle to the wall.
It is actually a small miracle that the building is still standing.
Little Moreton Hall Courtyard Talk
For the history buffs among you, try to catch the Courtyard Talk at 12pm.
Presented by one of the volunteers, this talk will give you a bit more background as to the history of Little Moreton Hall and the Moreton family.
Much of this talk informed this first part of this blog post (shows we were listening).
Absolutely fair play to the volunteer who was dressed in full woollen Tudor garb on one of the hottest days of the year.
That is dedication to your profession.
Inside Little Moreton Hall
It is well looked-after, with various exhibits and information cards throughout the building as you would expect from any National Trust establishment.
Every movement comes a creak from the oak surroundings.
The winding staircases are navigated without too much difficulty, but we would suggest that the upper levels are not wheelchair accessible.
Perhaps the most striking feature from the inside of Little Moreton Hall, is the huge number of windows littered throughout the building and in almost every room.
Another display of Moreton’s wealth, the cost of glass was enormous at the time.
It makes for almost 360 degree views of the grounds and fields around the hall.
The magnificent Long Gallery is probably the stand-out highlight of the interior of the hall – so definitely make sure you check it out.
The Garden
You can follow the moat by the accompanying path around Little Moreton Hall.
The path and edge of the building is lined with blooming wildflowers in the summer, which is ideal for those Instagram pictures.
To the left of the courtyard and past the outdoor tea rooms, there is a small garden to the rear of the building.
Generally a little quieter than the front and inside, there are benches where you are able to escape from the crowds and just enjoy the view.
At the rear, you will be once again treated to stunning views of the Hall in all its glory. Arguably the Hall looks even better from the rear than from the front.
What are the Little Moreton Hall Admission Prices?
Without a National Trust Membership, Little Moreton Hall will cost you 12 pounds per adult, 6 pounds per child, and 30 pounds per family.
A full list of admission prices for Little Moreton Hall can be found here.
We spent around two hours at Little Moreton Hall.
We would say that at 12 pounds per adult, this would be at the keen end in terms of value. At that price point, it is worth a visit but you are unlikely to be returning too often.
Biddulph Grange Garden is another option in this area – with only around six or seven miles separating the two.
If you have a National Trust Membership, you could easily do both in one day.
Read more about Biddulph Grange Garden in our previous blog post here.
