Every month we try to visit a local park or attraction that we have never been to before. We often try to choose somewhere free or very inexpensive to visit to keep within our monthly budget. Samlesbury Hall has been on my radar for a while, it’s a beautiful stately home full of history. It’s totally free to visit and parking is free too.
A Family Day Out At Samlesbury Hall
Samlesbury Hall is a fabulous half-timbered black and white medieval house built in 1325 as a family home. Rich in history the building and grounds are administered by the registered charity, Samlesbury Hall Trust. As well as the stunning hall and grounds there’s the Mayflower playground, working animals, Dottie’s Wafflery and lots more.
There is no charge to enter the hall and grounds when it’s open and guided tours are also free on a Sunday. The site is closed every Saturday and occasional on Fridays for private functions. Make sure you check the opening times before planning your visit.
Driving into the grounds we could see the absolutely stunning hall to our left. We parked up in a nice shaded area under a tree, with the kids insisting that we explore the playground first.
I was super impressed with the Mayflower Playground, nestled in the woods with a miniature Samlesbury Hall and the Mayflower ship. The kids couldn’t with to climb aboard the ship and explore.
Surrounding the playground is a woodland trail with bridges and fun obstacles. There are also lovely information boards about the birds, creatures, and insects you might spot in the area.
After spending lots of time playing the kids were ready for an ice-cream. We headed over to the courtyard where we found Dottie’s Wafflery, a gift shop and a pretty little fountain and flowers.
Once the ice-cream had been devoured the kids and daddy spent some time fishing rubber duckies out of the little fountain. I had a little walk around the beautifully scented rose garden and admired the climbing sweet peas.
Next stop was the magnificent hall, the interior is just as impressive as the exterior. A tour by Henry VIII was just about to start but the kids were eager to race ahead and look at all the rooms. I definitely want to visit without the kids and take in the tour as I would love to find out more about the hall’s history.
I spent some time imagining myself sat in front of the impressive fireplaces with a classic book. The kids were in awe at pretty windows and the piano.
Upstairs we found a room set up like a Victorian schoolroom, the kids loved pretending they were in a lesson and I was quick to point out the switch that the teacher would have used on unruly children. The kids were also fascinated by the Priest’s room which I found terrifying.
The hall often hosts witch tours which sounds spooky but lots of fun.
The hall is full of history and I could quite happily of spent hours in there exploring. I’m hoping to visit in the future child free and enjoy an afternoon tea and a leisurely wander around.
Next we stopped by the small animal area to say hello to the working animals. The kids enjoyed spotting the pigs Elvis and Ozzie and saying hello to the inquisitive chickens.
Just before we left I spotted an interesting looking area amongst the woods, I discovered the cosiest looking shepherd’s huts that you could hire to stay overnight in. The huts sleep up to four people and are available to hire all year round. An overnight stay in one of the huts is high on my wish list of unusual places to stay for sure.
The kids had one last round on the Mayflower playground before we set off for home. On the way out we spotted the Bee and Heritage Centre which has an observation hive so you can see the bees at work. This is something I want to explore when we visit again.
If you are in Lancashire or close by then I highly recommend a visit.
For more family adventures see our Adventures Archive.