Hotels near Lyme Park

Lyme Park is an 18th Century Italianate mansion set within a 1400 acre estate surrounded by 17 acre garden, lakes, orangery, hunting tower and deer park. You can spend an entire day touring the house, exploring the gardens and walking the estate.

Sir Thomas Danyers rescued the Black Prince (aka Prince of Wales and Edward III's eldest son) at the Battle of Cressy in 1346, and was handsomely rewarded by Edward III who granted him the estate. Upon the death of Sir Thomas, his daughter Margaret inherited the estate and in 1388 married Piers Legh I, the start of a nearly 600 year association of the Legh family with Lyme Park.

The House
The original house at Lyme Park was probably a Tudor hunting lodge with later additions. The most significant transformation of the house came in the 1720's, when a Venetian architect Giacomo Leoni, added a south range to create a central Italian style courtyard, retaining most of the original building and some Elizabethan features, whilst wrapping it in a Palladian style sandstone outer structure.

In later years, whilst in the ownership of two successive members of the Legh family, Lyme Park fell into a state of disrepair, only saved by the successful explorer Thomas Legh, who commissioned Lewis Wyatt to refresh and restore the interiors. Between 1816 and 1822 every room at Lyme Park received the Wyatt treatment but without losing any of the 17th Century character of the building. Fours years after inheriting Lyme Park in 1942, Richard Legh have it to the National Trust.

The interior of Lyme Park has many notable features including: fine furniture purchased by Peter Legh XIII in the second half of the 18th century, tapestries from Mortlake - London, a collection of antique clocks, a grand staircase with Baroque ceiling, saloon featuring a Rococo style ceiling and wall panels with superb wood carvings by the man who many consider to be the finest wood carver of all time - Grinling Gibbons, a long gallery over 150 feet long, many huge, impressive fireplaces and finely decorated and furnished rooms.

The north and south elevations of this house are referred to as the north front and south front, neither of which as far as I could see, provide access into the house. Visiting members of the public arrive via a formal arch and gateway, and then through an archway in the north front to the inner courtyard, which is surrounded on all four sides by cloisters with arched openings. The actual main entrance to the Lyme Park mansion is then to your left.

Gardens
To the eastern side of the house is a terrace with flowerbeds overlooked by an orangery dating from 1862 by architect Alfred Darbyshire, and containing a wide range of plants including palms, ferns and figs.

The south front of Lyme Park faces the reflecting lake, from the south banks of which you get some fine views of the house. A further lake to the east of the house is actually a mill pond and adjacent timber yard with shops.

Other areas include an Edwardian rose garden, sunken parterre, rhododendron walk and herbaceous borders.

North of the house is The Cage, a tower constructed around 1737, that was first used as a hunting lodge, from where you can enjoy panoramic views across the Cheshire plains.

There is a childrens' play area adjacent to the main car park.

Non Trust members should be aware that there is a car parking charge as well as the entrance fee for house and garden. Car parking charge also applies for visitors to the park. Car parking is free for National Trust members.

The Park
Lyme Park's estate consists of woods and moorland, grazed by sheep, cattle, red and fallow deer. Their are extensive walks throughout the park and onto open moorland.