Arbury Hall
Historic SitesArchitectural Buildings
This location was reported permanently closed
About
This lovely Elizabethan mansion house with its 12th century monastic origins was Gothicised by Sir Roger Newdegate during the second half of the 18th century and with its soaring fan vaults, plunging pendants and filigree tracery, stands as the most breathtaking and complete example of early Gothic Revival architecture. Arbury Hall, standing in the midst of rolling lawns, surrounded by many acres of beautiful parkland, seven miles from the centre of England has been the home of the Newdegate family since the 16th Century. George Eliot was born on the Estate in 1819 where her father was the Agent and features Arbury in her novel "Scenes of Clerical Life". The Hall and Gardens are open to the public on four Bank Holiday Weekends only (Sunday and Mondays) from Easter to September each year. Pre-booked visits for groups of 25 and over can be arranged during weekdays from April to end of September. For admission prices please see the website.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles74 reviews
Excellent
38
Very good
20
Average
7
Poor
7
Terrible
2

MBarrell
Venice, Italy2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Friends
Arbury Hall is MOST beautiful estate you can visit, it is an incredibly special family home and with breathtaking Gothic architecture.

We had the best tour of the house, from the incredibly dinning room ceiling, to the magnificent salon. The gardens at this time of year are something you cannot miss, a delight to see and clearly been loved dearly. The food was great and hit the spot.

I would recommend visiting with family or friends for anyone as it is an sight to see!
Written 28 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ralph W
Harpenden143 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023
Went to Arbury Hall yesterday (29th May).
Arbury hall is a really lovely place, unfortunately for us it was spoilt for us in 2 areas.
Firstly let me share the positives.
1. Arbury hall is a lovely place to visit with an amazing history.
2. The gardens are also so beautiful and are lovely to walk around, they are also really peaceful.

Negatives
1. The cafe is VERY VERY expensive and the staff were not trained well enough to deal with allergens, ingredients and where things are. Also there were items for sale which were out of date (see photo)
2. In the house you go on a tour, Sadly we didnt have a very good tour guide. Her name was Sally and she did admit that she was new but she got so many statements and dates wrong. She completely misinterpreted some historic points.

What was interesting is that in the cafe earlier, the staff of the cafe were in discussion about the fact that some of the guides for the house were good and some not so good. Unfortunately we had the not so good one.

I understand that we all have to start somewhere, but surely these guides must go through strict training so that they have all of the correct information. Sally, our guide, was constantly referring to her hand scribbled notes and also didnt allow time for the people in the group to actually arrive in the room.

3. No where near enough benches outside. Because you are on timed tickets, you are waiting around alot and there is no where to sit.

Would I go back, absolutely 100%. I love Arbury Hall, it is my local place.
Written 30 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are glad to hear that overall you had an enjoyable day and found Arbury Hall & Gardens to be a ‘lovely place to visit with an amazing history’. All of our volunteer guides work extremely hard especially on Bank Holiday open days, giving as many people as possible a brief overview of the history of the Hall. Each guide is given a script to learn and they shadow each other, before eventually going ‘solo’. Obviously with experience comes confidence, and it is quite acceptable to have to refer to notes occasionally, especially when new. A more detailed tour is given during private group bookings. The prices in the café are on par with other similar venues and we have had excellent feedback in relation to the quality and value of the produce. The café also provides a variety of options for special dietary requirements such as gluten free and dairy free etc. The jam provided with the cream teas is homemade and is served in recycled jars, therefore the date on the lids is not relevant. The caterer is currently busy sterilising the empty jars & lids and making delicious blackberry and apple jam to fill them! We thank you for your review and look forward to welcoming you back to Arbury should you decide to visit again in the future.
Written 12 September 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Sarah E
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022 • Family
Went to visit arbury hall over the august bank holiday having been recommended it by a friend as a lovely afternoon out. It did not disappoint and was the perfect way to spend a Monday afternoon with the family.
Such a cared for historic family home, with a beautiful garden and a very interesting tour.
Written 3 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jenny S
London, UK31 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022 • Friends
I was very disappointed in the tour that it was only 4 rooms. The dining room was the only one that impressed me. The tour guide I couldn't hear very well as I wear an hearing aid. The building was very tired and needs refreshing. It was not worth the £10 we paid.
We visited the tea rooms which I have to say the food was impressive. Had sandwiches crisps and coleslaw. Also a coffee and was about £7 which I felt was a great price for lovely food. I didn't have a cake but my friend did and she said it was lovely. Would I go again? For the tea rooms yes but would pay £7 entrance fee to go.
Written 29 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Saskia K
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022 • Family
Beautiful views around very tidy grounds loved the lawns and lakes with swans and ducks to see. Rhododendrons just beginning to show themselves.
Finished afternoon with yummy cake and tea.
Great value will definitely return.
Written 3 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Wendy P
1 contribution
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022
It’s okay, does need a bit of TLC and a shame that the hall was closed.

First we were 15 minutes early and had to wait, you come through two beautiful towers and we had to wait on the four-court.
For a main entrance it’s not very pleasing, to be honest I felt like I was sitting in a dodgy council car park I thought it needed something to brighten it up a bit, not a very good first impression to a private estate I don’t think.

A man came out and opened to gates early as traffic started to back out on to the road, you then have a drive down a beautifully long drive to get to the hall itself lovely views but like the entrance it does feel it is not well cared for, litter on the verges and the grass probably only mown the day before so it was smothered all over the drive.

We then got to the hall grounds, paid, then had a walk around the gardens and they were beautiful and a pleasure to walk around who ever cares for the place definitely cares more about the gardens then the rest of the estate, gardens were well attended to, tulips were just in flower, other plants were just coming in flower as well, I think I should of left it until the next open day to the see the gardens in flower.

Tea rooms were great, very busy so service was a bit slow but had a drink and cake, prices not to bad and the food was good, very polite staff.

It’s a shame the hall was not open but I have visited before, I think if it was my first time and I came from a long way away i wouldn’t be happy.

I last visited about 15 years ago and I do think it has gone down hill quite a bit what is a shame.
Written 21 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kz66
Birmingham, UK22 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021
Our first visit to this beautiful place. The entrance to the long driveway is like a magic portal into another world, one minute you are driving along a busy urban road, the next you are driving along a wooded driveway through beautiful parkland. The gardens are not huge, but they are lovely and peaceful and there are intriguing remnants of an old garden, the tunnel to the path beside the river and the ruins of old garden buildings along the river bank which I found fascinating. The exterior of the gothic hall is stunning and I couldn't stop gazing at it. We were greeted warmly at the ticket booth and hopefully we will visit again next year when the castle itself is open.
Written 30 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Orpington Sylvia
Orpington, UK112 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2019
A beautiful gem hidden in the countryside. Well worth a visit. The house is still lived in by the Newdegate family who date back to the 16th century here
Written 24 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Stewart M
Nuneaton, UK357 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2019
Lived in the area for 60 years and have never visited. So glad we did. The Hall and gardens are only open at Bank holidays , so it does limit your plans to visit. We visited at August bank holiday, weather good which created a large crowd at 1.00pm opening time, my advise is visit a little later 2.30pm and you will walk straight in.£8.50 to visit the Hall and gardens. At this time of the year it had past its best as far as flowers available to see, well kept gardens and lawns though. One note as there are a lot of gravel paths wheel chair and mobility scooters will have a problem getting around the gardens, also in my opinion not suitable for children. There is a tea shop upstairs in a stable block with difficult stairs to negotiate if you have difficulty in walking and very busy when we were there. You are given a time to visit the hall with a guide to explain everything,The tours are every 15 minutes and last about 1 hour. You visit 4 rooms downstairs and one upstairs absolutely fascinating when its all explained by an excellent guide. Well worth the visit.
Written 2 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Gregory
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2019
Whilst much of what mdennis05 has written is true,and we too visited yesterday, we arrived early and queued for 5 minutes. The staff in the Hall were very welcoming and our guide was informative, although an overly inquisitive visitor rather upset her equilibrium and she made one or two mistakes.However in a family history beset with at least one double marriage, cousins inheriting from cousins and a nephew inheriting from cousins, the lineage is initially quite confusing.
Overall, we live locally and this was our first visit. We were stunned and happily surprised that from leaving the everyday world of the Stockingford Road with its ranks of Victorian terraced Miners' homes we were immediately transported onto a archetypal English landed estate. We are glad that we visited and recommend Arbury Hall highly to others, especially like us living locally and having only just visited for the first time.
Written 26 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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ARBURY HALL: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)