Discover more at Dunham Massey
Find out when Dunham Massey is open, how to get here, the things to see and do and more.
Things to see in the house at Dunham Massey
Dunham Massey's 17th Century Georgian House is open everyday from 12 noon until 4pm. A centrepiece to the 300-acre walled estate and home to one of the National Trust’s largest collections, the house holds treasures and objects that span the entirety of its history.
The Servant’s Quarter
Your visit begins in the Servant’s Quarter Courtyard. These spaces and the people who worked in them, served the families who lived here – the Booths of Warrington and the Greys of Stamford. These were once places of vibrant and constant activity. See the laundry, diary and kitchen and enjoy items of the collection that bring the history of these purposeful spaces to life.
The library and book collection
The remarkable 18th century closet library offers the opportunity to connect with the opulence of the house and a space of shared knowledge. The library houses around 3,500 carefully conserved historic books, around half of approximately 7,000 which are part of the Dunham Massey collection.
Prominently displayed over a fireplace is a large wood carving of the Crucifixion by the artist Grinling Gibbons (1648 – 1721), one of the UK’s most recognised and celebrated woodcarvers.
You can also see Mary Booth’s handwritten recipe book where she details the directions for syrups and conserves.
From Here to There: a trail for children
This year, children are invited to take a journey through the historic house, accompanied by Speechly the Pineapple. Grab a Pineapple Passport from the entrance of the house, spot the suitcase stacks, and collect a stamp for your passport.
Take a moment of calm and comfort during your journey and get lost in a story at the Book Nook in the Great Gallery on the first floor.
Conservation in action: The Great Hall windows are having a makeover
The stone mullions that hold the windows in place have been damaged by over 100 years of exposure to the elements. They have started leaking during wet weather and the support for the metalwork is weakening. Some of the glass panes are broken and the metalwork holding them in place has warped. With the continued threat of climate change, conservation concerns like these are becoming a more common issue.
The architecture of the room remains the same since George Booth remodelled the room as the main entrance to the house in the 1720s. The windows were refitted in 1908 as part of a wider refurbishment of the house.
During your visit over the next few months, you may see work happening on the windows from both the inside and the outside. There are approximately 672 individual diamond-shaped panes of glass in each of the three windows. Conservation work will retain as much original material as possible, making repairs with materials in-keeping with the building.
Conservation in action happens all year round at Dunham Massey. You may see ongoing conservation projects during yourt visit.
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