Ordsall Hall – gardens, allotments and outdoor events

I’ve lived in Salford the twin city to Manchester for over 20 years, it’s full of hidden gems like Ordsall Hall a Grade I listed Tudor Mansion. I first came across Ordsall Hall in the late 1980s, when I drove down a rather nondescript road, through 1970s square box terraces and tall tower blocks and past industrial yards, industrial estates and there was a slightly run down looking Tudor mansion with authentic Tudor half panelling and an ornate redbrick hall. I nearly crashed the car, I was so surprised 😉 it was so incongruous among all the homes, industry and warehousing.

You can sign up to their mailing list here – www.ordsallhall.com/

*NOTE this isn’t a sponsored/paid post not was I asked to write about the Hall.  See note at end.

I spoke to my local Eccles pals who told me they’d visited the Hall on School trips (1980s/1990s) and always had a good time but it was ‘worn around the edges’. They’re so pleased to see it back to its former glory now.

Ordsall Hall and the grounds had a fabulous refurbishment finishing in 2011 paid for by National Lottery Heritage Funding, repairing the building, acquired suitable furniture and decorations to show the history of the hall. They host many weekly events like ‘Knit and Natter’, baby sensory events and are determined to explain the history to visitors of all ages.

History

The first building on the site was in 1177, parts of current building date from the 1370s but most is from a century or so later, with additions and remodelling over the centuries. It was a home for Radclyffe family for 300 years (though they fell on harder times as Catholics during the turbulence of the Tudors).   It’s said to be one of the most haunted halls in England (there are ghost tours and they have a Ghostcam) and Guy Faulkes ‘may have visited too.

During the late 18th century and into 19th Century it was subdivided and rented to various cotton mill owners, butchers, and middle-class families. The Hall would have had farmland around it until the mid-1800s, then the expansion from the industrial revolution overran the area.

In 1875 it became a working men’s club for the mill opposite so the Great Hall became a gymnasium. In 1883 Earl Egerton of Tatton Park bought the Hall, and restored during 1896–98 when it opened as a seminary for training priests until 1908, then it was a working men’s club again, was a radio monitoring station during the 2nd world war. The hall was purchased from the estate of the Earl of Egerton in 1959 by Salford City Council; it survived a vote to demolish it (by three votes) and it opened as a museum in 1972. Many other local Tudor mansions and stately homes around Salford and Manchester did not survive the industrial revolution and 20th-century development; I’m still stunned that Ordsall Hall survived the relentless march of the Industrial Revolution, tightly packed homes, and industry built around it.

I’ll write more about the history of the Hall another time as there’s so much to tell.

Ordsall Hall gardens and allotments

There’s so much to see and do at Ordsall Hall, have a look on their website for the latest activities. I was there a couple of weeks ago for a blogger meet up. While I was there I had a good look around the gardens and the allotment – I love the garden sculptures – chicken wire horse is wonderful.

The Allotment at Ordsall Hall

I first visited the organic allotment a few years ago on an Open Day for the Hall when it was laid out as a 1st world war allotment growing heritage vegetable varieties, using tools and methods from that time. This was partly because during the 1st world war the grounds were laid out as allotments to help feed the local population.

This year the gardening team are focusing the designs on:

• 2nd World War allotments
• Future allotments

There were plenty of nearly full-grown leeks. Jo (the Head Gardener) and Darren were planting out garlic plants the day I visited. We had a long chat about plans for the future – exciting times.

The allotment is Organic and the Hall and gardening team are a partner of Royal Horticultural Society – they host training courses on site and some of the team volunteer at the new RHS Bridgewater Garden a couple of miles away. I hope they plan more joint activities in the future.

There are also volunteering opportunities in the garden – get in touch with the Hall team to find out more.

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What’s happening at in the garden at Ordsall Hall

• Ordsall Hall Garden Party – 14 July – £1 per adult Children free
  www.ordsallhall.com/event/garden-party/

Join us for our annual community celebration in the gardens of Ordsall Hall.

• Apple Day – 21st October – Free
  www.ordsallhall.com/event/apple-day/
  

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The team have also run Apple grafting workshops, bulb planting days with children and adults too.

I’m looking forward to seeing what is planned for the year – they’re planning a ‘wassailing’ evening in January 2019. It’s always an interesting visit to the Hall and you’ll see information about the plants and herbs and buy some to take home – I came home with some giant white carrots which made a lovely carrot and coriander soup.

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The Hall run many activities during the school holidays. Rachel from Out and About Mummy took her two-year-old twins to the Gnome Trail Halloween 2018 – here’s a review.

• www.outandaboutmummy.com – Ordsall Hall and the gnome trail/

Activities in School Holidays – www.ordsallhall.com/whats-on/school-holidays/

Outdoor Theatre at Ordsall Hall

If gardening isn’t your thing, there’s outdoor theatre, regular ghost walks and a guided tour of the Hall every Sunday.

Last summer there were theatre shows for adults and children including Hamlet, Twelfth Night, The Railway Children and plays for younger children. It’s a fabulous venue for theatre.

• Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austin

My pal Jane from Hodge Podge Days wrote a Review – Pride and Prejudice – Ordsall Hall Salford They had a wonderful time with their young son. It sounds like the performance brought the book to life.

• Love’s Labours Lost, William Shakespeare

We loved this performance by the Folksy Theatre company, taking on multiple roles; it was in the Great Hall as the weather had been foul that day but it suited the play very well as the troop acted on a small round dais – it must have been very similar to how plays were performed for landed gentry when written in the 16th century,

• Twelfth Night, William Shakespeare

Jenny from The Brick Castle took her husband to see one of my favourite plays – it sounded like great production with many slick costume changes. They had glorious weather for the evening too.

• Review: www.thebrickcastle.com -Twelfth Night at Ordsall Hall July 2018

2019 Summer Theatre

• Macbeth
  Friday 21st June – 7pm – 9pm (gates open 6pm) – you can bring your own picnic or book one to pick up. Tickets from £12
  www.ordsallhall.com/event/macbeth/

I’ll add more events as they’re added – so do check back.

You can take a picnic, blankets and drinks too. I’ll be booking our tickets as Macbeth is a cracker of a play.

I’ve been to many outdoor theatre shows over the years, in some stunning venues, and it’s a wonderful way to spend the evening.

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Interested in History:

As part of the Not Quite Light festival weekend www.notquitelight.com/ I went to ‘Sleep like a Tudor’ 

It was a fascinating afternoon looking at the two-stage sleeping patterns in the past. We looked at different sleeping habits, food and herbs that aided sleep and hearing about the marks to ward off the devil. We got hands on making herb sleep bags, tasted the food and drink of the time.  It was truly fascinating. This wasn’t the sort of thing that was covered in my History degree a couple of decades ago, but the speakers are grounded in research. I’ll write more about this soon.  Prof Sasha Handley from Manchester University and  Anna Fielding from Manchester Metropolitan University were excellent speakers.  More about their work:

• www.historiesofsleep.com/

• Ghost Nights

  approx monthly www.ordsallhall.com/explore/ghosts/ghost-nights/

• Guided tours every Sunday at 2pm – £3.50 – no need to book, just turn up

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Crafting workshops and meet-ups

There are regular meetups like ‘Knit and Natter’ (every Monday at 10am – Free – just turn up) and crafting workshops; a recent one was ‘repurposing jewellery’, and more planned every month. Have a look you might find a new hobby. More information:

• www.ordsallhall.com/whats-on/

I made a Christmas wreath at the Hall a couple of years ago – and am going to sign up for more crafting and garden events too.

• Making a Christmas door wreath at Ordsall Hall – 18 December 2017

Ordsall Hall Opening Times / Information

• www.ordsallhall.com
• Open: Monday to Thursday from 10 am until 4pm and Sunday from 1pm until 4pm
  Special events – as listed.
• Cost: free though there’s a donation box
• Food: there’s a lovely cafe on site with gorgeous cakes – and they run regular event’s like afternoon teas for Mother’s Day.
• Car Parking: £2.50 for three hours but it is free parking if you’re attending an event.
• Public Transport: it’s a 5/10 minute walk from the tram stop at Salford Quays. Buses are regular – have a look on transport for GM website.

Also follow the Hall on Social media:

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Note:

I wasn’t paid or sponsored to write this post.  I want to support a wonderful, ancient building which provides workshops and educational information to all visitors.   It’s three miles from our home and I hope it will continue to be a thriving museum, venue and community resource in the rest of the 21st century.

Ordsall Hall and Salford Museum and Art Gallery (by Salford University, A6, Cresent) are owned and managed by Salford Community Leisure Limited is a community benefit society with charitable status. They are committed to enhancing the physical and cultural wellbeing of the community through the sport (gyms and water sports centre, Salford Quay), libraries and cultural opportunities we offer across 40 venues.

They reinvest all their profits because they believe that leisure and culture should be at the heart of every community – Quite right too.

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*I wasn’t asked to write about the Hall or Garden and I have received no payment. I wanted to tell people about the Hall so that more people get to experience this amazing place.

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Have you been to Ordsall Hall? Have you been to an outdoor theatre show – what did you see? Or would you like to go to the gardening events?

Carpe Diem,

Love Bec xx xx xx

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