Arley Hall, a impressive red-brick neo-Jacobean house, is the home of Viscount and Viscountess Ashbrook.
The house was built by the owner's great-great-grandfather, Rowland Egerton-Warburton in 1832 - 45 to the designs of the architect George Latham of Nantwich. Egerton-Warburton was a representative of a family who had lived in Cheshire since the Norman Conquest and had held the estate since the 15th century.
The Victorian house replaced an 18th century building, which itself encased an earlier timber-framed structure. Arley Hall has remained in the hands of the Warburton family and, even though the service wing was demolished in 1968, the house remains an important example of an early-Victorian squire's residence. The layout and proportions of the building reflects the 18th century house it replaced.
The entrance is through the West Hall which contains the Victorian Library. Throughout the house there are examples of superb Victorian craftsmanship in wood and plaster. The Hall now serves as the main dining room as the original room was demolished in 1968.
Although Arley Hall is not particularly old, it contains some important works of art including works by Romney, Beechey and Hoppner.
Arley Hall is best known for its magnificent gardens which rank among the finest in the country. Rowland Egerton-Warburton laid out the 12 acre gardens in the 1830s and 1840s but their present appearance owes much to Lady Ashbrook, the mother of the present owner.
The gardens overlook beautiful parkland and have a great variety of style and design. The superb double herbaceous borders were a novelty when they were laid out in 1846. These remain much as they were, backed by yew and with huge yew buttresses dividing up the borders.
A charming and exquisute example of a country residence and well worth the visit. read more