Norton Priory Museum & Garden

It's Half Term and time to bring your little monsters to Norton Priory for some Witchcraft and Wizardry fun! Monday 22nd & Tuesday 23rd October and Monday 29th & Tuesday 30th October. 11am - 4pm, drop in potion making, creepy crafts and horrible trails! Usual admission applies, museum open 10-5.

Evening everyone, the results are in!! The giant pumpkin has been weighed and is 17.6kg/38.8lb We have a winner who was only 100g out and we will contacted them tomorrow. Well done everyone, preparations are already underway and next year's pumpkin will be even bigger! :)

Whatever the weather! A big thank you to all our visitors, volunteers and stallholders for supporting Quince & Apple Day. For anyone that entered 'Guess the weight of the pumpkin' we will let you know the weight and the winner tomorrow. :)

Bring your apples to Norton Priory Museum & Garden today (14th Oct) to get crushed in the apple press - and bring a clean bottle or container to take home your juice!
It's our Quince & Apple Day in the walled garden, 11am - 4pm with fun activities and lovely produce for sale.

Quince & Apple Day, Sunday 14th October 2018. Celebrate Autumn at Norton Priory Museum & Garden with a fun event for all the family. Produce from the walled garden will be for sale, along with Norton Priory juices and preserves. Market stalls selling a range of foods and crafts. Apple press, tastings and apple identification with the Head Gardener. Birds of prey, music, storytelling and family activities. Traditional crafts and demonstrations including woodturning, willow wea...ving, pottery and stick making.
Quince & Apple Day, Sunday 14th October, 11am - 4pm. Adults £7.95, Concession £6.95, Child £5.50, Family £22.50.
Tickets available on the door, or buy online.
This year's event is kindly supported by Hunters Cheshire Gin.
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The Band and Drums of Cheshire Constabulary invite you to join them for a spectacular evening of brass band music at Norton Priory Museum & Gardens.
There will be a varied programme from traditional Christmas carols to well known toe tapping songs.
A festive evening of music for all the family to enjoy.
... Tickets include tea/coffee and mince pies.
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Quince & Apple Day, Sunday 14th October 2018. Celebrate Autumn at Norton Priory Museum & Garden with a fun event for all the family. Produce from the walled garden will be for sale, along with Norton Priory juices and preserves. Market stalls selling a range of foods and crafts. Apple press, tastings and apple identification with the Head Gardener. Birds of prey, music, storytelling and family activities. Traditional crafts and demonstrations including woodturning, willow w...eaving, pottery and stick making.
Quince & Apple Day, Sunday 14th October, 11am - 4pm. Adults £7.95, Concession £6.95, Child £5.50, Family £22.50.
This year's event is kindly supported by Hunters Cheshire Gin.
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Norton Priory Museum Conference Saturday 6th October 9.30am - 4pm.
Norton Priory’s third bi-annual conference on Saturday 6 October 2018 will cover the latest exciting research into the site and environment, and the extensive archaeological collection.
Speakers will explore a diverse range of topics from eighteenth century gardens to evidence for medieval inter personal violence! Preliminary results from the first season of a new series of research excavations at Norton Prio...ry will be presented including some finds, as well as latest thoughts on Halton Castle.
Tickets £30 per person which includes a light buffet lunch. tickets available at Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/norton-pri ory-conference-201…
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Using a small braiding disc and your choice from the wool provided, come and use traditional braiding techniques to create a cord for bracelets, necklaces, shoelaces and a multitude of other ideas. You even get to take this disc home so you can carry on experimenting. Speedy workers may get to trial another size of disc and progress onto more complicated patterns and techniques. £15 per person. Refreshments provided.

The Sealed Knot are on the priory ruins and the sun is out! They are here till 5pm today (Sunday).

The Longbow Society are shooting the Trimble Trophy on our events field this weekend. We also have the Sealed Knot training on our priory ruins on Sunday. Unfortunately engineers are still trying to fix our phone line, so we are still without phones and internet and this means we can't process card payments at the museum. We apologise for any inconvenience. You can pay via card at the Walled Garden and their phones are manned 12-4 on 01928 242023.

Our phone and internet are still off. You can call the Walled Garden on 01928 242023 between 12 & 4.Our phone and internet are still off. You can call the Walled Garden on 01928 242023 between 12 & 4.

Our phone lines and internet are out of order. We apologise for any inconvenience.Our phone lines and internet are out of order. We apologise for any inconvenience.

Norton Priory’s third bi-annual conference on Saturday 6 October 2018 will cover the latest exciting research into the site and environment, and the extensive archaeological collection.
Speakers will explore a diverse range of topics from eighteenth century gardens to evidence for medieval inter personal violence! Preliminary results from the first season of a new series of research excavations at Norton Priory will be presented including some finds, as well as latest though...ts on Halton Castle.
Conference Programme 9.30 Registration Including tea/coffee 10.00 Welcome Conference Chair: Paul Mathews, Chair of Trustees, The Norton Priory Museum Trust 10.15 – 10.45 Anthony Mould George Stubbs’s earliest patronage understood and the study of natural philosophy in the North West of England. 10.45 – 11.15 Prof Harold Mytum and Dr Rob Philpott, University of Liverpool. The first season of the Liverpool University Field School: new insights on eighteenth century Norton Priory. 11.15– 11.45 Dr Frank Hargrave, Director, The Norton Priory Museum Trust Bodies in the Bailey; A story of life and death at Halton Castle 11.45– 12.15 Dr Helen Vaughan 3-minute science at Norton Priory: a Museum-University Partnership Initiative (MUPI) between Norton Priory and The University of Liverpool 12.15 – 13.00 Buffet lunch including tea/coffee 13.00 – 13.30 Dr Carla Burrell, Liverpool John Moores University Medieval murder mysteries: evidence for interpersonal violence at Norton Priory 13.30 – 14.00 Prof David Norman If you go down to the woods today … 38 years of ringing birds in the Priory museum grounds 14.00 – 14.30 Tea/coffee 14.30 – 15.00 Gary Ashby Norton in Cheshire in the Civil War 15.00– 15.30 Lynn Smith, Senior Keeper, The Norton Priory Museum Trust Old bones, new science: latest results on the scientific research into the Norton Priory human remains. 15.30 – 15.45 Summing Up Conference Chair Paul Mathews, Chair of Trustees, The Norton Priory Museum Trust
Plus: • Display of finds from the June research excavations. • Poster displays: TBC
£30 per person including light buffet lunch.

Call 01928 569895 to book or online via Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/norton-pri ory-conference-201…
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Daytime Hallowe'en fun. Bring your little ghouls along for potion making, spell writing, trails and creepy crafts. Drop-in. Normal admission prices apply.

Daytime Hallowe'en fun. Bring your little ghouls along for potion making, spell writing, trails and creepy crafts. Drop-in. Normal admission prices apply.

Stalls selling crafts, gifts and local produce throughout the museum and atmospheric medieval undercroft. Children's activities and trails for families. Entry £3 per person.

What a lovely place for a picnic lots to see and do ,or just relax.

Well worth a visit. My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our day visiting the museum. Very well laid out and very interesting indeed.

We had a really good day here, there was so much to do we didn't get time to do everything. The story walk, ruins, crafts, exhibition and the places we discovered around the grounds were really interesting and fun. The shop was very reasonably priced with pocket money toys for less than a pound. Thank you for a great day out.

Want to say a huuuuuge thank you to Claire and the team as you all helped make our wedding day a day to remember forever. We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day and all the staff at Norton Priory helped make it that way so thank you all so so much ��

Took grandchildren on the chicken hunt yesterday morning. They had a fabulous time. Lots of crafts to do, then off to meet farmer Giles, and of course hunt for the fox & chicken. All the staff were amazing with the children & ensured they were all able to join in the fun. Thank you for a great morning xx

The cafe is very clean and is very good value. Excellent freshly made food. Very helpful staff

Thank you for such a wonderful day out! Fun for all ages- 3 adults, a 4-year old and a 10 month old all loved it. Very reasonably priced too- adults £6.70 and under fours free. We only had 3 hours to spend today but definitely could have spent the whole day there. There is a cafe at the priory site and another at the walled garden. Excellent quality, reasonably priced food and a good selection. Lots of toilets, baby changing station, and lockers to leave bags etc. Lots of outside picnic areas so you can take your own food too.



The priory itself is fascinating to walk round with numerous information posts, and has a nature trail and climbing frame for the children. The museum inside is very informative, well laid out and again with plenty of hands-on activities for the children including a dressing up station.



The walled garden is just stunning. It has a flowerpot people trail for the children and lots to look at and enjoy including statues and individually carved and decorated wooden toadstools. I can highly recommend for a good family day out and we will be back!

Norton Priory was fab place for our 2 nearly 3 year old with woodland instruments, nature kitchen, fairy Glen, dressing up and lots of lovely interactive bits in the museum! Great interpretation and lovely hidden gem �

My parents took my eight son to visit you and on their return home couldn't praise the grounds, museum and staff enough. Every member of staff throughout, including the cafe, were so friendly, helpful and knowledgable. Mum and Dad said it was a pleasure to experience such a high standard of customer service and attention to detail. My son had an absolutely lovely time (even testing cake and leaving a napkin review!) and my parents wouldn't hesitate to recommend a visit. Well done and thank you for a fabulous visit!

My children absolutely love it here, as do I! Went to the monster hunt on Tuesday, lots for my little ones to do; arts and crafts, gingerbread decorating and of course the monster hunt, we had so much fun! And the playground and mud kitchen is always a winner too!! Thank you Norton Priory for another happy family day! ☺

Lovely day out for my 5 year old boy, staff were very polite and informative.

Lots to do arts and crafts, historical knowledge, a lovely cafe and great views.

The "Monster Hunt" was very entertaining and enjoyable.

We will definitely come back to see the Walled Gardens in Spring, we really enjoyed ourselves and at a great price too.

I went today as part of the Cheshire residents event. The museum is full of history and the grounds are wonderful to walk through, not too big so you can properly explore.

The walled garden was full of spring colour and a joy at every turn. Plenty of places to sit and enjoy the views.

The staff are helpful, knowledgeable and passionate about the place.

Tea and a stunning carrot cake in the cafe rounded off a lovely visit.

Heritage Open Day. Great place with so much history. The new museum is a credit to you, staff are friendly and knowledgeable. The grounds at the Priory, with pretty woodland walks is just stunning. The walled garden is an amazing place to sit and contemplate, such a sun trap even amidst the showers of today. Highly reccomend x

Had a lovely day yesterday at the monster hunt! Plenty of crafts to keep the children entertained and we loved the monster story walk, Professor Waffle was great. Thank you!

Can’t recommend Norton Priory enough.

We attended witchcraft and wizardry on Tuesday and spooky stories on Thursday evening and they were great!



Spooky stories especially for £5 you get a very well organised two hours of pumpkin carving, potion making, animal show holding animals and a spooky woodland story walk!

My girls loved it.

The staff were friendly and put every effort in to make it great

Split into groups which worked amazing

Absolutely amazing place!! Had a fascinating visit with family,this place is steeped in history and holds amazing artifacts,and magical secrets.The items on display are amazing and the care taken in their upkeep is second to none. Such an incredible atmosphere,this place is full of magic! The gardens are beautifully kept,and the staff and volunteers work tirelessly to maintain the place. Wonderful font of knowledge in the amazing Lesley at front of house,clearly passionate about her role here and who can blame her! Highly recommend a visit here....the home made produce is excellent too! Something for everyone here,in a beautiful setting.

A wonderful peaceful place..will definitely come again..

We came for the first time on Tuesday for Shh, don't wake the dragon which my 3 year old really enjoyed - we'll be seeing glitter for months! 5* for the venue and extremely welcoming and helpful staff on the front desk. There's also quite a nice range of gifts. It's great that the venue is family friendly. We really enjoyed the bell search quiz too. You may like to reconsider putting old tomb stones at clambering height though! Either put a barrier around or have them vertical instead.



However, it'd be a 1* for what's available at the cafe and tea room at the Walled Garden. Your food and refreshments are hugely disappointing by comparison to the venue and facilities (indoor picnic room is a great idea for example) yet refreshments (tea, cake, light lunch) are more often than not part of the experience and a good money maker. Thankfully, I took a picnic but I did look and your children's lunch option is appalling and for an extortionate amount of money. I sincerely hope management take the time to read reviews and take the time to visit other attractions to see the quality and range they're offering. On the food and drinks front you seriously need to up your game. For now, I'll be back but with a picnic packed.

The grandkids were very interested in the history of the priory, the exhibits, and the more physical running around the gardens and play areas. The youngest got a bit of a fright when he came across the role playing exhibitors, but the two of them enjoyed dressing up and going around the exhibition displays. The restaurant was nice and very reasonably priced, reasonable admission charges and there is plenty of parking. Well worth visiting.