Our penultimate outing for this year was to Lytham Hall on 27th September. The Hall is situated one mile from Lytham St Annes on the Fylde coast.
Lytham Hall is considered the finest Georgian House in Lancashire. It is a Grade 1 listed building and is surrounded by 80 acres of parkland. The site dates back to a 12th Century Benedictine Monastery. Sir Cuthbert Clifton built a Jacobean Manor House on the site in 1606 which was remodelled by Thomas Clifton in 1752 into the Palladium House that stands today. The Heritage Trust for the North West took over the management of Lytham Hall in 1998 on a 99 year lease. In 2022 Lytham Hall was crowned winner of the Historic Houses restoration award.
On arrival we were greeted by two enthusiastic volunteer House guides. We were taken to the upstairs area of the West wing for refreshments of coffee and biscuits. Denise a very knowledgeable guide explained the history of Lytham Hall and of its past owners. We were then able to explore the house on a free flow basis. Several hardy members explored the gardens in the rain. The Paradise Garden was particularly lovely despite the wet weather.
At 13:30 we all returned to the West wing for an excellent lunch of hotpot or vegetable lasagne. Later several members visited the cafe, shop and well stocked garden centre. Everyone agreed that our day out was interesting, relaxed and very enjoyable.
Our next outing will be to Blackpool Illuminations on October 19th. If you are interested in any of our events or wish to join our Association please fill out our Contact Form. Article by Lois Hughes and photo’s courtesy of Michael Rofe,
