Ultimate guide to Speke Hall - a green oasis with a Tudor house at its heart

In 1524, Sir William Norris inherited a medieval cruck-beamed hall on the site where Speke Hall now stands, a place where his ancestors had lived as early as 1314. He started building Speke Hall as we know it in 1530.

Home to a priest hole, Gothic Revival furniture and William Morris wallpaper. In 1986, the National Trust took on full management of Speke Hall. Since then, they have continued to care for its important collections, objects, garden and grounds, preserving this special place for future generations.

The garden at Speke Hall is filled with colour and history, and there are plenty of spots to relax and feel close to nature on the estate. A green oasis of semi-ancient woodland and acres of fields and paths on the edge of the River Mersey, surrounded by industrial Liverpool.

Lorraine Lett, Programming Manager at Speke Hall, said: "We really aim to be a property for everybody, whether it’s your interest in history, your interest in the gardens or the wider estate. We’ve got a wonderful what we call ‘core family offer’, so we have an outdoor play area, we have the maze, and we have a woodland trail that’s associated with the giant Child of Hail John Middleton. That takes you into a Woodland play area as well, where there is a brilliant zip wire. We’ve got quieter areas for people to go to if they want a little piece of Oasis to get away from the city centre or if you just need a little quiet day out."

Built by the devout Catholic Norris family, eager to impress visitors with the grandeur of their home, Speke Hall embodies more than 400 years of turbulent history. Restored in the 19th century, it is a unique mixture of Tudor simplicity and Victorian Arts and Crafts’ aesthetics. In the 21st century, Speke Hall and its surrounding estate provide a place to reflect on past and present, and about how the legacies of history remain relevant today.

• Watch the video at the top of this page for our full guide to Speke Hall.