What’s On

  A few weeks ago I visited with 3 family members on a quiet Sunday afternoon. The house is easy to find by car and there was free parking right outside.... read more With regards to inside, the house is a wonderful tribute to the past, and to the Gaskell family. Beautifully maintained; it's like stepping back into the past and Mrs Gaskell herself could be writing in the next room. The guides were all so lovely and helpful. Sometimes when you visiting museums, the atmosphere is a little stuffy and uncomfortable but this is absolutely not the case here. I enjoyed viewing the rooms and listening to the stories about times gone by and famous literary visitors to the property. The Ruskin exhibition in an upstairs room is wonderful and I can't wait to return to visit the bedroom that is currently being refurbished. Downstairs is the second hand book sale and lovely tea room/gift shop. Lovely and clean and all COVID rules being followed. It was a lovely visit and the house is a little gem just a stone's throw from the bustle of Manchester city centre. Tickets last for 12 months so I hope to return next year. Well done to all involved in the upkeep of the house.

  I had a pleasure to visit the Elizabeth Gaskell's House on my short trip to the northern England few weeks ago. As I wanted to catch a break from the... read more noise of the city, I decided to take a walk to the outskirts of Manchester....More

  Visited as part of a Literary England tour. As a literary landmark, the House is somewhat of a bust, as it has very few furnishings or writings that belonged... read more to the Gaskells. However it is a wonderfully restored Regency suburban tract house, built for the pleasure of the well-to-do, but not aristocratic client. It does give a good feeling of Gaskell's perspective when writing her novels that dealt with cities rather than small towns.

For this visitor, the highlight was the gardens that have been reconstructed with plants that were common when Gaskell was in residence (1850-1865) or which are mentioned in her writing.

  me and my friend really enjoyed the experience. we booked the wrong time at first and emailed to reschedule and the team replied very quickly! all volunteers/guides in each room... read more were very informative and friendly. special shout out to the lovely Frances, they were so lovely and passionate and played us the piano in the front room. they were so nice and made the experience so lovely, thank you Frances, you are so amazing!!!

  Visited as part of a Literary England tour. As a literary landmark, the House is somewhat of a bust, as it has very few furnishings or writings that belonged... read more to the Gaskells. However it is a wonderfully restored Regency suburban tract house, built for the...More

  I grew up close by and finally decided to visit with my three children aged between 12 and 1. The staff were really friendly and great with kids. I was... read more dubious about my boisterous 7 year old running riot, but he really enjoyed it. The staff were all passionate and knowledgeable about the Gaskells, the building and even what plants are grown in the grounds. The building and gardens are amazing and there's even a tearoom. I can't recommend this enough. Not often I find something for the whole family to enjoy. Definitely worth