LYME PARK VISITOR
PLAN YOUR VISIT
Location: Lyme Park is on the northwest edge of the Peak District and accessed from the A6 in Disley. The house and gardens are 0.2 miles / 5-minute walk from the car park up a steep incline. Alternatively, more accessible parking is available near the Orangery.
Visit: There are over 1,400 acres of historic parkland to explore at Lyme, with walks through woodland and across the moor for far-reaching views. There is an abundance of wildlife and nature to discover as you walk. Several built structures dotted around the park add to the interest, as do the magnificent views.
Refreshments: Food and refreshments are available on site. There are picnic benches by the Mill Pond and Timber Yard, and picnics are also welcome in the garden. Please take your rubbish home with you.
New Mills: Spectacular New Mills! But many people who drive through the town by car are completely unaware of the secret beauty that lies below. The Torrs Riverside Park provides access to a dramatic gorge and an area of stunning natural beauty. The Torrs Riverside Park also contains the remains of what was an important industrial area, with the elegant Millennium Walkway winding its way for 125 yards through the gorge, high up among a canopy of trees.
LYME HALL AND PARK
Lyme Park offers a fantastic day out for all the family. Originally, the park was the site of a hunting lodge until, in Tudor times, the house was built. It was the home of the Legh family from 1388 and remained in their possession until 1946, when the National Trust accepted it as a gift. Venetian architect Leoni transformed the house into a fine Italianate palace. Some of the Elizabethan interior still survives and contrasts markedly with the later additions in the 18th and 19th centuries. Beautiful Mortlake tapestries adorn the staterooms, with Grinling Gibbons intricate wood carvings in the dining room. The large collection of unique English clocks is also of particular interest to visitors.
The 17 acres of Victorian garden, with its impressive flower beds and appealing rose garden, together with the Wyatt Conservatory, are a delight. Surrounded by a medieval deer park, with miles of walks across moorland and through woodlands, this is a place where you can spend many enjoyable hours and marvel at the fantastic views. The Gritstone Trail and the Peak District Boundary Walk long-distance footpaths both cross the park.
On a hill to the east of the approach road to the house is a tower called the Cage, originally built to act as a viewpoint to attract the attention of visitors. Constructed around 1580 as a hunting lodge, the design allowed the ladies of nobility to watch the hunt taking place on the slopes below the tower. It was replaced in 1737. Apart from serving as a hunting lodge, it has acted as a prison for poachers awaiting trial, from where it got its name. It has also served as a home for estate workers.
