Guided Tours at Ordsall Hall

Tucked behind the basin of Salford Quays, in a part of the city that has gone from industrialisation to modern renovation, you will find the oldest building that side of the river. Ordsall Hall is a beautiful 15th century house surrounded by gardens, which is now a popular visitor attraction, as well as event space.

Green space and history in the heart of Salford

The first records of Ordsall Hall date back to 1177, since then, the hall and surrounding land have been owned by several families and individuals, most notably the Radclyffe family, before eventually serving as a working men’s club and clergy school until subsequently being purchased by Salford council in 1959. In the past decade, the hall underwent major restorations which allowed new areas of the building to become accessible as well as ensuring that the building will be functional for another eight hundred years.

Find out for yourself what makes this home so culturally valuable with a guided tour of the hall. Running every Sunday at 2pm the tour takes you through the underside of this 15th century house. There are many hidden architectural gems to be found within, such as a rare plaster ceiling of Italianate ‘lozenge’ design, as well as medieval paintwork depicting pomegranates and oak leaves.

During the restoration process of Ordsall, an emphasis was put on using as much of the original materials as possible and returning the building’s historical features to prominence with minimum intervention.

Booking in advance isn’t required and the attitude is very relaxed allowing you to just turn up on the day. Tours run every Sunday at 2 pm. 

As a perfect way to end an afternoon touring you can relax in the cafe or enjoy this piece of green space and history in the heart of Salford from one of the picnic spots.