I made a flying visit to Nostell Priory on the way back home from Sheffield with the aim of seeing the Doll’s House that I had been told about by the guides at Hoghton Tower. God willing we both visit the Priory one day for a better look at the house and grounds.

See the separate page for the Doll’s House.

I did also have a good chat with the guides in the Library about their work in going through the books to check their condition. They told me that there were 9,000 books at Nostell, though not all are on display. They mentioned some of the uncut pages in books (we used to have ones like that in the Library at Dean Wace House when I was at Church Society) and notes and scribbles, which prompted discussion about why some people write in books whilst others (CS Lewis included) are horrified by the practice.

In October 2026 we both visited the Priory but this time had a look round the estate and gardens as well as a longer look around the House. I also discovered that there was a rolling video in another room about the care of the Doll’s House.

Photos from the second visit are below. The gardens were not at their best in October.

Visited 22 July 2025

Revisited 10 October 2026