Over the Easter holidays we were invited to Manchester for a day out. We started off at Salford Museum and Art Gallery and then after lunch we headed to Ordsall Hall in Salford which is a free attraction for everyone to enjoy. We hadn’t been to Ordsall Hall before and weren’t to sure what to expect but if I ask you to imagine a national trust property then you can probably imagine something very similar, only instead of being in the middle of nowhere it’s actually in the middle of a housing estate which we found to be very odd but didn’t impact in the visit at all.
Ordsall Hall is a beautiful big black/brown and white building with gardens that you can walk round and explore to your leisure, finding out about all it’s history since it was first mentioned in 1177. There is plenty to read and learn about as you go round for the historians amongst us and if you are thinking of taking children with you then they will be far from bored as in every room there is something for them to see and do, from dressing up and enjoying a pretend banquet in the great hall to creating menus or grinding herbs and spices in the kitchen.
In addition to the free activities, of which there are plenty, there was also an extra activity of being able to paint an egg cup for the Easter holidays which cost £2. We decided to try this and my youngest loved and it kept him busy for a good half an hour but of course if you want to make sure this is a completely free day then you don’t need to do the extra activities.
When we arrived we were also invited to take part in their free Easter hunt, this required the children to go round the whole of the building looking for bunnies that were numbered 1-9 and then answer the riddles attached to each of them. This was a great idea and both children really enjoyed looking for the rabbits and the riddles were written for a real mix of ability meaning the youngest could get some of the answers on his own an for others his brother had to help and one had all three of us a little stumped at first but we figured it out in the end which was good as there was a chocolate reward for all correct answers – winner!
We had a wonderful few hours at Ordsall Hall in Salford and I would most definitely recommend that you visit if in the area, you can easily fill 2-3 hours maybe more if you enjoy the gardens too or take time out for a trip to the coffee shop.
Top Tips for your trip to Ordsall Hall
1.Parking is pay and display to remember to take change.
2. There is cafe on site that offers drinks and light refreshments, (we can recommend the the carrot cake) but there are also plenty of places to sit outside and enjoy a picnic should you wish to save some money.
3. Take a camera as there are lots of lovely photo opportunities especially if you have children.
4. Check the website before you go as the opening times may change and they have different events on throughout the year.
5. If you are looking for a wedding venue then take a trip and check it out as it would make a spectacular venue.
For ideas for things to do in Manchester then check out our round up post and other reviews.