Our history
First opened as a museum in 1924, Astley Hall, Coach House and Park is a beautiful tourist spot located next to Chorley town centre offering families and friends a great day out. Within the grounds you will find acres of stunning parkland, the breath-taking Grade I historic house, the modernised Coach House which includes Café Ambio, the scenic Walled Garden, an exciting Pets Corner and an array of sports pitches and play areas.
After two years of renovation work, the Hall is now open. See opening hours and admission info.
Astley 100 Anniversary
We have a very exciting year of celebration in store at Astley Hall, as we mark our 100 year anniversary of being open as a museum!
Astley Hall first opened its doors to the public in 1924, two years after Reginald Arthur Tatton gave it to the people of Chorley. A special ‘Astley Memories’ project has been launched to collect important local stories and experiences about the Hall, and we would love you to get involved and become a part of history!
Whether you had a wedding at the Hall, went on a school trip, volunteered, or have visited for years, we want to hear from you. The conversations collected as part of this project will be added to the Astley archive so they can be used to tell the story of the Hall for years to come.
Stories will be collected in different ways, primarily through recorded interviews but you can also get involved by sharing photographs, written accounts, or artwork. These memories will then be used to tell the story of the past 100 years of Astley via installations throughout the Hall, and will be part of a special Coach House Gallery exhibition in the Autumn.
To take part you can email astley.hall@chorley.gov.uk, head into the Astley Museum Shop or the Coach House Gallery to request an expression of Interest form and get more information about the project.
We’re making appointments now for people to come and be recorded telling their stories so please do get in touch!
A variety of special anniversary events will also take place at the Hall throughout 2024, so watch this space for more information coming soon!
Astley’s Welcome Space
Astley’s Welcome Space returns from 11am – 3pm as of this Wednesday (10 January 2024) in the Coach House Gallery!
Astley’s Welcome Space is a free, friendly spot to enjoy some warming tea and toast, have a catch up with friends or have indoor playtime with the kids, with plenty of books, puzzles and games to enjoy.
The space will be open every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday until 24 March 2024, and every day of the February Half Term (10 – 18 Feb 2024)
Astley Winter Cleaning Schedule
Astley Hall is currently closed to the public until Spring 2024 to allow our yearly winter cleaning schedule to take place.
Our conservation staff are hard at work making sure the Hall and its collections are properly looked after and ready to be enjoyed by visitors once more when we re-open.
Keep a look out for events in the Coach House Gallery which remains open, alongside onsite businesses Cafe Ambio and Barrica in the Park
Astley Hall, Coach House and Park
Discover
…the interesting assortment of plants, flowers and home grown vegetables in the wonderful surroundings of the Walled Garden.
Explore
…the amazing Royalists’ Retreat and toddler play areas while parents or grandparents grab a snack from the adjacent pavilion.
Enjoy
…one of the many fantastic events that take place at Astley Hall, Coach House and Park throughout the year.
Immerse
…yourself in nature in the Sensory Garden or venturing along one of the park’s woodland trails, including the enchanting snow drop trail that blooms at the beginning of every year.
Treat
…your taste buds at the stylish Café Ambio. Whether it’s breakfast, lunch or coffee and a cake, the food and drink is regionally sourced and beautifully prepared.
Encounter
…furry, feathered and scaly friends in the delightful Pets’ Corner down by the pavilion and play areas.
Reflect
…on the at the sacrifice of the men and women of the Chorley Borough who served during World War One in the outdoor space at the Garden of Reflection.
Play
…some traditional fun family games on the tennis courts, bowling greens and putting greens with equipment that is free to hire between April and the end of September.
The Hall and Collection
Six centuries of history
Journey through over 400 years of history to reveal the secrets of Astley Hall, one of the most intriguing historic houses in the North West.
Astley then and now
This surprising building features some of the most breath-taking mid-17th century plaster ceilings in the country, rare painted panelling and very fine English oak furniture.