Visiting the house at Lyme

A view of the South Front of Lyme Park from across the lake with spring blooms framing the shot — The south front of Lyme Park, Cheshire | © National Trust Images/Chris Lacey

Like many great houses, Lyme was built and rebuilt, embellished and enlarged throughout its ownership by the Legh family, with each generation making its mark and creating the house we see today. Explore the many rooms of the house and discover unusual objects and strange secrets as you walk through six centuries of family history at Lyme in Cheshire.

Collection items to look out for

Over 600 years, Lyme has acquired all kinds of unusual objects and strange secrets so you're bound to notice hidden details on every visit. Here are some highlights from the collection.

The Sarum Missal at Lyme showing the initials of William Caxton who produced the book in 1487 in conjunction with the printer Guillame Maynyal in Paris. — The Sarum Missal is the only surviving, largely intact, book of its kind. | © National Trust Images/Paul Harris

The Sarum Missal in the Library

The Sarum Missal at Lyme is the only surviving, largely intact, book of its kind. Printed by William Caxton in Paris 1487, the book is unique in having belonged to one family for over five centuries and represents the changing religious views of the country during that period. The Sarum Missal can be found in the Library, alongside a facsimile that you can read through to discover its secrets for yourself.

Discover the most important printed book in the National Trust

Lyme has the finest clock collection in the National Trust | © Andreas von Einsiedel

Clock collection in the State Bedroom

The collection at Lyme is so large that the majority of the older clocks are displayed in the State Bedroom and Dressing Room. Take a closer look at the intricate inner workings and find out more about their individual histories. In this room you’ll find the Fromanteel clock. Dating from 1658, this timepiece is thought to be from the first ever batch of pendulum clocks made in England. It is likely to be the oldest surviving pendulum clock in the entire country.

The Erard Harp in the Drawing Room

This beautiful golden harp was bought by Thomas Legh in 1829, a year after his marriage to the young heiress Ellen Turner. However their relationship was to be tragically short-lived, as she died in 1831. After this, Thomas went back to travelling the world, and it would be 12 years before he settled back at Lyme again.

Greek stele in Library at Lyme Park. Dating from the 5th century, it depicts an actor or poet holding masks of the tragic and comic muses. — Discover explorer Thomas Legh’s most important archaeological find in the Library | © Andreas von Einsiedel

Greek Stele in the Library

Discover explorer Thomas Legh’s most important archaeological finds. He discovered these marble sculptures in Athens in 1812 and asked Lewis Wyatt to incorporate them into the design for the new library at Lyme. Thomas displayed his most treasured objects here to showcase the ancient culture he had witnessed and admired.

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The History of Lyme

Unlike many great estates, Lyme was a much-loved home to generations of one family and their valued and loyal workers. Living through England's most troubled times, the Legh family hung on to their home and (mostly) their heads, and this impact can still be seen across the estate today. The largest estate in Cheshire, Lyme has been designed on a grand scale over a number of centuries. It has been a place to receive occasional royal guests, take friends hunting or to entertain on a lavish scale.

Whet your appetite before your visit and learn about the 600 years of history at Lyme by clicking here.