Browsholme Hall

About this place

Browsholme Hall stands in the parish of Bowland Forest Low, within Lancashire's Ribble Valley, an area historically administered as part of the West Riding of Yorkshire.

Built in the Tudor style, it is claimed to be the oldest surviving family home in the county and remains in private ownership.

The hall sits within the Forest of Bowland, with gardens and a tearoom open to visitors.

It opens to the public during the summer months, and group tours can be arranged throughout the year.

History

The house has stayed in family hands across generations, an unusual continuity for a building of its age in England. It was designated a Grade I listed building in 1954, formal recognition of its architectural and historical significance. Its location in Bowland Forest Low places it within an area that was historically administered as part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, despite its present-day Lancashire county setting.

Architecture

The hall is built in the Tudor style, with the kind of layered additions and alterations typical of a house that has grown over centuries rather than been built to one design.

Gardens & grounds

The gardens are open to visitors alongside the house and are described locally as picturesque, forming a key part of the visit alongside the on-site tearoom.