Out of the National Trust locations, East Riddlesden Hall would be on the lower end of my preference list. I had a good time while I was there, but it was a quick visit overall, especially with the travel time. I was able to extend my time here by completing the Meadow Walk, sitting and having my lunch and reading a couple of chapters.
No matter what, just like the other National Trust locations, East Riddlesden Hall is a beautiful place. A bonus part of this location is that the parking is free for all.
I went to the hall first to avoid getting mud in it. You go via the shop to the hall and gardens, where admission is taken. I found most of the rooms in the hall open to view. They had a small information board, and several volunteers were present to answer questions.
One of the rooms had second-hand books for sale, which visitors could browse until the second-hand shop reopened. After the hall, I went into the gardens. Some trees hadn’t fully bloomed during my visit, but it was a nice walk around.
Next were the barns. However, I could not view one of them as the staff was prepping for a wedding that afternoon. I was able to view the Great Barn.
In total, those three areas took me 45 minutes to look around. To extend my visit, I decided to do the Meadow Walk, which is free for everyone to walk around, and dogs can join their humans here. I stopped at one of the benches to have my sandwich and read my book, My Second Life, by Yeats.
On the way back around the Meadow Walk, a little path led to a pebbled area where you could see the river and an island.
This added another hour to my visit. I might have stayed longer reading my book in the meadow if there wasn’t a wedding due that afternoon. So, I returned to my car via the secret steps and took the 60-minute journey home.
I found these couple of hours to be a pleasant visit. I was told afterwards that I had been here before when I was younger but couldn’t remember it. I would visit again. I wouldn’t travel that far to take the dogs around the short Meadow Walk. But I will return in a few years when I’ve forgotten I’ve been again.
With Love
Tami xx