DODDINGTON HALL
HX Suggested Reasons to Visit
Step into the art-filled long gallery, browse a farm shop rich in organice local produce, and discover the pyramid.
About
About 40 rooms big, Doddington Hall, just outside Lincoln, is usually attributed to the man thought to be the first ‘proper’ architect, Robert Smythson, who also worked on Hardwick Hall, Wollaton Hall, and at Longleat. The Doddington estate was bought in 1593 by the lawyer Thomas Tailor, who worked for the Bishop of Lincoln and it was Tailor that commissioned Smythson to build Doddington. It was finished by 1600 and has passed by descent ever since, through the Hussey family to the Delaval family, and in 1829 to the Jarvis family. Doddington was just one of the Delavals’ houses. As well as Doddington, they owned Ford Castle in Northumberland, now owned by the Joicey family, and Seaton Delaval, the now-ruined palace by Sir John Vanbrugh, also in Northumberland, which is run by the National Trust.
Since Seaton Delaval was the Delavals’ so-called ‘modern’ house, Doddington was their ‘antique’ house, deliberately refitted in the 1760s to look old-fashioned and hark back 30 years. The Delavals were game-players and tricksters, famed for their practical jokes. When the 100-foot Long Gallery at Doddington was full with overnight guests, separated by curtains, the Delavals would pull a handle and the curtains would come down, revealing all to everyone in the room.
Today’s custodians James and Claire Birch (née Jarvis) have lived at Doddington full time since 2009.
Featured in
BOOK A VISIT
Trusted partner
Book with ease
24/7 visitor support
*Free cancellation
- Hall and Gardens BOOK FROM £6.50
- Gardens BOOK FROM £4.50
Book in seconds via Apple / Google pay on your phone for your chosen date.
Turn up at Doddington Hall's entrance and use your phone to show your QR code that will be in your emailed ticket.
That's it!
The HX team will be on hand if you have any questions about your ticket.
Hall and Gardens
The Hall is open on Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays and bank holiday Mondays from 11AM-4PM. Discover over 400 years of family history at Doddington Hall, featuring a captivating collection of furniture, weaponry, paintings, ceramics, textiles, and more. …
Gardens
The Gardens are open on selected dates from 10AM-4PM (Last entry 3:15pm). For many visitors, the gardens at Doddington are as breathtaking as the Hall itself. Staying true to the original Elizabethan design, the gentle walls …
Nearby houses
