Ushaw: Historic House, Chapels & Gardens

We went today with our grandchildren. Really fabulous day out. So much for them to explore and do. They loved the little train. Also indoors was a whole room set up with train tracks and trains. So special. Cafe was brilliant too.

First visit to the Historic House and Chapels of Ushaw College. If your going to be a regular visitor suggest an annual membership. On arrival you see the playing field used by boys to play cat...which us explained on a notice board and inside the house. The house and chapels are magnificent with intricate architecture, splendor, and stained glass. Many garden trails and activities for children - check out the website

Very stunning place with a stately house, chapels, exhibition/event space, afternoon tea, gorgeous cafe and beautiful gardens. It's kids friendly and good picnic spot too.

We chose the Flower Festival weekend to visit here, so definitely an attractive historic house/college to visit. £8 entry - bargain. Easy car/motorhome parking. Short walk to the main entrance. Friendly staff throughout. Gorgeous flowers displays, some remembrance displays, WI, Various colleges and groups. All within this amazing building. Beautiful parlour/restaurant - very reasonable prices.
Now ... the flamboyance and ornate magnificence of this place can almost have the opposite effect that you might expect ... it never fails to dismay me that religion establishments were so so wealthy and rich when the rest of the country was starving and living in wooden huts !!! But all that said, this is a fascinating place, with a fascinating history and is quite something to visit. The additional beautiful flower displays were a very huge bonus.

You'd struggle to fill more than two or three hours looking around, but it's well worth visiting & the entry price is very reasonable... The Chapels are unbelievable, absolutely beautiful - really shows how affluent the Catholic Church was back in the day. There is a large grass open area for kids to play games & parents to picnic & It's very pleasant to take a short walk around the gardens, where there are plenty of seats for taking a rest & just admiring the garden, or the view across the valley. There is a café which looked very nice & sensibly priced too - we didn't use it, so can't comment on quality. Overall, definitely worth a look around.

A lovely hidden treasure of a place. Spent a wonderful afternoon exploring. Stunning refectory to eat in. Great preloved bookshop. Very friendly staff. Beautiful gift shop. Stunning chapels and theatre. Lovely gardens. Loved it!

Ushaw historic house and gardens is an interesting Catholic centre which used to be a Catholic Seminary. The Pugin family had an influence on the exterior and interior designs although the main house is older. The main chapel is the highlight of any visit. The cafe, restaurant is rather grand to have lunch in.

Parking is free. There is an entrance fee but is free to Historic Houses members.

Lovely place, I'm not a religious person but I do like interesting architecture especially the large chapel, really knowledgeable guides who can tell you all about the buildings. I think this place is well worth a visit