Rufford Old Hall, Lancashire: A Fine Tudor House

Rufford Old Hall, located in Rufford, Lancashire, is a National Trust property with roots dating back to around 1530, when it was originally built for Sir Robert Hesketh.

Today, only the Great Hall remains from the original Tudor structure.

In 1661, a brick-built wing in the Jacobean style was added, positioned at a right angle to the hall, followed by a third wing constructed in the 1820s.

Recognised for its architectural significance, Rufford Old Hall is listed as a Grade I building by English Heritage.

The surrounding cottage, coach house, and stables in the courtyard behind the hall hold Grade II status.

In the Great Hall, there is a carved wooden screen made from bog oak, likely dating between 1530 and 1540.

Described by Pevsner as "of an exuberance of decoration matched nowhere else in England," this screen is the only known surviving example from the early 16th century.

Positioned at the north end of the hall, it conceals the entrance to the original kitchens and features three finials and eight traceried panels.

Angels depicted on the screen carry shields bearing the arms of the Fitton and Banastre families.

The National Trust guidebook notes that the screen contains three deliberate construction errors.

These anomalies—an upside-down panel, a variant pattern, and an angel with an extra finger—are thought to have been intentionally included to avoid accusations of heresy, reflecting the period’s belief that only God could achieve perfection.

Links to William Shakespeare

There is some intriguing evidence suggesting that William Shakespeare may have performed in Rufford Old Hall's Great Hall.

William Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet and actor.

He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist.

Around 1580, Shakespeare was reportedly sent by his Stratford schoolmaster to assist as a teacher in the household of Alexander Hoghton at Lea Hall near Preston.

In Hoghton’s will, written before his death in 1581, he mentions a "wilim Shakeshaft nowe dwellynge with me," widely believed to be a reference to Shakespeare.

Hoghton bequeathed his musical instruments and "playe clothes" to Sir Thomas Hesketh, further hinting at Shakespeare’s connection to the Hesketh family.

By around 1585, Shakespeare had joined a troupe of actors sponsored by Lord Strange, the son of Lord Derby, likely upon the recommendation of Sir Thomas Hesketh.

In her 1974 book Lancashire Legends, Kathleen Eyre suggests there is some evidence, though perhaps based on "a fond hope," that a "William Shakeshaft" (a known variation of Shakespeare's name) was a youthful member of the "Hesketh Company of Players," which visited around 1585.

This period also coincides with Shakespeare's disappearance from Stratford-on-Avon after being involved in deer-poaching incidents, particularly at the estate of Sir Thomas Lucy of Charlecote.

A brief history

Until 1936, Rufford Old Hall remained continuously under the ownership of the Hesketh family, who had been lords of the manor of Rufford since the 15th century.

The Heskeths relocated to Rufford New Hall in 1798.

In 1846, Sir Thomas George Hesketh, 5th Baronet, married Lady Anna Maria Arabella Fermor, the sister and heiress of George Richard William Fermor, 5th and final Earl of Pomfret.

In 1936, Thomas Fermor-Hesketh, 1st Baron Hesketh, donated Rufford Old Hall, along with its collection of arms, armour, and 17th-century oak furniture, to the National Trust.

The hall is said to be haunted by several spectral figures, including a grey lady, Queen Elizabeth I, and a man dressed in Elizabethan attire.

Additionally, there have been reports of a man’s apparition floating above the canal at the rear of the building.

Someone who recently visited the property said: “This is one of the smaller NT properties but the staff here were the most pleasant & welcoming I have encountered.

”Very informative & helpful. Also there were information folders available and a guide in every room.

”The house is quirky & interesting & I loved the collection of watercolours still so vibrant after all this time.

”Although there were blinds down to protect the interiors, it was easy to see the objects in the rooms (unlike in some properties).”

Another person, who visited last month, said: “The hall is very old and beautiful the carvings are fantastic.

”This is a good day out as there are gardens to walk around a church and barges travelling at the side of the gardens.

”We had coffee and cakes which were delicious and well priced also a good selection of second hand books.”

If you’d like to visit, the address is: 200 Liverpool Road, Rufford, near Ormskirk, Lancashire, L40 1SG.

For opening times and prices, we recommend that you check the National Trust website before your visit.

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