Shibden Hall Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Shibden Hall

Shibden Hall in 2010
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Established	1420
Location	Lister's Road, Halifax, West Yorkshire, England HX3 6XG
Type	Historic house museum
Listed Building – Grade II*
Official name: Shibden Hall
Designated:	3 November 1954
Reference #:	1254036

Shibden Hall is a famous historic house in West Yorkshire, England. It is a Grade II* listed building, which means it is a very important building that must be protected. The house is located in a large public park in an area called Shibden.

The house was built around 1420. Over hundreds of years, the families who lived there changed it many times. Its most famous feature is the black-and-white timber frame on the front, which is a classic example of Tudor style.

One of the most well-known people to live at Shibden Hall was Anne Lister. She was a wealthy landowner, traveler, and businesswoman who inherited the hall. She wrote very detailed diaries about her life, which have taught us a lot about the past.

History of the Hall
Shibden Hall Today
- What to See and Do
- Shibden Hall on TV
Gallery
See also

History of the Hall

Early Owners

The first records of Shibden Hall are from around 1420, when a man named William Otes lived there. For the next 200 years, the estate belonged to two powerful families, the Saviles and the Waterhouses. You can still see the special symbols, or coats of arms, of these families carved into a large stone window at the hall.

In 1619, the hall came into the hands of the Lister family. The Listers were a rich family who made their money from owning mills and trading cloth. They owned Shibden Hall for over 300 years.

Anne Lister's Changes

The most famous member of the Lister family was Anne Lister (1791–1840). After her aunt died, Anne became the owner of Shibden Hall. She was a very independent woman with many ideas for improving her home.

In the 1830s, she hired an architect named John Harper and a garden designer named Samuel Gray to make big changes. They added a Gothic-style tower to the house to be used as a library. They also redesigned the park, adding beautiful terraced gardens, rock gardens, waterfalls, and even a lake for boating.

After Anne Lister died in 1840, the estate went to her close companion, Ann Walker. When Ann Walker died, the hall returned to the Lister family.

Becoming a Museum

Later, a member of the Lister family, John Lister, had money problems. The hall was eventually given to the town of Halifax. In 1926, the grounds were opened as a public park for everyone to enjoy. In 1934, Shibden Hall itself opened as a museum.

The park and gardens were restored between 2007 and 2008. This project was paid for by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the local Calderdale Council.

Shibden Hall Today

Today, Shibden Hall is a popular museum where you can step back in time. In the nearby barn and farm buildings, you can visit the West Yorkshire Folk Museum.

What to See and Do

The museum has many restored workshops that show what life was like in the past. These include a brewery, a shop for basket-weaving, a tannery (where leather was made), and a stable. There is also a large collection of horse-drawn carriages.

The park surrounding the hall is a great place for a day out. It has:

A children's play area
A miniature steam train
An exhibition of dry stone walling

Inside the hall's music room, you can see a very old square piano. It was made in 1769 by a famous piano maker named John Pohlman and is one of the earliest ones he ever made.

Shibden Hall on TV

Because of its amazing history and appearance, Shibden Hall has been used as a location for filming. It appeared in the 2018 movie Peterloo.

It was also the main setting for the BBC and HBO television series Gentleman Jack. This show tells the story of Anne Lister, based on the secret codes in her diaries. The series was very popular and caused the number of visitors to Shibden Hall to triple.