Events

'Phantoms at the Priory' is Norton Priory's latest art installation.  Following last year's successful 'Mars at the Museum', we're delighted to welcome the phantoms to the museum.

Commissioned specially for Norton Priory by the team behind York's hugely successful 'Ghosts in the Garden', this installation allows visitors to come face to face with some of the characters who have shaped the 900 year history of this remarkable place.

Meet an abbot, take a selfie with a canon, and see a kneeling knight.

Spend some time with Brooke family members, welcome a guest arriving for a summer ball, and find out what upset the Duke of Bridgewater.

Outside, see the Head Gardener at work, tending the vegetable plots.  And there are a few smaller surprises to discover as well.

Come and see the 'echoes of the past' for yourself.  We're open from 10am - 4pm (closing at 5pm from Mothering Sunday). No need to book, pay on arrival at the museum. 

Experience Phantoms at the Priory in a whole new light (or dark!). On selected evenings in February and March the Museum will open after hours so that you can enjoy the spectre of the Phantoms after dark. 

Commissioned specially for Norton Priory by the team behind York's hugely popular 'Ghosts in the Garden'. These installations allow visitors to come face to face with some of the characters who have shaped the 900 year history of Norton Priory. 

Follow the trail around the Museum and Medieval Undercroft to sit before the Duke of Bridgewater, find the three mice and spooky spider, see the lady in the ballgown, an angel's face, an apparition of an arm, the Abbot, a Georgian couple in conversation, and take a seat next to the contemplative Canon. 

Can you capture a photo of a Phantom? 

The lights will be turned down low for this atmospheric experience. 

General Admission daytime tickets are also valid for the evening. The Walled Garden will close in line with normal opening hours. The Museum grounds will close at 5pm. 

FREE for Norton Priory Members. No need to book. 

Using photographs of Norton Priory, along with drawing materials and your imagination, you will create an image that captures a phantom. You'll begin by drawing your own phantom, then place it on acetate over a photograph to reveal the hidden ghosts of Norton Priory - almost as if you;re creating a photograph of a 'real' phantom. 

This workshop is for all ages and anyone interested in creativity. It's a chance to invent your own baclstory for a phantom exploring Norton Priory, or to take inspiration from the Phantom Sculptures. 

No booking needed. Included in general admission prices. FREE for Children. FREE for Norton Priory Members. 

With Phantoms at the Priory on the loose, this February half-term at Norton Priory Museum and Gardens is looking a little different...

So, if there's somethin' weird and it don't look good, who're we gonna call?  The Ghostbusters, of course!

Come along and see our (friendly) phantoms and have the opportunity to see a replica of ECTO 1 from 'Ghostbusters'.  This genuine 1959 Cadillac commercial chassis ambulance has been converted to be a Ghostbusters Ecto 1 replica, complete with working lights and sirens.

This car was used by Ernie Hudson (Winston) and Jennifer Runyon from the 1984 Ghostbusters film and was also the car of choice for Sony during the UK 2021 Ghostbusters Afterlife film premiere.  It was also used in the UK interviews with the directors Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman who have both sat in this car. 

As a bonus, a Jurassic Park jeep will also be visiting on the same day!

Included in General Admission prices (£13.50 for adults, up to three children per adult go free).  Admission is free for members of Norton Priory.

No need to book. 

Learn to Draw Phantoms with a World-Class Illustrator!

Join us at Norton Priory for a spooktacular, hands-on drawing workshop for all ages — perfect for curious kids, creative adults, and families who love to make art together.

Leading the session is Stu Harrison, an award-winning illustrator and cartoonist whose work you’ve almost certainly seen before. Stu has illustrated children’s books and comic strips, worked extensively with The Guardian, and created artwork for hugely popular titles including Go Jetters, My Little Pony, Transformers, Dinoboy and Swashbuckle.

His client list reads like a who’s who of global brands — BBC, Disney, Nike, Kelloggs, Tesco, Marks & Spencer, McDonald’s — and fun fact…  Stu illustrated the original box artwork for the iconic Colin the Caterpillar cake at M&S! He also created all the animated assets for the BAFTA winning “Level UP” website for the BBC. Other animation projects include creating the characters and backgrounds for “Comical Spill”, a teen comedy series, for Youtube. www.stu-art.biz 

In this special workshop, Stu will guide you step-by-step as you learn how to create your own phantoms and spooky characters, sharing tips, tricks and behind-the-scenes insights from his career in illustration, comics and animation.

No experience needed — just imagination!

What to expect:

• A fun, relaxed drawing session suitable for children and adults
• Learn character-drawing techniques from a professional illustrator
• Create your own phantom artwork to take home
• A rare chance to meet and learn from an artist with international credits

Tickets are limited — book now to avoid disappointment!

Following on from their acclaimed show A Brief History of Music, GreenMatthews bring you a new show which explores our rich history of witty wordplay and melodic mirth.

Chris Green (piano, guitar, accordion) and Sophie Matthews (early woodwinds, flute, saxophone) bring four centuries of chromatic comedy to life.  With pieces ranging from bawdy Restoration ballads to stinging Sixties satire, this is a historic musical journey like no other! 

Featuring songs by Noël Coward, Tom Lehrer, Flanders and Swann and a host of other lesser-known songwriters, this fun and fast-moving revue will have you rolling in the aisles!

This is an exclusive chance to see this show live, in-person, in 2026, so we expect demand for tickets to be high!

The show comprises two 45 minute sets, with a 25 minute interval.  

This performance is recommended for ages 8 and up.  Doors to the performance space open at 7:00pm, with refreshments available from the Brooke Cafe before the performance and during the interval.

Come and join Woolyback Crafts at Norton Priory this half term and make your very own phantom! We will be using earthenware clay and handbuilding pottery techniques to make an ornamental ghost figurine to haunt your home! This workshop is suitable for all ages, no prior experience necessary!

This is a one hour workshop suitable for all ages. Please book places in advance. 

The artworks produced will be taken away to be fired and glazed. Participants will be contacted when items are ready for collection. 

Multi award-winning A Place For Us Theatre and Norton Priory invite you to an unforgettable evening celebrating some of the most iconic musical theatre ever written.

As part of Norton Priory's 'Phantoms at the Priory' installation, the ghosts of revolution sing again…

Echoes of the Barricade is a candlelit concert inspired by Victor Hugo’s 'Les Misérables', featuring beloved numbers including 'I Dreamed a Dream', 'Bring Him Home', 'On My Own', and 'Do You Hear the People Sing?'.

Performed by A Place For Us Theatre’s young musical theatre company and accompanied on piano by Corey Gerrard, this is a rare opportunity to experience the passion, drama, and enduring power of a music that has moved generations, brought to life in an atmospheric and historic setting.
 

Experience the magic of pure vocal harmony with The Cheshire Chord Company!

 This versatile and vibrant ladies’ a cappella chorus – multiple award-winners and National champions – brings exciting high-energy performances to the Norton Priory’s stunning atrium.

From heartfelt ballads and jazz to contemporary pop arrangements and a host of upbeat numbers, their repertoire will ensure you are smiling and your feet are tapping!  Originally formed in 1993, the choir includes members from all walks of life, across the North of England.

Whether you’re a barbershop fan or simply love great, live music, this is a wonderful opportunity to immerse yourself in vocal harmony!

Award-winning VML Drama bring you a script-in-hand production of a scary tale, as part of Norton Priory's 'Phantoms at the Priory' season. 

Be prepared for jump scares courtesy of special sound effects and the incredible talents of VML Drama's company, as they bring this to life in the presence of an audience. The performance will be narrated by the ‘Master of the Crypt’, who will guide the audience through the story.

The fabulous Norton Priory atrium will prove the perfect back drop for this evening of spine-chilling entertainment. Are you brave enough to attend in the company of the Phantoms of the Priory?

This performance is recommended for ages 12 and up. Doors to the performance space open at 6:30pm, with refreshments available from the Brooke Cafe before the performance and during the interval.

The Liverpool String Quartet returns with friends, to perform a very special evening of music, inspired by 'The Phantoms at the Priory' installation.

The 'Transfigured Night' programme is as follows:
P. I Tchaikovsky - Souvenir de Florence, Op. 70
Interval
Andrew Lloyd Webber - Music of the Night (from 'The Phantom of the Opera')
A. Schoenberg – Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night), Op. 4

The players (Liverpool String Quartet & Friends) are:
Roisin Walters – violin
Kate Marsden – violin
Dani Sanxis – viola
Sarah Hill – viola
Nick Byrne – cello
Mark Lindley – cello

Programme Notes
Tchaikovsky’s 'Souvenir de Florence', composed in 1890, is one of his most expansive and expressive chamber works. Written for string sextet, it combines symphonic breadth with moments of intimacy and lyricism, reflecting the warmth and vitality of the composer’s Italian experiences. 'Music of the Night' is the emotional centre of The Phantom of the Opera. In this arrangement for strings, the music takes on a more intimate and atmospheric character, emphasising its nocturnal quality and making a natural connection with the 'Phantoms at the Priory' installation. Schoenberg’s 'Verklärte Nacht', composed in 1899, is a landmark of late-Romantic chamber music. Inspired by a poem by Richard Dehmel, the work unfolds as a continuous narrative, moving from darkness to transformation through rich harmony and intense emotional expression. Though controversial at its premiere, it is now regarded as one of the great chamber works of its time.

About the Ensemble
Liverpool String Quartet & Friends brings together the Quartet’s core members with guest musicians for larger-scale chamber repertoire. The ensemble is known for its expressive playing and imaginative, context-led programming, and performs regularly in concert series, festivals, and special events across the UK and Europe. The Liverpool String Quartet is Ensemble in Residence at Norton Priory.

Featuring 'Man-Size in Marble' and more…

A timeless author of her age, Nesbit's writing for children will never be forgotten and will be eternally reprinted.

But this Mothering Sunday evening is not a time for the childhood pleasures of 'The Railway Children'…

Edith Nesbit was equally renowned in her day as the author of ghost stories and tales of the supernatural. With an overwhelming fear of the dark and the beyond, Nesbit poured that out into her hugely successful stories of the dead. Join Norton’s Narrator, Gav Cross for another evening of frightening tales told in the tradition of the Victorian Readings. Lose yourself to the joy of being read to once again in the atmospheric Norton Priory.

Enjoy a Mothering Sunday evening like no other in this historic place.

Surrounded by 900 years of history, it's a beguiling offer. Don’t wander too far though. The Phantoms will be watching you…

Audience Feedback for Norton’s Narrator:
“Gav is a remarkable storyteller in a brilliant setting”
“Entertained with live story-telling, delivered by an expressive storyteller.”
“Unique and atmospheric, entertaining and memorable.”

Feedback for Gav Cross:
“Like Jackanory for Grown Ups."
“A masterclass in storytelling!” NorthWestEnd.com
“It’s quite astounding how entertaining, funny and enthralling Gav Cross is.” Pound Arts, Wiltshire

Join us for the Norton Priory Art Club - monthly drop-in art sessions to help you get creative!

'Still Life' Art and Easy Peasy Ghost pop ups. 

Included in General Admission prices. Drop-in sessions, no need to book. 

A Book Club you don’t have to do the reading for.

We will read something unsettling to you.

Perfect for enjoyers of eerie tales, and those curious to know more about the stories that make their skin crawl... 

Join Norton’s Narrator Gav Cross and author John Reppion as they delve into the stories behind some of your favourite spine-tingling tales. Whether you’re a seasoned ghost story expert or a newcomer to the realm of creepy fiction, Haunted Book Club welcomes all new members with open (and possibly skeletal) arms.

Joining the Phantoms at Norton Priory we will be bringing 'The Curfew' by Lucy M. Boston. This haunted story of open graves and lost bell towers, is widely considered to be inspired by Norton Priory.  Lucy M. Boston, perhaps best known for her 'Green Knowe' series of children's books, lived on the estate before the final demolition of the house. Whatever you do. Don’t ring the bell on the way out…

Join in the conversation or sit quietly in the dark. Whatever you choose. Keep glancing over your shoulder…

Recommended for ages 12+, the performance will last 2 hours, including an interval.  Refreshments will be served by the Brooke Cafe.

You are invited to the Annual Collective Agatha Christie Awards Ceremony. This year's meeting is much more serious, for the chairwoman, the great Russian Agatha Christie fan, Ivona Mantakizanhug, was murdered last week. Now the coveted super sleuth prize is on offer to whoever can solve this all too real and particularly gruesome crime! 

Join the fun and meet France's foremost amateur detective, 'Hercule Parrot', and his arch English rival, 'Ms Jane Marbles'. 

Also here tonight are the newly appointed chairman, the renowned German detective, Clau Trapp and the brilliant American detective, Charlotte Angel. 

Come and join the party and discover that... being an Agatha Christie fan can be MURDER! 

Your evening will start with a glass of prosecco on arrival in the Wine Cellar, followed by a 3 course dinner with tea and coffee in the Medieval Undercroft. With fantastic entertainment from Absolute Murder, will you be a super sleuth or a defective detective? 

MENU
Starter
Leek, Spring Onion and New Potato Veloute 

Main Course
Sticky Beef 
24hr Braised Daube of Beef, Champ Potato, Seasonal Vegetables and a Rich Rioja and Redcurrant Jus 

Dessert 
Grown Up Brownie 
Belgian Chocolate Brownie and Baileys Chocolate sauce served with smooth Vanilla Ice Cream 

Any Dietary requirements will be catered for 

For more information or to provide dietary requirements please contact alison@olivetreecatering.co.uk 01928 599992