Events

One pass, unlimited WOW moments...

Get unlimited entry this summer, to both Catalyst Science Discovery Centre & Museum and Norton Priory Museum & Gardens for you and the whole family!

Each WOW pass grants unlimited General Admission to up to two adults and three children (age 0-16) to both museums until 30th September, 2025.

This includes any activities at Norton Priory marked as Discover Norton or included with General Admission!

Norton Priory opening times can be found here: https://www.nortonpriory.org/

Catalyst opening times can be found here: https://www.catalyst.org.uk/

Please note: the WOW pass can only be used by the individual/s named on the card and only applies to General Admission, not special events (unless otherwise stated). When booking your WOW pass via Norton Priory, you will be asked to book the date of your first visit, and your pass will be available to collect from Norton Priory on that date.

'Summer Stories' features excerpts from classics such as Of Mice and Men, Prima Facie, Macbeth, Blythe Spirit and The Importance of Being Earnest.  

VML also presents two premieres written especially for Norton Priory:  'Priories and Poltergeists' and 'The Cellar of Doctor Addison'.  Come and join us to experience these live performances, at different locations around the museum and grounds during the course of the afternoon. 

The museum is open as usual from 10am, performances of Summer Stories begin at 2pm.

We invite you to join us for our new Retreat Hour – a quiet, soul-nourishing experience held before the museum and grounds open to the public. With only a handful of others present, you’ll have the rare chance to spend quiet time in the woodland, walk the labyrinth in peaceful solitude, finishing with a short, gentle guided meditation to ease you into your weekend with intention and calm.

Norton Priory has long been a place of peace, reflection, and retreat. Our meditation groups are deeply special, enriched by the sacred atmosphere that surrounds this historic site.

Here is an exclusive opportunity to experience time in the grounds to simply breathe, reflect, and just be. 

Led by Mima Cornish.   

Join in and help create our very own giant mandala inspired by the mosaic shapes of the medieval floor tiles found during the excavations. The original floor at Norton Priory covered some 500 square metres which meant around 40,000 tiles were made and laid in a variety of patterns. Learn about how the tiles were made and help our artist to use the mosaic shapes to create an amazing colourful new circular mandala used by Hindu and Buddhists for meditation and well being.

Medieval health and well being crafts and activities for all ages will uncover how the Canons at Norton carried out their duty of care for the sick.

Enjoy family-friendly craft activities on Mondays and Tuesdays throughout the school holidays!

Activities will be running from 28th July to 26th August on Mondays and Tuesdays, 11am to 3pm, with different themes each week!

• Monday 28th and Tuesday 29th July - Celebrating the Festival of Archaeology we will be thinking about Norton Priory as an Infirmary. Make your own skeleton, a lollipop stick canon and try to heal the Norton Priory patients.
• Monday 4th August and Tuesday 5th August - This summer at Norton Priory is ‘Summer of Stories’. Make your own story book inspired by Norton Priory’s history and book mark.
• Monday 11th and Tuesday 12th August - We are celebrating animals. Both real and mythical! Make your own animal mask, mythical creature collage and pine-cone creature.
• Monday 18th and Tuesday 19th August - The Brooke Family lived at Norton Priory for 400 years. Find out about the toys and games the Brooke family children would have played with and make your own paper plate rocking horse.
• Monday 25th and Tuesday 26th August - Norton Priory’s research dig is on! Have a go at making your own Norton Priory ‘lift the flap’ discovery dig and see what you can find, have a go at a cookie excavation and write a postcard through time.

Join Halton Libraries as we share stories celebrating nature and the great outdoors. Staff from Halton Libraries will share stories and help you join in a simple activity – easy enough for you to re-create at home in your own outdoor space. Bring along a picnic blanket or a chair for the session.

Suitable for ages 3-10 years old.

Poet Lynn Pegler takes us on a fascinating illustrated tour ‘Around Cheshire in 100 Poems and Pictures’,  performing lively monologues and verse from her new book, inspired by the county’s intriguing people, places and history.  The poems explore the culture of Cheshire and the stories which form part of the county's DNA.  The subject of the poems is wide and varied, and you'll find some little known facts and humourous moments within Lynn's witty, playful and engaging verse.

The event will be held in the first floor gallery in Norton Priory's contemporary visitor centre, with views across Cheshire's most important monastic remains.  The gallery can be reached by lift or stairs and there is free car parking in front of the building.  There will be an opportunity to purchase signed copies of the book during the evening.

Tickets are £12 for adults and £7 for children, with discounts for members of Norton Priory.

Lynn Pegler is a poet, award-winning playwright, journalist and PR consultant. She has lived and worked in Cheshire for more than 25 years and serves as one of the county’s Deputy Lieutenants.  She is also the Chair of Norton Priory Museum Trust's Board and is the Festival Manager for the Weaver Words literary festival, which celebrated its seventh year in 2025.

She also holds an MA in Creative Writing from the Manchester Metropolitan University, has written/directed four plays and published a poetry collection ‘Salford Quays Unlocked – Voices of Manchester Docks’.

Come and try your skills at comic illustration with celebrated artist Stuart Harrison in these three fun workshops. Liverpool based illustrator Stu will be taking inspiration from his book, Brave Maeve, an exciting adventure story linking 6000 years of Irish folklore to today. These special art workshops will introduce visitors to the skills and techniques of comic art, and allow you to create your own adventure!

Stu is an illustrator and cartoonist, writing and drawing for children’s books and media. Stu also writes and draws regular comic strips. Past titles he has worked on include My Little Pony, Dinoboy and Go Jetters. He created all the animated assets for the BAFTA winning “Level UP” website for the BBC. He also teaches game design at LMA in Liverpool.

As a Discover Norton event, this is included with the WOW Pass

This is a Discover Norton event and is included with General Admission, plus children go free!* Book online ahead of time for a discount! Pre-booking closes at 11:45 the night before your visit. But if you miss out, you can pay for General Admission on arrival.

*Up to 3 children free per full priced adult ticket, additional children will be charged.

After an expert-led talk by Tony Parker about bats and identifying bats using bat detectors, we will head out into the woods to see what bats we pick up! The route will take us up to the Bridgewater Canal, which is an excellent site for watch for bats hunting for insects over the water.

Throughout the summer holidays there will be bat walks on Tuesdays, timed to try to catch bats as they head out to hunt.

• 29th July at 8.15pm

• 5th August at 8pm

• 12th August at 7.30pm

• 19th August at 7.30pm

• 26th August at 7.15pm

An autism-friendly afternoon at Norton Priory.

Because we appreciate that busy and noisy environments can be challenging for some people, we are holding an autism-friendly afternoon during the summer holidays. 

Based on guidance by the National Autistic Society and feedback from the Relaxed Mars evening, the following measures to support autistic and neurodiverse visitors will be in place:

• There will be quiet background music in the museum atrium.
• A written guide has been produced to help visitors know what to expect, available below.
• Staff working on the day will be briefed on the event.
• Hand dryers in the toilets will be switched off.
• A retreat space will be available for anyone who needs to take a break and sit down.
• Visitor numbers will be monitored and limited if need be - but with the outside spaces open the site can be calm and tranquil, even with a lot of visitors!
• Where possible, windows will be opened in the museum to provide ventilation.
• Many of our visitors love our trails for children! There will be trails available on the day.
• The choice of date and time is based on feedback from Relaxed Mars, typical footfall, and peak periods to try and ensure a calm environment.

On the day, the museum will be open from 10am-5pm and the Walled Garden from 1-4pm, and we will ensure that the above measures are in place by 3pm. We encourage anyone visiting for the autism afternoon to visit the Walled Garden before its closing time! Maps of the site will be available from the museum reception.

You can access and download a sensory guide to Norton Priory here

You can access and download a guide to the Relaxed Norton afternoon here

#AutismHour

Historia Normannis present a siege special at Norton Priory Museum & Gardens. See an exciting battle on the event field where medieval knights and soldiers attack the palisades with siege engines and 12th century weaponry.

In between acts, explore our dynamic living history encampment to see the clothes, food, crafts and skills of every day medieval life. Discover Norton Priory's medieval history through our permanent museum gallery displays and historic ruins.

There will also be family friendly crafts in the classroom, trails around the museum and gardens, and why not take your photo trying on some of our medieval fashions!

Timetable:

• 10.00 - Site opens to public 
• 11.00 - Act 1 (main field)
• 12.00 - Fashion Show (outside the priory)
• 13.00 - Act 2 (main field)
• 14.00 - Shire Court (outside the priory)
• 15.00 - Act 3 (main field)
• 17.00 - Event close

While Norton Priory hosts the CBBC characters Bill and Ben the Flowerpot Men this summer on loan, we invite visitors to make their own flowerpot creation in this fun filled family craft activity!

This eco-friendly activity re-uses and recycles old flowerpots from the Georgian Walled Garden, and will inspire visitors to make their own personalized flowerpot creation. Artist Juliet Staines will take you through the process, and all materials are provided.

Join Animal Teach as they takeover Norton Priory for this interactive and fun filled animal day!

This exciting takeover day will give visitors a chance to get up close with a variety of live animals, with a special focus on the historic animals and wildlife of the Brooke Family at Norton.

Come and discover :

Animal Encounters: Get up close with a range of fascinating creatures, learning about their behaviours and natural habits.

Interactive Learning Activities: A variety of fun, hands-on stations designed to inspire and educate attendees.

Live Talks: Zoologist-led talks throughout the day, filled with exciting facts about each animal.

Gift Shop: A selection of Animal Teach merchandise and animal-themed gifts for attendees to purchase as memories of their day.

Tickets are £10 per child. Regular admission charges for Norton Priory Museum and Gardens still apply. Event times are 11am till 4pm. Animal handling sessions and live talks will take place throughout the day and times will be advertised soon.

VIP Family Package

Before the main event kicks off, we’ll be offering an exclusive VIP Family Package. This 45 minute session will allow one lucky family to spend quality time with the Animal Teach team, getting hands-on with the animals and even feeding them. Each child will also receive an animal-themed gift as a special keepsake. Ticket pricing information to follow soon.

Join Norton Priory's Archaeology and Collections Director Lynn Smith on a tour of the 2025 archaeological excavations on the Priory grounds.

From 18th August to 12th September, we will once again be ‘Digging for Norton’ as we continue to excavate the servants wing of the manor house and the possible location of the medieval infirmary. Our archaeologists will be joined by a small team of volunteers.

Special tours of the dig site will be held on selected Fridays in August and September, and limited spaces are available.

Places must be booked in advance thorough Art Tickets.  Visitors will meet in the atrium at 1.45pm and be taken to the dig site.  

Please note: The tours take place on the priory ruins.  The ground may be uneven so please wear suitable footwear.  Due to the location of the dig site, this tour will not be fully wheelchair accessible. 

Introducing 'The Tempest', Shakespeare’s most magical play bursting with mayhem, comedy, romance and surprises!

Having developed a reputation for producing first-rate, critically-acclaimed, and highly accessible adaptations of Shakespeare’s work, Immersion Theatre – the multi-award nominated company behind last year’s smash hit 'A Midsummer Night’s Dream', proudly presents 'The Tempest"='; Shakespeare’s unforgettable tale of magic, romance, comedy, and revenge!

With heaps of audience participation, this mesmerising show will be brought to life in unforgettable style, perfect for both, seasoned theatre-goers and newcomers to Shakespeare’s work.

Not to be missed! Suitable for ages 8+

Pre-booking for this event is essential! Pre-booking closes at 11:45 the night before the event, so book now to avoid disappointment!

A fun and unique introduction to being an archaeologist. Suitable for all the family (aged 10 years and over). Working with Norton Priory’s archaeological team - have a go at trowelling, see how archaeologists record where they find objects and see what you can discover on an historic site.

Bookable 1 hr sessions:

• 10am to 11.00am

• 11.30am to 12.30pm

• 1pm to 2pm

• 2.30pm to 3.30pm

Celebrate St Augustine's Day with The St Nicholas Singers. This popular chamber quintet are are delighted to be returning to Norton Priory to help us celebrate St Augustine of Hippo, who's teachings influenced the medieval canons of Norton.

The afternoon will feature historic summer music including madrigals, part songs and choral pieces by early composers, with musical references to St Augustine. Performance times will be advertised on the day, and will take place at various locations around the museum and outdoor grounds.

Join us for a truly memorable musical experience in the stunning surroundings of Norton Priory as we present an evening with the award-winning Cheshire Chord Company, led by the talented Joanne Braham.

This versatile and vibrant ladies a cappella chorus, based in the heart of Warrington, brings together singers from a wide range of backgrounds and age groups, creating a rich tapestry of talent, harmony, and joy.

Specialising in high-energy, captivating performances, the chorus delivers a diverse repertoire – from soul-stirring ballads to toe-tapping pop hits, and from contemporary favourites to the timeless harmonies of barbershop classics. Every performance is infused with passion, precision, and a shared love of music.

Proud members of the Ladies Association of British Barbershop Singers (LABBS), Cheshire Chord Company has earned national acclaim, winning nine National Ladies UK Championship titles, most recently in 2023.

Set against the historic backdrop of Norton Priory, this event promises an evening of musical magic, camaraderie, and celebration. Whether you're a long-time fan or new to the world of barbershop, you’ll be moved, inspired, and thoroughly entertained.

Don't miss this chance to hear one of the UK's premier a cappella ensembles perform in one of Cheshire’s most picturesque venues.

Quince and Apple Weekend is back at Norton Priory, offering a delightful experience for the entire family. This annual event showcases the best produce from the walled garden, where you can purchase fresh apples, quince and other produce grown at Norton Priory. Dive into creative craft activities and explore a marketplace filled with unique offerings from local businesses! Whether you're looking to pick up some fresh produce or enjoy a fun-filled day of entertainment, Quince and Apple Weekend promises something for everyone.

This is a Discover Norton event and is included with General Admission, plus children go free!* Book online ahead of time for a discount! Pre-booking closes at 11:45 the night before your visit. But if you miss out, you can pay for General Admission on arrival!

*Up to 3 children free per full priced adult ticket, additional children will be charged.

Norton Priory is always looking for unique local businesses and artists for our events. If you are interested in being a stallholder at Norton Priory for this event, or any of our fairs, please contact bookings@nortonpriory.org

Come and join us for this evocative and immersive Halloween season performance with a difference.

The poems and works of literary legend and gothic American writer Edgar Allen Poe are brought to life by VML theatre in the atmospheric setting of the Norton Priory Undercroft.

The company will perform a selection of excerpts from Poe's most well known and classic poems and stories such as The Pit and The Pendulum, The Raven, The Tell Tale Heart and Masque of the Red Death.

The performance starts at 7pm.  There will be a 15 minute interval between acts. 

Step into the festive spirit and kick off your Christmas shopping with a wonderful selection of food, crafts, and gifts from local businesses. The museum will be filled with a variety of stalls, offering everything you need to find the perfect presents for loved ones. From handcrafted treasures to delicious treats, you’re bound to find a stocking filler or two! Enjoy musical entertainment and festive food and drink while you browse and soak up the seasonal atmosphere.

As well as entry to the fair, admission tickets include access to the museum, ruins and woodlands. After picking up some wonderful Christmas gifts, why not enjoy a lovely winter walk in Norton Priory's woodlands?

This is a Discover Norton event and is included with General Admission at a reduced price of £5 for adults and £4 for children.  Pre-booking closes at 11:45 the night before your visit. But if you miss out, you can pay for General Admission on arrival!

Norton Priory is always looking for unique local businesses and artists for our events. If you are interested in being a stallholder at Norton Priory for this event, or any of our fairs, please contact bookings@nortonpriory.org

VML Theatre Ltd returns to Norton Priory to bring us a traditional Christmas Carol concert featuring classic and well loved carols.

The concert takes place in our our 12th century undercroft, with the choir adding extra historical sparkle to the evening in Victorian period costume.

Concert starts at 7pm. Refreshments will be available on the evening.