Events

EXTENDED BY POPULAR DEMAND!

'Phantoms at the Priory' is Norton Priory's art installation for 2026.  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 - 5pm. No need to book, pay on arrival at the museum. 

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.

Join Mima Cornish from HedgeRose Healing for meditation in the Coach House at Norton Priory Museum and Gardens. The chance to access a different atmosphere and truly enjoy the present moment. All meditations will be guided, and any mindful activities will be gentle and relaxing, promoting a natural sense of peace. Suitable for all levels from beginners to experienced. Please bring a blanket. 

The Coach House is located near the Walled Garden at Norton Priory. Follow signs to the Walled Garden. The Coach House is located next to the gate to the Walled Garden car park. 

Step away from the noise of everyday life and sink into an hour of pure vocal sound. 

Unlike traditional sound baths that use gongs or instruments, this unique experience is created entirely through the human voice. Surrounded by a live choir, you'll be immersed in rich, layered harmonies that gently wash over you from every direction. Bring a yoga mat, blanket, and cushions to create your own cocoon of comfort, or choose a seated space if you prefer. Once the singing begins, there are no introductions, no applause, no interruptions - just one continuous, flowing hour of choral music designed to calm the mind and restore the body. This is your invitation to pause, breathe deeply, and be held in sound. 

Spaces are limited to just 30 participants to maintain an intimate and immersive atmosphere. 

Please choose your preference on lying or seated when booking. 

Fresh Flower Crowns although temporary, because of their fragility, allow us to take time to celebrate and admire the seasons and flowers in bloom at that moment.

Flower crowns are often seen as modern celebratory decorations at weddings and festivals, but they are rooted in traditions that are thousands of years old. In pre-Christian and pagan events flowers were used in rituals and celebrations to honour growth, fertility, spirits and the cyclical nature of seasons and life. Festivals such as Beltane (1st May) were still being celebrated in the UK up until the 20th Century such as our May day walks.

Come and Celebrate with us at Norton Priory ‘Blossom Day’ and make your own beautiful Flower Crown, using foliage and flowers from the Norton Priory Walled Garden, and others locally grown. Relax and unwind in the beauty of the season and Norton Priory, with Andrea from Lavender View Farm. 

Tea and coffee included.

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

Saturday 9th May - Outdoor Clay Sculptures and Flower Collectors. 

Included in General Admission prices. FREE for Norton Priory Members. 

Drop-in sessions, no need to book. 

Join Mima Cornish from HedgeRose Healing for meditation in the beautiful surroundings of Norton Priory Museum and Gardens in Runcorn on select Saturday and Sunday mornings.

The sessions vary each week and take the opportunity to access the many different places and atmospheres at Norton Priory, both inside and out, to truly enjoy the present moment. All meditations will be guided, and any mindful activities will be gentle and relaxing, promoting a natural sense of peace. Suitable for all levels from beginners to experienced. Please bring a blanket.

Sunday 17th May, 9am - 10am 
Sunday 14th June, 9am - 10am 
Sunday 12th July, 9am - 10am 
Sunday 16th August, 9am - 10am 
Sunday 13th September, 9am - 10am 
Sunday 18th October, 9am - 10am 
Sunday 8th November, 9am - 10am 
Sunday 13th December, 9am - 10am 

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

Saturday 30th May - Collaborative Collage Bonanza: Norton Through Time! 

Included in General Admission prices. FREE for Norton Priory Members. 

Drop-in sessions, no need to book. 

Plant Hunters' Fairs returns to Norton Priory on Sunday 31st May!

There will be a tremendous range of plants available for sale from a host of favourite specialist plant growers.

The fair is held next to the 2.5 acre Georgian Walled Garden, with entry to the fair priced at £1 per person. For an additional £5, visitors can wander through the Walled Garden itself, whilst Early Bird advance tickets for the whole site are priced at £9.00 per adult. Up to three children are permitted access to the whole site per paying adult.

This special price of £9 will not be available on the day. There is free car parking on-site and the Brooke Cafe will be providing refreshments throughout the day. Please note for this event the Fair and the Walled Garden are open from 10am - 4pm, and the museum and woodlands are open from 10am - 5pm.

Step into the world of Hamlet, Shakespeare’s masterpiece of revenge, betrayal, and ambition.

Be one of the first to see this brand-new 70-minute outdoor version from multi-award winning A Place for Us Theatre Company, at Norton Priory’s Woodland Theatre space this June.

Shakespeare’s classic tale of revenge, betrayal, madness, and ambition is distilled into a high-energy performance that captures all the drama, emotion and language of the original play. Under the open sky, audiences will be drawn into Hamlet’s gripping journey and tragic demise as he confronts family betrayal, moral dilemmas, and the weight of destiny. Perfect for both newcomers and seasoned Shakespeare fans, this fast-paced adaptation brings the iconic characters and timeless story to life in a way that is thrilling, fresh and unforgettable.

"…The torment is real, the hideous crimes authentic, the anguish and grief tangible – each scene, each actor, each movement, played with passion and credence. It was superb…"
***** Northwest End Review – Macbeth

In partnership with Heathfields Orchards, Norton Priory offers a practical and theory-based workshop on summer fruit tree pruning. The workshop uses the Norton Priory orchards to provide practical hands-on experience, with expert tuition and guidance. The workshops are designed to be both educational and enjoyable, making them an excellent choice for anyone looking to enhance their knowledge and skills in fruit tree care. 

Award-winning Immersion Theatre Company proudly presents an unforgettable adaptation of William Shakespeare’s iconic, 'Romeo & Juliet'.

This powerful story of forbidden love and bitter rivalry is brought to life in a visual spectacle infused with comedy, heart-break, and danger. Moving, funny, and tragic in equal measure, this beautiful production will see Immersion continue to build on their reputation for producing Shakespeare for all, be it the seasoned theatre-goer or budding literary enthusiast.

This is Shakespeare as it’s meant to be: interactive, fun, and highly accessible!

Recommended age: 10+ Approximate run time: Act 1 – 50 minutes / Interval / Act 2 – 40 minutes

This is an outdoor theatre performance. Please dress accordingly for the weather. In extreme weather, the performance will be moved inside.

This is a Culture 26 event, celebrating Halton's year of culture.

Illyria perform this Gilbert and Sullivan classic on the outdoor ruins at Norton Priory Museum.

Frederick, accidentally apprenticed to Pirates as a child, is indentured to the Pirate King until his 21st birthday. On the day he reaches 21 he leaves the ship, announcing that he now intends to dedicate his life to the Pirates’ destruction. The Pirate King checks the contract’s small print – and realises that as Frederick’s birthday is 29th February on a leap year he has only had four birthdays and is actually indentured for another 63 years. With only the Penzance constabulary to protect him, will Frederick be forced to serve the pirates until he is 84?  And will his sweetheart, Mabel, wait for him that long? Performed by a six-strong cast of actor/singers with fully orchestrated accompaniment, The Pirates of Penzance boasts such gloriously memorable songs as “To be a Pirate King!”; “Modern Major General” and “A Policeman’s Lot is Not a Happy One”. With razor sharp satire and glittering wit, it remains as fresh as if it had been written today. 

Performance starts at 7.30pm, gates open at 6.30pm. 

Running time: 120-minutes (approx.), including a 20-minute interval. 

Recommended for all ages. 

Cancellation in dangerous weather only when performances will be rescheduled. Tickets are non-refundable. 

About Illyira: Illyria’s mission is simple: to create outstandingly enjoyable theatre and make it available for everyone. Illyria has been pursuing this mission for over thirty years, performed for more than a million people, and intend to entertain families across the country for many seasons to come.

Illyria perform Shakespeare's story of love in all its guides, as an open-air performance on the ruins at Norton Priory Museum.

In this play Shakespeare explores Love in all its guises. Four pairs of soulmates meet in the mysterious Forest of Arden. One pair leap straight into bed. Another pair are instantaneously dumbstruck by each other’s beauty and pledge their undying troth. The third pair torment each other: he showers chaste love upon her which she haughtily rejects - yet secretly she enjoys the flattery. The fourth pair go further still, playfully blurring their roles and identities to such an extent that flirting becomes more pain than pleasure, and Love itself is pushed to the limit of its endurance – and beyond. 

Throughout the summer Shakespeare’s iconic comedy will be performed where its action is set – in the great outdoors, by a 5-strong cast of classically trained professional actors. Multi international award-winning Illyria has an unmatched reputation for excellence, forged over three decades, that dominates the outdoor touring theatre sector. Join them this summer for a memorable night of laughter and romance under the stars. 

Performance starts at 7.30pm, gates open at 6.30pm. 

Running time: 140-minutes (approximately), including a 20-minute interval.  

Suitable for all ages.  

Cancellation in dangerous weather only when performances will be rescheduled. Tickets are non-refundable.

Immersion Theatre are thrilled to bring their trademark energy to their wildly entertaining musical adaptation of the Rudyard Kipling family favourite, THE JUNGLE BOOK!

Filled with original music, audience interaction, and a host of larger-than-life characters, you are invited to join Mowgli and his friends, Baloo the bear and Bagheera the panther, on a madcap jungle adventure as they meet and attempt to outwit a slithering snake, some cheeky monkeys, and the fierce tiger, Shere Khan!

Funny, exciting and wildly entertaining, this AOOO-some musical will have you howling with laughter: It’s the perfect treat for the whole family!

Recommended age: 4+ Approximate run time: Act 1 – 45 minutes / Interval / Act 2 – 40 minutes
This is an outdoor theatre performance. Please dress accordingly for the weather. In extreme weather, the performance will be moved inside.

Part of Culture 26, celebrating Halton's year of culture.