Events

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. 

Arrive from 9am for a 9.30am start. 

Join Mima Cornish from HedgeRose Healing for meditation in the beautiful surroundings of Norton Priory Museum and Gardens in Runcorn on select 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 28th 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 

The Wheel of the Year turns once more and we find ourselves at Summer Solstice. Come and join us as we give gratitude to the Sun for all that the Sun provides us as we approach the longest day. 

With meditation and reflective moments with Mima Cornish of HedgeRose Healing, and immersive circle dancing from Myrriadd Dance, we will share this wonderful evening of celebration together. 

Using a negative painting technique we will create a decorative background using acrylic paints. Once the background is dry we will paint around an image on top of this decorative background to define, add depth and contrast to create the final negative painted artwork. A wonderful exciting way to use acrylic paint and create a beautiful piece of art to take home. 

Led by artist Juliet Staines. 

Pre-booking essential. 

Friday 26th June at 7.30pm 
Saturday 27th June at 5.30pm or 7.30pm 

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.

This year for Festival of Archaeology, we are all about nature! Come along and get stuck in with crafts inspired by the festival, enjoy our beautiful green spaces, and explore our archaeology trail. 

Make your own masks inspired by the green man sundial excavated here at Norton Priory. Try your hand at cave painting just like they did in the Stone Age. Get ready for a delicious dig finding all the chocolate chip rocks in our cookie excavation.

Come and join in for free any time between 11am - 3pm.

Join the Norton Priory Ranger for a walk through the Museum Woodland to discover the wildlife of Norton Priory after dusk. We will be using bat detectors to help us find these nocturnal friends.

The evening will be begin with a talk on bats by Tony Parker, or fun bat craft activities for the kids.

All children must be accompanied by an adult. Please wear appropriate footwear. 

Taking inspiration from all the different outdoor theatre shows at Norton Priory this year and the historical periods they are set in, we're making our very own costume pieces!

Become a swashbuckling, hook-handed pirate from the Pirates of Penzance by making your own sword. Get ready to sneak off to a ball in disguise with a mask inspired by Romeo & Juliet. Steal the crown and assume the role of a king like Claudius in Hamlet. Tell you own story "as you like it" with character puppets, or act it out yourself with some dress-up. 

Come and join in for free any time between 11am - 3pm.

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.

Come and celebrate one of our favourite minibeasts at Norton Priory - the honeybee!

Learn all about the life cycle of honeybees and customise your own bee life cycle chart. Make your own bee bopper headband to show appreciation for all the bees here and everywhere.

Come and join in for free any time between 11am - 3pm.

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.

Come and learn about toys through time - from the first toys to the 20th century. Get a closer look at how children have played for thousands of years and take home your own customised Victorian illusion toy - a thaumatrope!

Come and join in for free any time between 11am - 3pm.

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

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!  

This event is included with General Admission, with up to 3 children free per paying adult! Book online ahead of time for a discount. Pre-booing closes at 11.45pm the night before your visit. Or pay General Admission on arrival. 

TICKETS COMING SOON! 

Come and get ready for National Wildlife Day with us! 

The woodlands at Norton Priory are full of creatures great and small - owls, badgers, foxes, bats - so we're giving them the spotlight this week. 

Make animal masks, pom-pom hedgehogs, and paper birds and bats - everything you need to celebrate the local wildlife this year.

Come and join in for free any time between 11am - 3pm.

The Christmas Gift Fair returns to Norton Priory Museum & Gardens for 2026!

Begin your festive season by finding the perfect gift for a loved one. Browse local suppliers and crafters selling gifts that you won't find on the high street. Enjoy performances throughout the day from choirs and brass bands. Grab a mulled wine and a mince pie in the Wine Cellar. 

TICKETS COMING SOON