Crook Hall in County Durham

Poorly maintained and evidence of poor horticultural practices. Will not be returning

Gardens wonderful as ever, but (indoor) cafe, which we started with, was a disappointment. I know they were busy but no-one seemed to keep an eye out for dirty tables. We had to remove other people's half-eaten food and soggy plates. Staff were pleasant but needed another person to help, really. When paying nearly £4 for a coffee it seems pretty cheap to serve it in a paper cup. Bacon bap was dry and chewy and came on a cardboard plate. Couldn't cut it with wooden knife. Coffee nice, though. Whole experience was a bit like an (expensive) transport caff, such a difference from last year. We didn't stay for the garden and house, but you MUST see them; they are glorious. Start there and do the cafe afterwards.

Beautiful gardens a stones throw away from Durham city centre. Lovely cafe and plenty of parking on site

A lovely little garden to wander around

Very pleasant but small gardens and medieval hall.

Beautiful. Opted for the garden guided tour - fabulous 🙄

Fabulous garden tour with Clive. Very informative and interesting ☺️

A lovely little national trust property. The pumpkin trail was a good length and challenging enough for our group. Ensuring our tweenagers were engaged for a good hour and a half hunting for the pumpkins. Cafe had the usual national trust provisions. The car park is small so be warned it may be a challenge to park during busy periods.

Delightful collection of interconnected small gardens with views overlooking the city. Beautifully set out secong hand bookshop. Pleasant café. Friendly, helpful lady on the door.

Beautiful little hall and gardens in the middle of Durham. Small medieval hall with some interesting features and a second-hand bookshop. Gardens are divided up into sections, and considering it is in a busy city, it is remarkably peaceful. It also offers cracking views of the Cathedral and Castle. Car park is free for members, chargeable for non-members. There is a cafe on site. Dogs are welcome.

A very pleasant amble around a very interesting garden! Work going on to improve paths. Will visit again next year!

Lovely old place for walk in the garden some places a bit bumpy for wheelchairs

What an enchanting little place, the gardens are so peaceful and beautiful, it's a hidden gem 💎 I look forward to returning in all seasons to spend time here and see hour the Gardens change.

Beautiful gardens. Variety of plants is immense and so demure in this private place with Durham Cathedral in view. Shame the wee shop/ticket office closes well before its stated opening times til 5pm and the cafe too looks bereft at 4.30pm. More intent on cleaning up and getting away on the dot. That's the National Trust for you! And not one postcard for sale, nor a Nat Trust feedback form for visitors. Four stars for the gardeners and the grounds. Two stars for everything else. 😀

Quaint central Durham national trust property. The kids like the maze and exploring the garden. Also can walk into town very easily

Good, compact gardens with interesting nooks and crannies, second hand bookshop, cafe and toilets.

Crook Hall is a medieval hall set within country gardens. Run by the National trust, it's fairly small but packed with charm. In good weather you could spend 2-3 hours here. There is a popular cafe on site and there is a carpark. Well worth a visit.

Wonderful gardens and very relaxing despite it's proximity to the city..

Lovely gardens in central Durham. Friendly and helpful staff. The gardens are varied with many nooks and crannies to explore. The Hall is being developed, and there is a questionaire asking for visitors' ideas. Dogs are welcome in the gardens.

Wonderful venue only let down by the limited access to Crook Hall itself. It is still worth a visit, especially if the weather is nice as the gardens are lovely. The Hall is just a 10 minute walk into Durham City Centre making it an excellent addition to a day in Durham.

Lovely day out at Crook Hall gardens. Good picnic area, beautifully tended gardens.

Much more to see than expected with a wellbeing garden and an allotment garden plus the medieval house. Pay to park all day this year but not expensive.

Beautiful gardens, friendly staff, nice tearoom and free parking for members.

Beautiful garden, we had a very relaxing weekend.

It is quite small but a nice place to visit if you are doing other things in the area. It is not somewhere you can spend the day.

Thanks for always finding good activities for children and amazing gardens.

The Hall would be difficult to access for the less mobile, but the gardens are more accessible. The gardens are fantastic in summer. (When we visited).

Crook Hall was originally built in 1286, but was replaced with new walls in the 1400s. Thought to be the first domesticated house in Durham. Crook Hall is literally in the heart of Durham city centre, and has very beautiful grounds. I gave a 3 star as I'm a wheelchair user and was only able to see less than half of the gardens, with alot of effort from my hubby with the uneven surface ( bricks) &gravel. As soon as you are in the carpark there is a hill slope which isn't great for wheelchairs. I will post pictures. We were only there for about 40 minutes. Ellie who welcomed us,& lovely said the paths are looking to get done at some point. There is a bookshop, cafe & loos. The car park charge for non members is £3.30 for 3 hrs.

Spent an enjoyable 30mins in the maze

Lovely gardens , lots of nooks and crannies to explore Only downside is the parking facilities We had to use the public pay and display because the NT Crook Hall car park was full

Beautiful spot. Great varied gardens to explore. Amazing views. Dog friendly. Good cafe.

Beautiful gardens and the hall was excellent with stunning views of Durham cathedral.

Really lovely, not suitable for people with mobility issues though

Lovely garden and hall ..worth a visit .

Lovely place. Gardens bigger than expected.

Well worth a visit to this hidden gem

A bit difficult to find.needs more road signs.

Absolutely amazing, hard to find but well worth the efforts

Lovely medieval hall and gardens. I would recommend getting a drink/food in the cafe at the entrance as there is nowhere else to purchase drinks or food. Plenty of places to sit and have a picnic. There is also a second hand book shop with a wide variety of books to purchase. The car park is pay and display but £3 will be enough to enjoy the full gardens.

What a gem of a place. Beautiful gardens in a perfect setting. Lovely staff. Well recommended!

Lovely little National Trust property in Durham

Nice scones. Coffee is not barista-made which is disappointing. National Trust Cafes always take an inexplicably long time to process customer orders; today I nearly grew a beard waiting for the two women in front of me to order two soups and two drinks.

A fantastic set of tiered gardens within the Durham city limits. A fun place to temporarily lose your partner in the maze too.

If you like gardens it's beautiful but the house is so 2 rooms one of which is a 2nd hand book shop

Crook Hall is lovely, small but lovely. Kids started with a race through the little maze, we then wondered the gardens at front of the house, then the house itself before wondering round the allotment, pond and other gardens. The house hasn't got loads to see, although it's oldest part is the hall. The gardens have a variety of areas albeit small it's really nice to wonder through. We probably stayed for about 2 hours in total. They did have some kids crafting that we could have done, but my kids had limited interest at the time...!

Quite a small property with lovely, well tended formal and informal gardens. The onsite cafe is nice, clean, and we enjoyed the scones. There is not a lot to see in the actual hall, but since you are there may as well check it out. Parking is limited but well organised. There is a charge for non-NT members, but it is well justified due to the vicinity of the city centre (and council charge for on street parking directly outside).

Lovely little hidden gem. Well worth a visit.

Amazing well kept gardens and house staff are very friendly the cafe is very nice and all very well maintained

Nice for the kids but the cafe is a bit of a rip. £2.50 for a can of pop & the soup of the day was nice but be warned, your £5 gets u a thimble sized portion! That's why I've taken a star off. The ice cream had loads of ice crystals in too. The girl did refund it but I did say it would need changing to a new tub which was dismissed so I feel for next people to buy it Pref Gibside & Cragside for National Trust days out.

Cafe lovely quite difficult disabled wheelchair access

Beautiful garden but not much house to see

Such a lovely place to visit. Quite small but such lovely gardens. Not as formal as others. Really feel like a beautiful family garden set out in 'rooms'. The bookshop and medieval area are fascinating. The 'pop up' garden made to look like a couple have just popped out is fun.

We had a brilliant time at Crook Hall, we enjoyed all the different areas of gardens, especially the walled garden, would recommend a trip

A property for those who like gardens. Very pleasant and well maintained gardens, in particular the walled garden. They now also have a lovely herb garden with a wide range of plants. If you need to use a wheelchair I would contact the property or check the website before visiting, for information about how easy it would be to get around. Not an awful lot for children (toddlers and older) to do, but they have set aside a field where you can play, and there is a maze at the entrance. I think you could probably spend 2 to 3 hours here, including a visit to the cafe. National Trust parking onsite for up to 3 hours, but there is on-street parking outside the property if you need longer.

Very nice gardens well maintained with friendly staff and lovely scones.a hidden gem away from the city bustle

Despite the dreary weather, I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the beautiful kept gardens. The only negative was that the cafe staff dragged chairs about endlessly, to clean them, while we sat for our coffee and cake. It doesn't take much effort to lift chairs rather than drag them across the floor. That said, the coffee was excellent! Hoping to share some photos of the gardens and mansion soon.

Love visiting Crook Hall. Beautiful flowers and planting. Super Nice place with lots of small bits to walk around. Nice pond, orchard, cathedral garden and lots of lovely areas to explore. It's great to explore some parts of the house that are open too. There is a second hand bookshop with mystery wrapped books for children.

A beautiful country garden in the heart of Durham city centre . This national trust property has the usual amenities , car park ( free for members) , cafe and toilets. The garden is lovingly cared for by volunteers. There is a box maze which children or young at heart will enjoy. Also some areas of the old manor house are open.

Wonderful gardens, something new at every turn. Polite helpful and keen staff

Fantastic garden in which to relax.

Beautiful garden and lots to keep little ones engaged. Well worth a visit.

Lovely place, a surprise round rvrry corner. Worth a visit if you're around Durham

Lovely sitting outside in the sunshine.Not a lot of choice food wise especially if you are watching the calories

Nice little gardens tucked away in Durham, perfect for spending a couple of hours.

First time visit to Crook Hall but a pleasant place and the gardens are beautiful. A little difficult to find even with a satnav

Great hidden gem near the centre of Durham. Beautiful gardens with a maze to navigate. Tea room at the entrance. Plenty places to have your own picnic around the site. National trust charges apply unless your member ! Car park on site too ( free for members)

Lovely gardens, even on a wet day

Great place to visit cafe also very good for coffee and cake

Really nice place to visit, just a few minutes walk along the river from the City centre. The coffee shop was busy when I called for a coffee on this occasion. These days, I'm trying to put more of my money into supporting local shops, rather than national chains. Very nice coffee!

Very peaceful, the hall is small but the gardens are beautiful

Great gardens and a surprise for the centre of Durham.

Lovely oasis within Durham, near to river & city centre

Outstanding. Staff are so friendly and couldn’t do more to help you enjoy your visit. The grounds are incredibly well looked after and a beautiful trip out, especially May - July when things are in full bloom.

Lovely hall and gardens on the riverbank at Durham. Good tearooms. Run by National Trust.

The lovely little hidden garden on the outskirts of Durham provides a tranquil and serene atmosphere. It serves as an ideal location to escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life and find moments of relaxation and peace. Although the maze presented a challenging experience today, it would greatly benefit from some maintenance and trimming to enhance its navigability. The staff members at the garden are exceptionally friendly and interactive, demonstrating a genuine dedication to maintaining the beauty of the gardens and ensuring a positive experience for visitors.

Lovely hall and amazing gardens in full bloom. Loads of places to sit and relax.

Excellent 11 am Wednesday tour with Tim. He was informative and knowledgeable. The gardens are amazing, the roses beautiful. Thoroughly enjoyed our visit.

Disappointing little garden in noisy town centre with hard to access car park. I wouldn't recommend at all.

Lovely gardens and house friendly staff nice maze, reasonably priced tearoom.

This is a hidden gem so close to the City centre. The gardens are lovely and the hall is beautiful. The volunteers were helpful and very chatty.

Wonderful, beautiful National Trust site. The maze is fun, the cafe well set up, the garden delightful. Note it's fairly small so doesn't have room for a kid's play area or have somewhere to let dogs loose. Not criticisms, just facts. Will definitely return again.

Stunning gardens, a joy to behold. Give yourself at least two hours to look around as there’s lots to see and plenty of seats in the best viewpoints. I could happily spend a whole day in the gardens. There’s a maze to explore to which would be fun for little ones. Staff were lovely to. I can’t comment on tea rooms as got so distracted in the beauty of this immaculately presented and yet still wonderful natural landscape I forgot the time and sailed towards closing time. There is parking right outside which is paid but free to National Trust members as is the entry. Its is a charming place and one of the nicest gardens I have ever seen.

Super atmospheric gardens around ancient Hall.

Lovely gardens, very well looked after, paths can be uneven so wear sturdy footwear.

Beautiful gardens and a very relaxing place.

A little calm space in Durham,along the riverside. Great fun for families,the maze to explore as well as the rambling garden rooms with different settings in each direction. Good tea shop with local ice cream. Parking limited but extra space along the River. Lovely afternoon treat, reminded me of Hidcote Manor in the Cotswolds.

We had a really nice afternoon wander around here. Since really well set out gardens and it was a pleasure to wander around. We had tea in the cafe afterwards and it was nice also. Friendly staff and a pleasant clean place to sit. Thanks

The gardens looked beautiful today

The flower beds look very congested in parts but overall the gardens were ok for a short visit.

What a lovely place! Not large gardens, but full of variety, well planned and well themed…with parking (and street parking too which is cheaper) and a lovely cafe too!

A real hidden gem in the centre of Durham. Beautiful gardens , medieval hall and lovely cafe too. Formal gardens, meadow and great views of Durham city and cathedral.

Beautifully maintained gardens. Large field where my grandchildren enjoyed ball sports. Good food in café. Good coffee and cheese scone.

Smallish but pleasant garden, which took about 1 hour to go round. The hall is an empty shell.

Delightful gardens with super views across Durham

Great day out we liked the big bench.

A very beautiful garden ~ bigger and more beautiful than I imagined! The staff must have spent a lot of time to maintain it carefully. I saw a wide variety of flowers and trees ~ I am very happy ~ I think I will continue to go next month to see how ripe the apples are on the apple trees (●°u°●)​ "

Beautiful place! I highly recommend!

What a beautiful place. I've lived here almost 15 years and never visited. Worth a few hours out.

Absolutely gorgeous gardens within Durham City. Such an array of colours and full of character, with nooks and crannies hidden all over the place. If a fine day, just take a book, as there are an abundance of quaint sitting areas scattered all around these wonderful gardens. Lovely dog friendly cafe as well. We didn't go in the actual hall, as understandably dogs were not allowed but it looks magnificent from the outside. Definitely worth a visit.

An amazing place with beautiful flowers