Rufford Old Hall in West Lancashire

We can honestly say the sandwiches were by far the worst we have ever had! It was a cold wet day and the egg sandwiches were so cold that the lettuce was frozen in the middle. I took them back to the counter and was offered an exchange. The tuna and sweetcorn sandwiches were so soggy they had almost disintegrated. I don't understand why they couldn't make them fresh to order - there seemed to be enough staff standing around! Never again!

Home made scones with cream or butter and jam - absolutely delicious. Friendly, helpful staff. Lots cakes too.

The cafe is decorated with interesting historic kitchenalia. This makes it a great setting for the good food served.

Small tearoom within the hall serving drink and snacks. I had a piece of very nice homemade shortbread and a latte. Majority of snacks and cakes are homemade.

After touring the Hall and gardens we had tea and cake in the lovely cafe. Facilities were clean, staff friendly and this was a great end to a very enjoyable day trip.

Nearly all open and a first visit. The staff were delightful in every way. At the shop/pay area the most delightful girl welcomed us and ensured we knew where we were going. She said you wont get lost it is only small. Well not that small as the gardens were quite lovely. The house is super even though at the moment only partly open. Very well kept and very interesting. Nothing over the top which is what I like. A really nice coffee and one of the best Cornish pasties ever. Everything relly good. A nice place to return to for some tranquility.

We hadn't been here for a few years and certainly not since the start of the pandemic. We has booked our slot and arrived to a warm welcome as if we were one of the family. Only small groups are allowed into the hall at any time but volunteers are in every room to give an informative talk. Well set out, lovely walks in the grounds. Don't forget to to do the canal walk as well.

We visited the tearoom a couple of times during our visit to the hall. First time was for morning coffee and a tea cake which was fine albeit expensive. For some reason there was no apple juice for our grandson so he had a carton of orange juice instead. Second time was to get a drink and sandwich for lunch. We waited a minute or two while a table was cleaned for us and the staff were all very nice. We ordered a child’s lunch bag, a couple of sandwiches and some hot drinks. The child’s lunch was good although there was still no apple juice! The drinks preceded our sandwiches by some margin, so much so I finished my coffee before the sandwiches arrived. On the plate were the sandwiches along with a few crisps and a portion of iceberg lettuce. Very strange, just a bit of lettuce on the side, never seen that before. My wife’s BLT sandwich was fine and she said it was freshly made and the bread was nice and fresh. My egg mayonnaise sandwich looked OK but had one piece of sorry looking piece of cress in it and was crunchy in part which I think must have been a bit of egg shell? I didn’t bother complaining because I didn’t want to spoil a nice day out, so just paid and left. These few items cost £17.95, a bit expensive considering what you got for your money. I think we will take a picnic and a few drinks next time we visit.

Very interesting Old Hall with lots of surprises. The guides are very helpful and knowledgeable but self guiding using the info sheets is also very good. Tea room is very good. Grounds lovely. Point for NT to consider - the map you are given shows the church(not NT) but fails to show that there is a padlocked gate between the Old Hall grounds and the church. Indeed it shows a label saying 'Church walk' as if you can get between the two sites. Less spritely members would be disappointed to have walked down towards the church only to be foiled at the last moment. Just a thought.

Place is very quaint, staff friendly, food to a good standard. They didn’t get 5 out of 5 because their Victoria Sponge had no cream in, felt a bit short handed.

Not an extensive menu and my veggie daughter thought at first not many options but on looking harder some of the things not marked V were ok for her (I guess she’s not as fussy about cheese as some) The frittata was lovely as was the Lancashire tea. The staff were lovely. Cakes looked good but we were trying to behave!

Garden is gorgeous: full of purple crocus, snowdrops and daffodils. Woodland walk, canal, shop and cafe. Fascinating house and hall. Orchard, kitchen garden and picnic area for summer. Small but plenty to see for all. Maybe try not to be so offputting when someone arrives at 3.10pm and you close at 4pm! Still perfectly possible to spend money in the shop and have a pleasant wander around the place.

We called in for a quick lunch and was very pleasantly surprised. The interior had a very old world feel to it. We were greeted quickly and despite being very busy we were quickly seated. And our order taken. The menu was very simple but our food arrived promptly, was freshly cooked and was quite delicious.

Our cheese and fruit scones had been made in the morning. They had been warmed and were delicious We sat outside in the sun while the waitress bought our order. We found the staff friendly and with a sense of humour!

Tea for 2 came in a very small pot and an even smaller pot of hot water. £4. We ordered a Pepsi for £2.10 and were charged £2.40 with no 'sorry' when the error was pointed out. We did not have cakes on this ocassion but noticed they were £3.50 a slice. In my opinion overpriced for what you get.

As NT members we paid a visit for a stroll around the gardens and spot of lunch, on a lovely Tuesday afternoon. The gardens are very well kept, and the volunteers are ever so friendly and were only too happy to answer any questions. We have been in Hall before, and I can recommend that from previous experience. The cafe is quite nice, but the choices are fairly limited, however, whilst most of the staff are very pleasant, there is one woman who clearly doesn't want to be working there and could do with being told the correct way to talk to, and serve, customers. Basil Fawlty could learn a thing or 2 from her, in future, we will have a look inside the cafe first, and if she is on duty we will go elsewhere for our eats, she is that rude

Beautiful old house and fantastic gardens by the Leeds Liverpool canal. I live in the area but my friends who were new to,it, were delighted. Friendly, knowledgeable staff. Excellent catering.

Had delicious cheese scones which had been warmed and lime and coconut cake. Service was a bit slow but we were not in a hurry.

We had lunch here while visiting the hall and grounds. They offer a selection of light meals, sandwiches, cakes, etc. All the food was freshly prepared and in the case of the sandwiches and panini that we ordered very good. The staff were friendly and helpful.

We only had a tea and coffee here, but it was so nice for it not to be self-service, which has happened in so many other National Trust venues.

I learned so much and enjoyed the experience in every way. The staff was well informed and shared human interest stories as well as facts. The gift shop is lovely with a nice variety of items.

Great place to visit, very interesting and enthusiastic staff. Came here to show off our heritage to my cousin who was visiting from Australia. Really enjoyed our time here.

Very Interesting Visit with an exhibition of scarecrows in the grounds adding a nice touch. All staff are both friendly and helpful and make you very welcome we enjoyed the talk on the hall which lasts about 15 minutes and is very informative

Interesting old hall and pleasant gardens. Sun was shining & pleasant garden to relax in. Tearoom especially good.

Very nice visit lovely gardens friendly staff,The woodwork in the old Hall is incredible well worth a visit

Love seeing the garden in its different seasons. Good for the elderly or those that enjoy short walks. Tea rooms average. Nice small property, cosy, with some very old bits as well

Después de un agradable ealk en los jardines y el hall, un lugar de almuerzo estaba en orden.

Mi esposa y yo decidedon un corto día y fuimos a Rufford para un paseo y visita al Old Hall. Mientras allí almorzamos en el café pequeño y acogedor. Bury blackpuddings y huevos escalfados eran deliciosos, pero las tartas eccles tomó el premio. El servicio era amable y educado, eficiente.

Visitamos Ruffold Old Hall por primera vez hoy, aunque está a sólo 20 minutos de nuestra casa.

Berna un par de veces muy agradable casa pequeña. El personal es muy amable. Terrenos mucho cosas divertidas para niños

Un montón de historia aquí con guías útiles dar charlas y explicar la historia de la casa y la familia. Impresionantes jardines. Agradable cafetería demasiado. Paga para unirse a la noche y visitar gratis.

A splendid historic house full of interest. Friendly and informative staff, lovely setting and gardens. Good tea-room and NT shop. Well worth a visit if you are in that area of Lancashire.

Been coming here for years and it is still a good afternoon out the gardens are great and the tea room is ok parking is getting better

We visited the tea room here as we passed through Lancashire on a journey and it was a pleasant tea room. It's small and well worth combining with a trip round the gorgeous Tudor house. We had the Lancashire tea which was delicious.

We called in here while visiting the hall. It wasnt bad, but not what we hoped for. The salad was swimming in dressing which was a bit disappointing. It was the first day they opened so may not be up to full swing yet. Not bad for tea and cake though

Another favourite of ours in the NT collection for the north west. Whilst you could spend all day there if you wished, Rufford is a little smaller making it accessible for just a couple of hours out if preferred. The Tudor house is beautiful and staff exceptionally well informed of the history. The grounds are a little more "rugged" in parts allowing children to run free and make dens .... They ARE however very well tended in the formal part near the house. On particular note, the canal runs along side the walkway, this area is stunning and captures the season to perfection, bluebells in the spring and pretty Autumn colours in September / October.We rarely use the coffee shop, no particular reason other than picnic tables scattered throughout so nice to do that.Well stocked gift shop and adequate parking - we love it here !

a nice afternoon out for the grandchildren learning about the history of rufford old hall. very imformative staff who really knew the history of the place

The cafe was half full when we arrived today and free tables were all dirty and had not been cleaned. After cleaning our own table (at this point we should have left!) we were served. The menu's on the table were dirty. There was an old couple in the corner who had a similar problem to us with a dirty table full of the last customers plates and cups and asked to be served twice, both times ignored. It took them 15 minutes but they were to polite to complain. The coffee was terrible, scones were hard and the jam out of a cheap packed. With the amazing variety of Jam's and Curds on offer in the shop we were expecting fresh home made but it was not.However the worst part of the visit was the waiter. She was loud and brash shouting at the top of her voice ever order which was brought out. In front of customers she was ordering other staff around, running around the tea room 'stressed' and in a foul mood. You could hear her shouting outside from inside the cafe. She was unhelpful and useless!The only small jem in was the young lad working there who was calm and collected and sorted out customers issues when the lady server either ignored them, forgot the complaints or had to much else on to deal with them. Please Nation Trust, move this woman behind the scenes somewhere.

Four of us went - busy but not heaving. Staff friendly but slow to find a table, take the order and deliver food. Food not good. Soup was a strange combination of sharp and oily; quiche flabby; welsh rarebit undercooked and containing curious pieces of raw onion; and Lancashire tea included stale cake and 'Lancashire' cheese which looked, felt and tasted like Port Salut. Not to be recommended.