Soulton Hall

For centuries, Soulton Hall has been more than a manor house; it is a coded message in stone, designed by Sir Rowland Hill during a time of great peril by the individuals who formed the ultimate ‘Tudor Rebel Alliance’. The walls hold defiance, sanctuary, and the dawn of the Elizabethan Golden Age, a period intrinsically linked to William Shakespeare.

Join an intimate tour to step beyond the usual view and discover the building’s deeply layered, sometimes secret, heritage. These tours are not merely a walk through old rooms; they are an intimate audience with the past.

This is the heritage that has, at times, been kept secret, and which the Hall is now proud to share with its visitors. These tours are your chance to unravel the truth, stand in the footsteps of history, and explore a direct connection to the inner minds of Tudor and Elizabethan statesmen, and their obsession with harmony and mathematics as social allegory.

Tours are typically led by a member of the family or an expert historian, guaranteeing an authoritative and insightful experience.

Sir Rowland, a pivotal figure on the Privy Councils of four monarchs, built Soulton Hall as a powerful act of preservation, actively resisting the social breakdown and polarization that threatened to consume the nation. He transformed the building into a strategic stronghold for harmony and conscience, overseeing the settlement into which the Geneva Bible he was so closely associated with was published.

Shakespeare, Sanctuary, and the Golden Age

The Hall’s unique history and architectural design link directly to the arts. Scholarly work suggests the Hall’s precinct, including its courts, was designed with geometry inspired by ancient sites like the Theatre of Epidaurus, connecting the site to the very foundations of early theatre. This artistic network is thought to have inspired Shakespeare’s beloved comedy, As You Like It. Soulton represents a vital link to the Tudor Period and Elizabethan Golden Age, where cultural and intellectual awakening was wrestled from unparalleled danger.

The Exclusive Tour Experience

These tours offer exclusive access to areas rarely seen by the public. Your journey includes:

• The Concealed Chapel (including the Priest’s Hide).
• The ‘As You Like It’ Dancing Pavement and the Rowland Hill Furniture.
• The Epidaurus Court and Wren Steps, reflecting the architectural links to early theatre geometry.
• A deeper sense of the Renaissance Codes woven into the structure.

Tours that are scheduled will be listed below. If none are scheduled yet, please check back later, or find other tours you might enjoy on our tours listing page here.