Soulton Hall

“Soulton is a rich and fascinating bridge between sixteenth century worlds. Not just from the late modern, but also between the traditions of Britain and an international Renaissance, showing local distinctiveness even as it connects outwards. I don’t think any house has quite as many surprises per square foot as Soulton.”
— James D. Wenn, Country House Expert, The Byrga Geniht Consultancy

For nearly 500 years, Soulton Hall remained hidden and mysterious, and it is only now yielding up its secrets to become the landmark Tudor estate linking England to the roots of its greatest stories and foundations.

Fresh from its feature on The Rest Is History podcast, where historians Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook explored it as the nearest thing to a Tudor “Da Vinci Code,” this private tour offers an intimate audience with a hidden past.

Led personally by a member of the family or an expert historian, these exclusive tours pull back the curtain on a secret underground alliance of statesmen who used geometry, scripture, and classical philosophy to heal social fractures during the terrifying religious upheavals of the mid-sixteenth century.

Stepping beyond standard visitor routes, your journey into the estate’s deeply layered heritage grants you access to remarkable spaces and discoveries:

The Sacred and Coded Interior: Explore the thick walls housing a concealed chapel, hidden bookcases, a rare Rithmomachia philosophical number floor, and a priest’s hide in Sir Rowland Hill’s studiolo.

Erkenwald’s Legacy and Saved Memory: Discover the ongoing historical and archaeological findings that point to Soulton as the final resting place for the saved altar stone of Old St Paul’s Cathedral and relics of Saint Erkenwald, London’s seventh-century Saxon law-giver.

View the newly placed Feretory sculpture and site-specific landscape works that mark these sacred spots. Shakespeare’s As You Like It and the Golden Age: Walk the grounds that inspired the harmony of Shakespeare’s pastoral comedy and Thomas Lodge’s Rosalynde, taking in the dancing pavement that echoes the play’s final choreography of reconciliation.

Tudor State Furniture: Stand before the most remarkable survivals of Sir Rowland Hill’s civic life, including his rare Chair of Estate—used during his tenure as Lord Mayor and high-level legal inquests—alongside his massive oak Justice Table.

Monumental Architecture and Landscape: Experience the site’s sophisticated humanist proportions, links to ancient theatre geometry, and the modern Soulton Long Barrow that revives a monumental architectural form not seen for thousands of years.

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.