Sudley House

The history of Sudley House begins in the first decade of the 19th century but today Sudley House is one of the few period homes decorated in a Victorian style that still has many of its original features. Part of National Museums Liverpool (NML), it is also the only surviving Victorian merchant art collection in Britain still hanging in its original location. It’s located in South Liverpool’s leafy Mossley Hill area, with parks, cafés, and restaurants nearby on Aigburth Road, Rose Lane and Lark Lane. You can easily spend a whole afternoon just wondering between these lovely local spots after a visit to Sudley House.

Further evidence of Liverpool’s standing as a city rich with Victorian and Pre-Raphaelite collections, Sudley House in Mossley Hill is filled with the only surviving intact collection of artworks once owned by a mercantile family. It was amassed by ship builder George Holt from both inherited and earned wealth, and a shining example of 18th and 19th century British painting. Featuring works by Millais, Holman Hunt and Rossetti, the Sudley House collection is hung throughout the historic house, with several works still occupying their original positions. 

Encounter paintings by Burne-Jones and Millais in the Entrance Hall, Frederic Lord Leighton in the Garden Hall and Thomas Gainsborough in the Dining Room, as well as many more. Sudley House was refurbished in 2007 and remains replete with original features, including stunning floors, embossed wallpaper and ornate cornices.

If you come by on a sunny day you can enjoy the grounds around the house too, sit on a bench and enjoy the fresh air in a truly lovely part of Liverpool. There are regular events too, from craft sessions to family-friendly gatherings.