Belgrave Hall

Belgrave Hall in Leicester is a red-brick Queen Anne-style manor on the northern edge of the city, in the Belgrave district. Built in the early 1700s and listed Grade II*, it now operates as a heritage site with period gardens, offering a quieter alternative to the museums in the city centre.

Who built it, and when?

The house went up between 1709 and 1713 for Edmund Cradock, a hosiery merchant. It sits on Church Road beside St Peter's Church. Its balanced brick frontage is a textbook example of English architecture from the reign of Queen Anne. Historic England designated it on 5 January 1950, together with the railings and gates at the front.

Who lived here afterwards?

The Vann family took over the estate in 1767 and stayed into the mid-19th century. One of the Vann sons built a separate Adam-style house next door, Belgrave House. In the 1840s the Hall was bought by John Ellis, a railway promoter and MP. Thomas Morley owned it from 1923, and in 1936 Leicester City Council purchased it and opened it to the public.

What can you see inside and out?

The rooms show how a well-off Victorian middle-class family and its servants lived. Behind the house lie gardens of roughly 8,000 square metres, divided into several areas and recorded in the Parks and Gardens register. The Hall also made headlines in 1999, when CCTV captured two blurry figures. Paranormal investigators later concluded they were passers-by in high-visibility vests, yet ghost enthusiasts still visit.

When can you visit?

Access is limited. According to Leicester Museums, the Hall opens on Wednesdays and on the first full weekend of each month from April to September, 11:00 to 16:30. From October to March it is normally closed apart from special events. Older listings quote different days, so confirm the current schedule at leicestermuseums.org before you go.

How do you get there?

Belgrave Hall is on Church Road, a few kilometres north of central Leicester. A city bus towards Belgrave or a short drive will get you there. St Peter's Church is next door, so the two fit into one short walk.

Frequently asked questions

Is Belgrave Hall still a museum? The city council now presents it mainly as a heritage site with gardens, although it earlier ran as a museum of daily life.

When is it open? Usually Wednesdays and the first full weekend of the month from April to September, 11:00 to 16:30. In winter, only for events.

How old is the building? It dates from 1709 to 1713. It is Queen Anne in style and Grade II* listed.

Is Belgrave Hall haunted? It became famous in 1999 after a CCTV recording. The high-visibility-vest explanation has not convinced everyone, so the story lives on among ghost hunters.