Damhouse Astley — Restaurant in Wigan

We enjoyed a lovely visit during Heritage Weekend, where we had a short talk about Damhouse's history, given by one of the trustees, which was followed by a brilliant and free guided tour of the top floor, not normally accessible to the public except by prior arrangement. This was a fascinating and absorbing trip back to the house's construction in 1595, to see how it was out together. We were able to see the pared back structure of the mansion, and appreciate the construction methods used to build such a grand residence. while enjoying a most interesting commentary. It was a very special treat to view the way in which this lovely building was constructed. There is much to see, including an old schoolroom, servants quarters, and a splendid Long Gallery, where dances took place so long ago. Most of the rooms have excellent collections of photographs of the house and surrounding area, and a wonderful array of memorabilia from Damhouse's life as an isolation hospital for many years, until it closed about fifty years ago. Living close to Damhouse, we have visited it countless times, to enjoy the wonderful food on offer daily, or the varied, mostly outdoor, entertainment for the whole family, held at intervals throughout year. The weather was wonderful for our visit, and we enjoyed a delicious snack in the courtyard, where we were very appreciative of the warm sunshine of a late summer's afternoon . Well worth a visit, as is a walk anytime around the small and beautifully natural grounds, to view the ancient trees, the pond with ducks to feed, or...

On arrival at the tea room, the party I was with were told we should have booked before coming, although this was not stipulated on the website when I checked before our visit. There seemed some reluctance, but we were accommodated anyway. It was extremely hot and stuffy in the tea room - not well ventilated for covid related reasons. The four of us in our party each had a pram and a young baby. There was a fire drill and we had to evacuate the building and one of the Mums heard a member of staff telling someone it was because of all the prams and that they had to make sure everyone could get out. Once back in the tea room, a gentleman with a clipboard (I'm assuming H&S Manager/Caretaker?) stood by the counter with a lady from the cafe talking and looking in our direction for a while. Having said this, the food and drinks were good and the cafe is a lovely room. We didn't feel particularly welcome though and felt like we were a burden as we were told we can only stay until 12.30pm. It's a shame really because we all live locally and had intended to support a local cafe instead of the new Starbucks, but frankly, we found them more accommodating. I wouldn't recommend the tea room here for...

We regularly visit the tea room and recommend it to everyone!

We'd advise booking for lunch, particularly at weekends because it's so popular.

They offer breakfast in the morning and the lunch menu starts at 12:00. You can also book in advance for afternoon tea.

It's a breastfeeding friendly location and there's room for prams. There's also an accessible toilet/changing area available.

The menu includes sandwiches, paninis, baguettes, soup, burgers, daily specials and a range of cakes, traybakes and tarts.

The food is lovely and the staff provide good service.

We'll continue to be regular...