Exhibition - Cannon Hall: The Story of a House and Its Family

 
Step inside Cannon Hall Museum and explore 300 years of history of the house and family in this new exhibition. From the middle of the 17th century when Cannon Hall was a small manor house, through its time as a home of society, politics and community in the 18th and 19th centuries, concluding with its role as a base for many different people during the Second World War.
 
Learn about the people who called Cannon Hall home, from fiery personalities to fashionable society hosts, rumoured spies to Pre-Raphaelite artists. Each generation of the Spencer, and later Spencer Stanhope, families left their mark on the building. Follow the journey of how the rooms were used and changed by the family through the generations. Nearly 70 years after Cannon Hall opened its doors to the public, discover paintings and objects that give a glimpse into the family who called this place home.
 

Cannon Hall Museum is open Thursday-Sunday, 11am-4pm and every day during the Barnsley school holidays. Admission is free and there is no need to book before visiting.

More accessibility information can be found on our website

The exhibition features scrapbooks compiled by the Spencer Stanhope family and include lots of photos and illustrations

Some of the characters you will encounter include John Spencer, the first member of the family to live at Cannon Hall and a man with a heated temper. Walter and Mary Spencer Stanhope filled the Hall with a large, sociable family and hosted politicians and gentry from across the country. Find out about John Spencer Stanhope, a rumoured British spy who was arrested in Europe during the Napoleonic Wars. Follow the story of Sir Walter and Elizabeth Spencer Stanhope and their extended family of artists and sculptors including Evelyn and William De Morgan. 

A classical oil painting of a man with pale skin and short brown hair, wearing a reddish-brown coat and waistcoat, seated and looking to his left against a dark, shadowy background.

'Portrait of John Spencer' by Benjamin Wilson

'Portrait of Walter Spencer Stanhope' by John Hoppner

Blogs about the Spencer Stanhopes

A classical oil painting of a man in 18th-century clothing, seated and gazing slightly to his left. He wears a brown coat and waistcoat with a white shirt, and the background is dark and shadowy.

John Spencer and his butler

Elegant dining room with a polished wooden table, ornate chairs, a fireplace with white mantel, large vases, chandelier, and classical paintings on pale blue walls. The room has high ceilings and wooden floors.

Society Life

A scanned image of a handwritten letter in cursive script on two pages. The paper is slightly yellowed with age, and there is a blue circular ink stamp on the upper right corner of the right page.

The Spencer Stanhope Letters

Blogs about Cannon Hall

A man in 18th-century clothing lounges in a red chair, holding a fork with food. The room is ornate, with a table of dishes, a window, and a wall clock. The man looks relaxed and indulgent.

Oysters, Jellies and Tantalising Dishes

Two women sit and read books in a museum room with antique furniture and glass cabinets. Behind them are two mannequins dressed in vintage clothing and a chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Books are spread on the table between them.

John Spencer’s Library

A black-and-white photo of eight men in suits posing together on grass outside a large historic building, with trees and a stone wall in the background. The caption reads: “A group of ex-soldiers in their Sunday best outside Cannon Hall.”.

Tales of The Cannon Hall Polish Camp