A rambling old manor in wooded grounds near Cookstown — lived in by one family for close to 400 years, with a remarkable oak staircase, a river and old gardens.
A tall, slightly wonky old manor house in a fold of wooded ground near Cookstown, with a river running through the demesne and a remarkable oak staircase inside. Said to be one of the longest continuously-lived-in houses in Ireland — the Staples family are thought to have called it home for close to 400 years.
What you'll see — the rambling old house on a guided tour (the grand oak staircase, sometimes called its "flying staircase", the Regency ballroom, family portraits and the lived-in rooms), plus wooded grounds, the river, old walled and water gardens and the remains of the estate's mill and water works.
Room to wander — mature parkland and woodland walks along the Lissan Water, with the grounds open to stroll well beyond the house itself.
A house with a story — it's said the same family lived here from around the 1600s until 2006, and the house reached the grand final of the BBC's Restoration series in 2003, which put it on the map.
How long & who for — an hour or so for the house tour, longer if you walk the grounds too. All ages, and a gentle, unhurried sort of day out rather than a big adventure park.
The house opens on limited, seasonal days. House tours run on set days (broadly Easter to mid-September, mainly weekends, with more days in summer) and are paid — around £7 adult, £3 child last we checked. Always check the current days, times and prices before you travel.
The grounds are usually more open than the house. The parkland and gardens keep longer daily hours than the house does — so even off-days you can often walk the demesne, but the house interior may be shut.
On site — a car park, gardens and woodland walks. Refreshments are usually tied to tours and events, so bring your own if you're just walking the grounds, and check ahead for tea-room days.
Plan your visit
Grounds to wander · house by paid tour
The grounds and gardens keep long daily hours and are the easy, free part of a visit — woodland and parkland walks along the river, the old water garden and the setting of the house. The house itself is seen by guided tour on set seasonal days — broadly Easter through to mid-September, mostly at weekends with extra days in July and August. Tours are paid: around £7 adult and £3 child when we last checked, with private and group tours bookable year-round by arrangement. Days, times and prices change season to season, so always confirm before you set off.
Woodland & river walksGuided house toursOn-site parkingEvents & open days
Good to know:
The house opens on limited days and can close for private events, weddings and filming, so a wasted trip is easy to avoid — check the current tour days before you travel. If the house is shut, the grounds are usually still open to walk.
Before you set off
What to wear and bring
🥾Sensible shoesThe grounds are grass, gravel and woodland paths along the river — flat but easily damp underfoot.
🧥A coat, whatever the skyIt's Tyrone in wooded ground near the Sperrins — rain here just makes the demesne green and quiet.
🧺Your own snacksRefreshments tend to go with tours and events, so pack a flask if you're mainly walking the grounds.
📅The current tour daysCheck the open days and book ahead for the house — the interior is the reason many people come.
Good to know
Everything before you go
Cost
The grounds and gardens are free to walk. The house is seen by paid guided tour — around £7 adult and £3 child when we last checked. Private and group tours can be booked by arrangement. Prices change, so confirm on the day.
Opening
Grounds open daily, with longer hours in spring and summer. The house opens by tour on set seasonal days — broadly Easter to mid-September, mainly weekends with more days in July and August. Always check the current schedule before travelling.
The house
A guided tour takes in the old rooms, the Regency ballroom, family portraits and the celebrated oak staircase. It's a lived-in, historic house rather than a polished show-home, which is much of its charm.
The grounds
Wooded parkland with walks along the Lissan Water, old walled and water gardens, and the traces of the estate's mill and water works that once powered the house.
Food
Refreshments are usually tied to tours and events rather than a full-time café, so bring your own if you're just walking the grounds, and check ahead for tea-room open days.
Dogs
Dogs on leads are generally welcome around the grounds; the house interior is another matter, so check the current policy before bringing them.
Access
An old house means steps, narrow spots and uneven ground in places. Ask ahead about access for wheels if that matters for your visit.
Parking
On-site car park at the house.
How long
Around an hour for the house tour; two to three hours if you add a wander through the grounds and gardens.
Questions
Before you go
Is the house always open?
No — the house opens by guided tour on limited, seasonal days (broadly Easter to mid-September, mostly weekends with more days in summer), and can close for private events. Always check the current tour days before you travel.
How much does it cost?
The grounds are free to walk. The house tour is paid — around £7 adult and £3 child when we last checked. Prices change, so confirm on the day.
Can I just walk the grounds without the tour?
Usually yes — the parkland and gardens keep longer daily hours than the house, so even on a house-closed day you can often stroll the demesne and the river walks.
What's the "flying staircase"?
Its grand oak staircase is the house's best-known feature — an unusual, sweeping stair that people sometimes call a "flying staircase". It's reckoned to be one of the more remarkable staircases of its kind, and a highlight of the tour.
Is it good for kids?
It's a gentle, all-ages sort of day — a historic house and grounds to explore rather than an adventure park. Little ones tend to enjoy the woodland and river more than the rooms; expect a calm visit.
Wasn't it on television?
Yes — Lissan House reached the grand final of the BBC's Restoration series in 2003, which helped bring it to wider attention.
Getting there
Drumgrass Road, Cookstown, County Tyrone — a couple of miles out of Cookstown town, tucked into wooded ground toward the Sperrins, with a car park on site.
Lissan House sits in a wooded fold of ground near Cookstown, and its real marvel is not any one room but how long the same family stayed. The Staples family are said to have lived here from around the 1620s right up to 2006, when the last of the line died — thought to be one of the longest unbroken occupations of a single house anywhere in Ireland. That means the place grew and changed slowly over the centuries: a Jacobean core, a Regency ballroom added later, and the grand oak staircase that people came to know as its "flying staircase", rebuilt after an earlier collapse.
Out in the demesne the Lissan Water runs through old woodland and water gardens, and the estate once ran on its own water power — a turbine fitted in the early 1900s is said to have supplied the house with electricity for the best part of a century. In 2003 the house went before the nation on the BBC's Restoration series and reached the grand final, narrowly losing out; it later opened to visitors after years of careful work. Come today and you get a house that feels lived in rather than staged — a little worn, full of story, and set in grounds made for a slow wander.