Little Moreton Hall, beside the A34 south of Congleton, is the timber-framed moated manor that looks as though it should have fallen over centuries ago: built in stages by the Moreton family between about 1504 and 1610, its black-and-white walls lean at every angle and the 68-foot Long Gallery on the top floor has bowed the whole south range under its weight. The Moretons backed the losing side in the Civil War and never had the money to modernise, which is why so much survives untouched: the Great Hall, a chapel with painted biblical texts, patterned Tudor glass and a knot garden laid out to a 17th-century design. Reviewers single out the costumed guides who explain what the household would have been doing in the month you visit, and the two tea rooms. Tips from regulars: allow about two hours, the spiral stairs are tricky with limited mobility, and only assistance dogs go beyond the front lawn and canal path.
