Exhibitions
Explore the fascinating exhibitions at Ordsall Hall, where history, art, and culture come together to tell compelling stories.
Your Salford 100 in Photographs
Egerton Gallery, 14 June 2026 to 30 May 2027
At Ordsall Hall this summer, a new exhibition presents 100 photographs, picked by 100 people from Salford.
Local history enthusiasts from across the city have used Digital Salford to select their favourite image. Along with their personal stories about their chosen image, the photos show a personal and community history of the city.
Frederic Shields Gallery
Permanent exhibition
In the exhibition you can meet some of the main characters that have lived at the Hall over the centuries.
These include the grand John Radclyffe of the 1340s and the ‘fair and witty’ Margaret Radclyffe (former lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth 1).
Past exhibitions
Throughout time the lives of humans and animals have been closely connected. This exhibition highlights some of these relationships, whether domestic or working, sporting or for entertainment.
Animals was first shown at Salford Museum and Art Gallery in 2023. This exhibition includes many of the works on display there, alongside some new additions.
As part of the wider Harold Riley celebrations one year since his passing, we present an exhibition dedicated to his pictures of dogs. Dogs were an important part of Harold’s life, owning them as pets and taking inspiration for his sketches and paintings. Many of his works include a cheeky dog here and there and this exhibition brings together these often amusing and playful works.
For this exhibition we have delved into our collection of portraits. Most of the artworks date from the 20th century, however there are a few older ones including two paintings of brothers Alexander and John Radclyffe. Ordsall Hall was the Radclyffe family home during the 16th and 17th centuries, and these two works have been loaned to us by their descendant Nick Radclyffe.
