There are some quite magnificent old buildings in and around Liverpool, but few mach the majesty of Speke Hall. A gorgeous piece of Tudor architecture that was completed in 1598 as Elizabeth I came ever-closer to the end of her famous reign, the building remains in excellent condition more than four centuries later, but in a typically ‘Liverpool’ twist there is more to this place than meets the eye. Hidden inside are a number of so-called ‘priest holes’, spots for Catholic priests to hide (and eavesdrop) during the tumultuous reformative times of the 16th and 17th centuries. The gardens are among the most exceptional in northern England, although we expect nothing less from a National Trust property.