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Melford Hall
Attractions in Acton

Around Acton, start with Melford Hall

5 of the 7 places to visit in and around Acton are museums or galleries. None of them is inside Acton itself. Our list counts 3 places looked after by the National Trust. Day-trippers head 14 km out to Hedingham Castle.

Photo: Melford Hall, PAUL FARMER (CC BY-SA 2.0)
In Acton
0
inside the built-up area
Within 5 km
7
of the town’s edge
Museums & galleries
5
in or near town
Castles & historic places
2
in or near town
Cared for
3
National Trust, English Heritage, Cadw and others
Best known

The first to see around Acton

The rest of the best known are 4 museums and a historic house.

Historic house · National TrustMelford Hall1.5 km outside town, to the northwestHistoric houseKentwell Hall2.8 km outside town, to the northwestMuseumMuseum · National TrustLavenham Guildhall4.6 km outside town, to the northeastMuseumGainsborough's House3.7 km outside town, to the southwestMuseumMuseum · National TrustGuildhall of Corpus Christi4.5 km outside town, to the northeastMuseumLittle Hall4.6 km outside town, to the northeast

Each has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.

The map

On the map

The map stretches to Lavenham Guildhall, 5.2 km away.

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The dashed line is Acton’s built-up area; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · ONS built-up area 2022

By kind

What kind of places

5 are museums or galleries; castles or historic places come next with 2.

Museums & galleries 5 museums0 in town · 5 nearby
Castles & historic places 2 historic houses0 in town · 2 nearby

Green: inside Acton. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.

3 places are cared for by the National Trust (Melford Hall, Lavenham Guildhall and Guildhall of Corpus Christi).

Every place

The full list

7 places make the list, every one within 5 km of its edge.

Close and well known first. Churches and listed buildings are on the History page, not here.

13 listed buildings are on Acton’s History page → · Parks, footpaths and green space in Acton →

Big names nearby

Worth the drive

Hedingham Castle, 14 km away, is the best known of the 12.

CastleHedingham Castle14 km southwestCathedralSt Edmundsbury Cathedral20 km northCastleColchester Castle22 km southeastAbbey or priory · English HeritageBury St Edmunds Abbey20 km northCastleClare Castle12 km westHistoric house · National TrustIckworth House18 km northwestHistoric house · English HeritageAudley End House38 km westZooColchester Zoo23 km southHistoric housePalace of Beaulieu38 km southwestAbbey or priory · English HeritageSt. Botolph's Priory22 km southeastCastleSaffron Walden Castle36 km westFortBalkerne Gate22 km southeast

Places well known beyond Acton (Wikipedia articles in several languages, published visitor counts, or a National Trust, English Heritage or Cadw property), close and famous first. Distances are straight lines from the middle of the town.

Practical questions about Acton

What is there to see near Acton?

No attraction is mapped inside Acton itself. Within 5 km of it are Melford Hall, Kentwell Hall, Lavenham Guildhall and Gainsborough's House.

Does Acton have a museum?

5 museums and galleries are in or within 5 km of Acton: Lavenham Guildhall, Gainsborough's House, Guildhall of Corpus Christi and Little Hall.

Is there a National Trust or English Heritage property near Acton?

Yes. In or within 5 km of Acton, 3 places are cared for by the National Trust (Melford Hall, Lavenham Guildhall and Guildhall of Corpus Christi).

What are the best-known days out near Acton?

Within 40 km: Hedingham Castle (14 km), St Edmundsbury Cathedral (20 km), Colchester Castle (22 km), Bury St Edmunds Abbey (20 km).

Where are Acton’s historic buildings listed?

Acton has 13 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I. They are on its History page, from Historic England’s list, not repeated here.

How is this list made?

From OpenStreetMap (museums, galleries, zoos, theme parks and attractions, castles, forts and abbeys, and historic houses and gardens that are open to visitors) and Wikidata (what each place is, who runs it, its website and visitor counts). A place counts for Acton when it is inside the ONS 2022 built-up area, and as nearby within 5 km of its edge. Opening times and prices are not shown: check the official site.

Places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database Licence) and Wikidata (CC0), placed in the ONS 2022 built-up area (Open Government Licence v3.0). Visitor counts are the latest Wikidata gives, with their year.

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (16)

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.