Mars at the Museum at Norton Priory
2025 brings the Mars at the Museum exhibition to Cheshire to the wonderful venue of Norton Priory in Runcorn. Mars at the Museum is the inspired creation of artist Luke Jerram, and follows in the footsteps of his previous astronomical artworks – the Moon and Gaia (the Earth).
Measuring over 6 metres in diameter, Mars certainly fills the atrium at Norton Priory’s visitor centre and will be on display there until 9th March 2025. It is however a touring installation and will be going to many more places worldwide. It will be exhibited in all sorts of environments; not just museums as the name suggests, but cathedrals, theatres and event venues, as well as outdoor spaces and festivals. You can check out where it’s been and where it’s going here.
A particularly exciting fact to a Cheshire gal, is that Norton Priory is the first place to have exhibited all three of Jerram’s impressive installations.
A brand-new installation of the sun called Helios has just launched in Bath on the 30th January 2025 and for my local Cheshire readers, mark your diaries as it’s coming to nearby Liverpool Cathedral on 4th April – 9th May.
Table of Contents
About Mars at the Museum
Mars features 120dpi NASA imagery created from data by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which launched from Cape Canaveral in 2005 for the primary purpose of collecting evidence as to whether water ever existed on Mars. You can read more about the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter here.
This allows us to view Mars as if we were satellite mapping the surface of the planet ourselves in detail. You can see all the valleys, craters, mountains and volcanoes up close and personal.
At 6 metres in diameter, Luke Jerram’s Mars at the Museum is just over 1 million times smaller than the real thing, with each centimetre of its surface representing 11km on the actual surface of Mars. This really puts into perspective just how big some of those craters really are in comparison to ones we know of on Earth.
“I hope that visitors will feel transported to its inhospitable desert wasteland and in comparison, really value our life on Earth.” (Luke Jerram)
The giant inflated Mars sphere is internally lit and spins very slowly, allowing you to see the whole thing without having to move around it. This enables Mars to be shown in locations and venues where you aren’t able to walk all the way around it, much like at Norton Priory where there just isn’t enough space to do so safely.
What is great at Norton Priory is the ability to access the upper floor so you can view Mars from above and from all points up the open staircase, meaning you can see just about every possible angle of the spinning planet except from immediately underneath.
Mars at the Museum includes an atmospheric surround sound composition done specially for Mars by BAFTA and Ivor Novello award winning composer Dan Jones. This ranges from occasional sounds which you don’t necessarily even notice initially (I certainly didn’t) to brooding, atmospheric and dramatic orchestral music.
Extra Events at Norton Priory during Mars at the Museum
As many venues do when welcoming one of Luke Jerram’s creations, Norton Priory has put together an inspiring range of events to complement Mars; from musical performances, topical guest speakers, meditation & sound healing gong baths, yoga classes and stargazing experiences with Liverpool Astronomical Society to space-themed crafts, family fun days and storytelling sessions for children.
One of the more unusual events I spotted on the events calendar is an intergalactic bath bomb workshop with Lush cosmetics, proving there really is something for everyone.
You can find the full programme of events at Norton Priory during Mars at the Museum here.
What Else is There to do at Norton Priory
While this is a much bigger topic for another post (added to the list), here’s just a few things you should make sure you see while visiting Norton Priory.
Outdoor Priory Ruins
Norton Priory began life as an Augustinian Monastery and there’s a large expanse of low-level remains of the original walls left to walk around and see how life would have been lived back in the 12th – 15th centuries. There are interpretation boards dotted around the site explaining what each area would have been used for, from the kitchens, refectory and dormitories to the chapel and chapter house. Spot the numerous graves within the latter, including rather poignantly a group of three tiny graves next to a larger one, indicating a family group with very young children.
The Beautiful Reconstructed Priory Undercroft
The only part of the medieval priory that is still standing is the magnificent undercroft. Originally built in the late 12th century and accessed from the main visitor centre atrium, it was the area of the monastery used for storing cloth, food and drink. Keep an eye out for the rather stunning doorway which is to the left of the main access from the atrium.
The small passageway at one end of the undercroft lined with stone seats is worth seeing as the blind arcading with its decorated capitals are rather lovely. No two capitals are carved the same which is unusual.
Walk Around the Grounds
The grounds at Norton Priory are far more extensive than you’d expect, with a woodland walk leading right up to the Bridgewater Canal. There is a maze of paths that criss-cross the woodlands hiding delights such as a winding stream glade, a pond with mini waterfall, an adventure playground, a summer house, a trail of outdoor musical instruments and lots of sculptures.
Oh, I almost forgot, there is a replica medieval bell to be found in the grounds too which you can ring yourself. It is certainly a joy to visit in winter with plenty to see and do.
Explore the Museum
The finds in Norton Priory Museum are impressive. Excavations on site over the years have found so many treasures and the current visitor centre which opened in 2016 has enabled so many to be displayed.
Look out for the recreated section of cloister arcade with four bays, easily one of the finest treasures of Norton Priory along with the undercroft. The cloister dated back to the 13th century and was demolished in the 15th century, the remains then used as rubble foundations for the following cloister walk structure. These cloister fragments were discovered by archaeologists during excavation which enabled them to recreate this fine section in the museum.
Norton Priory has one of the largest medieval tile collections in the world. Over 40,000 tiles were used to cover the medieval church floor and excavations revealed much of the mosaic tile floor had survived in situ, so it was possible to remove the tiles while preserving them and keeping the patterns.
It turns out that tiles were actually made on site at Norton Priory and the medieval kiln is one of the rare few to have been discovered in Britain, providing an insight into how tiles were fired at the time. You can see the kiln and huge range of tiles in the museum at Norton Priory and read all about the process.
See St Christopher in the Atrium
The twice life-size statue of St Christopher can be seen at the far end of the entrance atrium. It has been dated to 1375 – 1400 and is internationally recognised as an outstanding piece of medieval colossal sculpture.
This St Christopher was carved from local red sandstone excavated from the nearby quarries at Windmill Hill. It is thought that it was carved when the priory was raised to the status of abbey in 1391 and would have been painted in bright colours.
The carving depicts the legend of St Christopher carrying a child across a river who he felt was extremely heavy. The child turned out to be Christ carrying the weight of the world. In late-medieval folklore it was believed that seeing an image of St Christopher meant you would not die a sudden or violent death that day.
Have Refreshments in the Café
Grab a drink and/or food while you’re visiting Norton Priory from their on-site café. You’ll find the typical variety of sandwiches, jacket potatoes, soups and cakes as well as some light lunch specials which include a quiche of the day and the local delicacy known as Scouse. I can highly recommend the latter which is served with pickled red cabbage and a bread roll.
Mars at the Museum Visitor Information
Opening Times
28th January – 9th March 2025
Not open on Wednesday and Thursday
During Museum of the Moon Norton Priory will be open Friday – Tuesday 12 – 7pm.
Admission
All day ticket during Mars costs £8.00 (adult) – in advance online. (£8.50 on the door)
There is an evening charge of £4.50 (adult) for entry between 5 – 7pm, so you can see Mars lit in the dark.
Up to three free child tickets can be booked with each adult.
Dogs at Norton Priory
Norton Priory is a dog friendly attraction and dogs can go everywhere apart from the café. There is an outdoor seating area attached to the café where they are allowed however. Dogs can even visit the museum, so feel free to bring them to see Mars too! I wonder what they would make of it.
Accessibility
Mars is fully accessible to all, with a lift to access the upper floor. I noticed ramps around the outdoor areas, though if you want to explore the ruins and woodlands, the ground becomes grass or gravelly dirt and wood chipped paths.
Get in Touch
The whole experience of Mars at the Museum is rather extraordinary really and if you’re anything like me, you’ll just want to stare at it for hours. It is completely mesmerising. Luke Jerram’s intention is to take us closer to Mars and give us a feel as to what it might be like to set foot on the red planet, and I’d say, he’s done a mighty fine job of that!
What did you think to Mars at the Museum? How long did you spend just looking at it mesmerised? Drop me a line in the comments below and let me know…
Further Reading…
Are you out and about exploring Cheshire? I’ve got you covered. Check out these great places to visit…
- Discover the architecture, history and heritage at Combermere Abbey.
- Have a look around the village of Tarporley.
- Investigate the beautiful black and white timbered building of Little Moreton Hall.
- Visit the Cheshire Ice Cream Farm – so much more than just ice cream!
- Find inspiration in this round up of the best beauty spots in East Cheshire.
- Check out my favourite Cheshire farm shop: The Hollies.
- Everything you need to know about the Cheshire Steam Fair, a fun filled event usually held in July near Warrington.
- What to see on a walk at Risley Moss Nature Reserve near Warrington.
- Visiting Macclesfield? Then stop in at Amy’s Courtyard and gallery for lunch.
- Head out on a walk at Wigg Island in Runcorn
- Right on the border with Greater Manchester is Dunham Massey – have a look at their gardens in spring.
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