Northampton’s hidden treasure located just a mile or so from the town centre is alive with the possibilities of the present and surrounded by the echoes of the past. There’s something for everyone in and around this fascinating building from guided tours, education visits, events, theatre productions, exhibitions and special displays.
Rockingham Castle
A royal castle for 450 years and a family home for all that time. The pre-dominantly Tudor building, within Norman walls, has architecture, furniture and works of art from every century. Explore 18 acres of stunning formal and wild gardens.
Elton Hall and Gardens
Elton Hall is a fascinating mixture of styles and every room contains treasures – magnificent furniture and fine paintings from different eras, wonderful porcelain and books, including Henry VIII’s prayer book. Magnificently restored formal gardens include mature topiary, a Gothic Orangery, a flower garden with large herbaceous borders, a shrub garden and box walk. The gardens provide a stunning backdrop … Read More
Southwick Hall
Built by Sir John Knyvett, Lord Chancellor to Edward III, Southwick Hall dates from the 14th century. As a family manor house with Tudor rebuilding and Georgian and Victorian additions, there are exhibitions on Victorian and Edwardian life, with collections of agricultural and carpentry tools and local archaeological finds. Southwick Hall comprises architecture of many centuries, notably the 14th, 16th, … Read More
Deene Park
Surrounded by park and beautiful gardens with long borders, roses and specimen trees, this Tudor and Georgian mansion has been the home of the Brudenell family since 1514, including the 7th Earl of Cardigan who led the Charge of the Light Brigade.
Boughton House
Northamptonshire home of the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry, Boughton began as a Tudor building and was transformed into the “English Versailles”. The outstanding collection of fine arts within the house is complemented by the Grade One listed historic landscape.
Lyveden
Set in the heart of rural Northamptonshire, Lyveden is a remarkable survivor of the Elizabethan age. Created by Thomas Tresham, Lyveden is one of England’s oldest surviving garden landscapes.
Chichele College
The gatehouse, chapel and other remains of a communal residence for priests serving the parish church, founded by locally-born Archbishop Chichele before 1425. Regularly used to display works of art. Chichele College is a rare surviving example of a chantry college. It was founded in 1422 by the locally born Henry Chichele, Archbishop of Canterbury. Such colleges, common in England … Read More
Kirby Hall
One of England’s greatest Elizabethan houses, built in the hope of receiving Queen Elizabeth 1 on one of her annual ‘progresses’ around the country. Explore the Great Garden, laid out in elaborate and intricate ‘cuwork’ parterres.
78 Derngate
The house was remodelled by the world-famous designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh in his iconic Modernist style. The gallery upstairs is free to enter and has a series of exhibitions throughout the year. The dining room and the in-house boutique restaurant offers a full range of delicious contemporary cuisine. From a coffee to a light lunch, full afternoon tea or a delicious … Read More