We have compiled a list of Historic Heritage Sites in Northamptonshire to visit during your stay. We hope the information about the history sites in Northamptonshire helps you with your holiday planning.
1. Canons Ashby House - Daventry, Northamptonshire, NN11 3SD - Tel No: 01327 860044
Canons Ashby House is located in Daventry, Northamptonshire and was built in 1550. Tours of Canons Ashby include the house itself, the park where medieval remains can be found, and the gardens. There is a shop and plant centre as well as a tearoom. Many events are held here during the year that include craft and wine fairs, musical concerts, and summer theatre
2. Cottesbrooke Hall - Cottesbrooke, Northamptonshire, NN6 8PF - Tel No: 01604 505808
Cottesbrooke Hall was originally built in the early eighteenth century in the Northamptonshire countryside. The house is currently occupied but is open for tours of the house, which contains English and French 18th century furniture and porcelain from China as well as England. The gardens have won many awards and from them you can enjoy beautiful views of the landscape and surrounding lakes.
Delapre Abbey, which means 'the abbey of the meadow' is also known as the Convent of St. Mary De La Pre. The house was built in 1145 on a site that was formerly a nunnery. What remains today on the 500 acres of parkland are 8 acres of formal gardens, the original abbey building, a lovely walled garden where it is said the nuns of the abbey are buried, water and rock gardens, tree sculptures, the Delapre Woods, and a lake.
4. Kirby Hall - Corby, Northamptonshire, NN17 5EN - Tel No: 01536 203230
Built in the Elizabethan style around 1570, Kirby hall is a country house located close to Gretton in Northamptonshire. Today the house is somewhat ruined and partially without a roof, although the walls themselves remain intact and remain elaborately decorated. The staterooms as well as the Great Hall are also in good condition and have been decorated in 17th and 18th century style. The gardens of Kirby Hall are newly restored and contain a variety of urns and statues.
5. Althorp House - Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN7 4HQ - Tel No: 01604 770107
Just west of the town of Northampton, Althorp Hall sits on 14,000 acres and is the ancestral home of the Spencer family. It is currently owned by the Earl of Spencer. The stables on this estate have been made into an exhibit to honor Diana, Princess of Wales. Diana is laid to rest on an island in a lake near Althorp House. Inside the house can be found an excellent collection of portraits that includes several by Anthony van Dyck.
6. Holdenby House - Holdenby, Northamptonshire, NN6 8DJ - Tel No: 01604 770074
Holdenby House is located on the other side of the Northamptonshire fields from Althorp House. This home has connections to royalty as far back as 400 years. It was once the palace of James I and at one time imprisoned James' son Charles I. The home has beautiful gardens and a falconry centre where visitors can watch different birds of prey fly over the grounds. Although a family home today, Holdenby House is often used for conferences, backdrops for television shows and movies, and for weddings.
7. Boughton House - Kettering, Northamptonshire, NN14 1BJ - Tel No: 01536 515731
Known as the 'English Versailles', Boughton House is currently the home of the Dukes of Buccleuch and Queensberry. It is located slightly north of Kettering in Northamptonshire. The house is open to tours and is filled with a variety of art that includes paintings, porcelain, furniture, and weapons. The property around Boughton house includes acres of formal gardens beautifully designed with both landscapes and waterscapes.
