As a Northamptonshire blogger, I’m always interested in local openings, events and community projects. This Friday saw the official opening of the long-awaited Delapre Abbey located just outside the main town. The opening has been a project that has been a long time coming as the trust that has worked on the building has spent many years creating a new attraction fit for everyone to visit. With bright blue skies and the press awaiting, it was a lovely opening… so the big question, what is Delapre Abbey?
The Abbey
The Abbey itself is over 900 years old and has managed to preserve the amazing building and land in that time. With funding and support from Northampton Borough Council and the Heritage Lottery Fund, this has become the newest attraction to the county. The Abbey now has five storytelling zones which is interactive and educational! There’s lots to see within the abbey which has been brought back to life, with artwork from the previous families that once owned the building and also history on the nunnery that it once was!
The Abbey now has plenty for a family day out. You can enter all of the rooms to immerse yourself in 900 years of history by being allowed to not just look but touch, look, play and try the history out for yourself. All of the books in the library are allowed to be read, the chairs are for sitting and the games laid out are all for the amusement of kids and adult alike! It makes such a refreshing change to allow such involvement in a house like this compared to many old properties.
This weekend the Abbey is holding lots of events to showcase the history in all it’s glory. There is jousting, shows, food stalls, tours and experiences to become fully imersed in the Abbey. Throughout the year there will be plenty of seasonal events for everyone to get involved and the house is now open to Weddings, Meetings and visitors alike.
Within some of the Battlefield rooms, you can take the children along to experience the downfall of the King and the Wars of the Roses. This is a really interactive room with demonstrations of the battle of Northampton and there’s lots of hands on games, dress up and puzzles to play in this room!
The Opening
So although the Abbey is now open, the land around it has always been popular for walks and dog walkers. There has been the Orangey Cafe open for the last year which is the perfect place for a coffee and a catch up or even a lunch after a tour of the Abbey! There’s so much to see and do, and you can see the events going on at the Abbey here [LINK].
At the opening we were treated to a prayer which blessed the abbey and event. After this, we had speeches from investors and councillors and then the tv personality and property guru, Sarah Beeny. She was the main guest of the day who cut the ribbon for the opening! So it was always nice to be joined with a celebrity!
Delapre Abbey is based in Northampton town on London Road just off the A45. Tickets for a day admission are from £7 for adults. You can check out all of the details for the Abbey here and learn about what’s on, when to visit and how to get there [LINK].
Thank you to Nicole for inviting me along to the event with her work as a Northamptonshire blogger!