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Delapré Abbey

Northampton, Northamptonshire, England

Delapré Abbey Preservation Trust

Grade II*.

Historic Northampton site opens to the public

Delapré Abbey is a historic house and park. The main house is largely 16th-century but incorporates the remains of the 12th-century Abbey of St Mary de la Pré. The site itself is important as the location of a major battle in the Wars of the Roses, the Battle of Northampton (1460). During the Reformation, the Abbey was surrendered to the Crown and became a grand home. By the 1950s, the building was owned by Northampton Corporation, disused and under threat of demolition. After a successful fundraising and political campaign, the building was saved and the Northamptonshire Record Office relocated here.

In 2006, Delapré Abbey Preservation Trust was formed to restore and open the Abbey to the public. After a period of restoration, the Abbey began welcoming visitors in 2018. As well as the house itself, the site includes gardens, a park, and numerous outbuildings. The Trust runs a varied programme of well-being, educational, and cultural events and activities.

The AHF awarded the organisation a 2020 grant from the Culture Recovery Fund, which supported the development of an options appraisal and fundraising strategy for the disused Victorian stables to become a health and well-being hub. A Project Development Grant, awarded in 2021, contributed towards a masterplan for the project, and in 2023, the AHF offered the Trust a loan of £200,000 to provide working capital to further develop the Stables project. 

https://delapreabbey.org/

AHF Funding

Culture Recovery Grant - £19,250 (2020)

Project Development Grant - £8,000 (2021)

Heritage Impact Fund Loan - £200,000 (2023)

Photo credits
Delapré Abbey Preservation Trust

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