Indulge in centuries-old gossip and delicious food and drink when Delapré Abbey in Northampton reopens its doors to visitors next week.
Tickets to visit the 12th century abbey are available now. Starting Thursday May 20, visitors can enjoy tales of naughty nuns, royal visitors, and Victorian family scandals.
The site of the Battle of the Roses of Northampton has a fascinating past to explore – from its beginnings as a Cluniac nunnery, to its heyday as a country house, to its days as an archive office before its recent restoration.
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Richard Clinton, Executive Director of the Delapré Abbey Preservation Trust, said of the reopening: “I can already see that the website will be busy when we safely reopen the doors to the abbey.
“This weekend we will greet the audience for a tour of the house, singing the Greatest Showman with Drive-In in Delapré and enjoying afternoon tea.
“There is something special about the many uses and audiences that we have in the abbey, and seeing all these people come and spend their time in this wonderful cultural heritage is something you can really see.”
During the pandemic, the trust set up a completely new visitor welcome and shop and used the free time for the further restoration of the abbey’s magnificent rooms and for the development of an archive and a research room.
Delapré Abbey has worked with partners across Northampton to develop new education and wellness programs to engage the community, as well as Covid-safe interactive elements around the attraction to entertain all ages.
Reservations are also available for the Abbey’s gourmet restaurant Hibiscus, which won two gold awards at the Weetabix Northamptonshire Food & Drink Awards 2020/21. Hibiscus won gold in the Booker Dining Venue of the Year category, while Chef Samuel Squires was named Chef of the Year.
Hibiscus is part of THE Hospitality, which operates several pubs, restaurants and cafes in Northamptonshire, including The Orangery Café and New Deli ‘Common Ground’, both of which are located at Delapré Abbey.
Throughout the curfew, The Orangery team has redesigned the cafe and added a new bar with a cocktail menu that can be enjoyed when the venue reopens on Monday 17th May.
The abbey announced earlier this year that it will be giving over 7,500 local families an annual pass that will allow them to explore the historic home for free. This should start at the end of this month.
Delapré Abbey. is part of Visit Britain’s Good to Go program, so visitors can be assured that the attraction is compliant with government and industry Covid-19 guidelines.
To book tickets to explore the house, or to make a reservation for Hibiscus or The Orangery, visit delapreabbey.org.
The abbey is open for guided tours on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Children under the age of 18 can explore the house for free.