Gazetteer of
British Place Names

Delapre Abbey is a neo-classical mansion in Northampton, Northamptonshire. The mansion and outbuildings incorporate remains of a former monastery, the Abbey of St Mary de la Pré, just to the south of the River Nene, a mile south of the centre of Northampton. It was founded as a nunnery about 1145 by an Anglo-Norman Earl, Simon de Senlis. The Abbey's expansive sloping grounds are a nationally protected Wars of the Roses battlefield, as a one-time site of the advance of the Yorkists during the Battle of Northampton (1460). The abbey was closed by Henry VIII in 1538 as part of the Dissolution. In 1548 the buildings were converted into a country house, and it remained as such for nearly 400 years. In 1946 Northampton Corporation bought it and in 1958 it became the County Records Office. What is seen today is the result of work that started with the passing of the house in three phases, spanning the 16th to 18th centuries and much 19th-century redecoration. Following the success of a Heritage Lottery Fund application in 2013, a £6.3 million restoration project began in 2016 and the Abbey opened to the public for the first time in 900 years on 17th March 2018. There are about 500 acres of parkland and gardens at the site. It is within the council area of West Northamptonshire.
Historic England Grade II* Listed 1039791.

Place Type: Historic House
Historic County: Northamptonshire
Lat, Long: 52.224744,-0.8896177
Grid Reference: SP 7594 5908
Civil Parish: Far Cotton and Delapre CP
Council Area: West Northamptonshire CA
Police Area: Northamptonshire PA

GBPN ID: 301296
Entry Type: Main listing (P)
URL: https://gazetteer.org.uk/place/Delapre_Abbey,_Northamptonshire_301296

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