Top 15 Attractions in Northampton, Northamptonshire

In the 18th century, Northampton rebounded from its great fire of 1675 to establish itself as England’s capital for shoemaking and leather production.

For those seeking a testament to this economic prosperity, the Neo-Gothic Guildhall (1861-64) stands as a remarkable architectural achievement.

Historically, Northampton was home to one of England’s largest Norman castles, and during the Medieval period, it served as a site for parliamentary meetings.

In the surrounding countryside, one can hardly travel a mile without encountering an exquisite manor house or estate.

The most prestigious of these is Althorp, the ancestral home of the Spencers since the 16th century and the final resting place of Diana, Princess of Wales.

Additionally, Castle Ashby and Cottesbrooke Hall, still in the possession of historic families, invite visitors to explore their splendid gardens.

Let’s delve into the top attractions in Northampton:

1. 78 Derngate

In 1916-17, the Art Nouveau designer and architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh transformed the interior of this Georgian residence for the style-conscious businessman Wenman Joseph Bassett-Lowke.

78 Derngate stands out as the only house in England designed by Mackintosh, later becoming a public attraction following an extensive 18-month restoration in 2003.

This location is particularly cherished as Mackintosh’s final major commission, featuring wooden paneling, stained glass, and enamelwork demonstrating the designer’s full artistic maturity.

Highlights include the hall-lounge, characterized by its wooden staircase screen, and a guest bedroom adorned with black, white, and ultramarine stripes.

Additionally, the house was ahead of its time, featuring electric amenities, indoor plumbing, and central heating long before they became standard in residences.

2. Guildhall

As Northampton expanded throughout the 19th century, a new town hall became essential, leading to the Neo-Gothic design created by Bristol’s Edward William Godwin when he was just 28 years old. The building features long rows of pointed arches with intricate tracery, accompanied by statues and friezes that represent monarchs with historical ties to Northampton.

A memorial dedicated to Princess Diana can also be found here, as her family residence is located a few miles away in Althorp.

It is advisable to arrange a guided tour to appreciate the stunning stained glass, coffered ceilings, and coats of arms, in addition to the impressive Great Hall.

This hall is beautified with Gothic-style murals depicting prominent historical figures, rose windows, chandeliers, and a ceiling adorned with gilded panels and delicate branching patterns.

3. Northampton Museum and Art Gallery

As of 2018, the Northampton Museum and Art Gallery was undergoing modernization and was expected to reopen in 2019. However, its significance should not be overlooked; it is home to the world’s largest collection of footwear and showcases exhibitions of historical shoemaking tools.

Celebrating Northampton’s leather industry, the museum also features examples of leathercraft from various regions around the world and details about Northampton’s rebirth following the Great Fire of 1675. In addition, the gallery houses Italian Renaissance paintings from the 15th and 16th centuries, along with decorative arts such as porcelain, pottery, and glassware.

4. Abington Park

Located in the eastern district of Abington, Northampton boasts a spacious park that previously served as a village site.

After the manor house and its parkland were enhanced in the 17th century, Abington was cleared, leaving only ruins behind.

This park is the oldest in Northampton, cherished for its diverse gardens, archaeological remnants, museum, floral displays, café, and ornamental lakes.

Abington Park also features a special scent and touch garden designed for the visually impaired. Additionally, during Sundays in the summer, various musical performances, including classical, folk, jazz, and brass bands, take place at the bandstand.

5. Abington Park Museum

This museum is located within the 15th-century manor house of Abington Park, which once belonged to Elizabeth Bernard, the granddaughter of William Shakespeare.

She was interred in 1670 at the nearby Church of St Peter and Paul.

The house has experienced numerous transformations, including its use as a “lunatic asylum” during the Victorian era.

Visitors can explore the Oak Room, adorned with panels of oak reminiscent of the 1700s, as well as exhibits related to Northamptonshire’s military history.

Additionally, the museum features a captivating Victorian cabinet of curiosities, and in 2018, a temporary exhibition on Northamptonshire’s historic leather-making industry was showcased.

6. The Holy Sepulchre

Situated just a few streets north of the Market Square, The Holy Sepulchre is Northampton’s oldest structure and one of the four remaining Norman round churches in England.

The church was established by Simon I de Senlis, Earl of Huntingdon-Northampton, in the early 12th century, having just returned from the Crusades. Its circular design was inspired by the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

Over the course of 900 years, numerous alterations have been made, with the most noteworthy being the restorations by Victorian architect George Gilbert Scott.

In subsequent centuries, a nave, aisles, and a chancel were added to the east, yet the original Norman circular church remains within the baptistery, complete with original windows on its south and north porches.

7. Castle Ashby Gardens

Castle Ashby is an Elizabethan Prodigy House constructed in the latter half of the 1500s, featuring later Palladian enhancements.

This type of grand residence was erected by Queen Elizabeth I’s prominent courtiers, and the queen herself visited in 1600, followed by King James I in 1605. Generally, the house is best admired from the outside, as it is only open to the public by appointment.

The breathtaking gardens at Castle Ashby are accessible year-round and expand across 35 acres within the 10,000-acre estate.

Visitors can leisurely stroll through the arboretum, secret garden, butterfly garden, theatrical Italian gardens, and walled garden, which includes a tea room.

The gardens also feature a menagerie in the summer, home to marmosets and meerkats, which young visitors can help feed.

8. Hunsbury Hill

A significant portion of the Northampton Museum’s Iron Age collection originates from this location, the site of an Iron Age hill fort erected approximately 2,500 years ago.

Hunsbury Hill is a vast, natural park featuring an intricate network of walking trails.

It is relatively easy to identify the location of the former fort, as the overgrown ditch forms a neat circle.

On the southern side, remnants of a 19th-century ironstone quarry reveal approximately 300 pits teeming with artefacts from the fort’s historical period.

Additionally, the park is divided by Banbury Lane, a historic droving road once used by traders bringing sheep to Northampton Market during the Medieval period.

9. National Lift Tower

The Grade II listed National Lift Tower is an enduring feature of Northampton’s skyline.

Standing at a height of 127.5 meters, it is one of just two lift-testing towers in Europe, completed in 1982 and inaugurated by the Queen.

The structure is hollow, comprising six lift shafts, including a high-speed shaft measuring 100 meters, capable of reaching speeds of up to 10 meters per second.

Previously belonging to the former Express Lift factory, which ceased operations in 1997, the tower was designated a listed building to prevent its demolition. It reopened in 2009 as a testing facility.

Plans for a visitor center at the tower have been discussed, but for now, it serves as a monument to admire from afar.

10. Sywell Country Park

For a countryside retreat, consider making the 15-minute journey east to Sywell Country Park.

This expansive area encompasses a large body of water that functioned as a reservoir from 1906 to 1979. Following this period, the lake transformed into a popular coarse fishing venue, thriving with tench and pike.

Several features from the era of the reservoir’s creation remain, including an arboretum filled with exotic trees and an elegant Edwardian pump house.

The pump house has since been converted into a café, while the shores of the lake include picnic*areas, a butterfly garden, and a three-mile walking trail featuring occasional bird hides.

11. Phipps Northampton Brewery Company

This esteemed ale and stout producer has been crafting beverages in Northampton intermittently for over 200 years.

Founded in 1801, the Phipps’ Bridge Street Brewery commenced operations in 1817. Although it ceased production in 1974, the brand recently resumed brewing at the Albion Brewery on Kingswell Street.

Visitors are encouraged to explore this stunning brick industrial structure, built in 1884, for tours any day except Monday to learn about Phipps’ historical connections to Northampton.

The Albion Bar, which opened in 2015, serves Phipps’ acclaimed ales and stouts, along with a new line of gin distilled by the brand, offered in multiple seasonal varieties.

12. Althorp Estate

From July to early September, the Althorp Estate just outside Northampton opens its gates to the public.

Although the estate was last modified at the end of the 18th century, its woodwork in the Picture Gallery reveals traces of the earlier Tudor structure.

This gallery, measuring 35 meters long on the first floor of the west wing, showcases an esteemed collection of art accumulated by the Spencers.

Portraits created by John de Critz and Mary Beale of James I and Charles II, along with “War and Peace” by Anthony van Dyck, can be viewed here.

The renowned French landscape architect André Le Nôtre designed the grounds in the 17th century, where the grave of the iconic Spencer, Diana, Princess of Wales, rests on an island in the Round Oval lake, marked by a somber Doric temple.

13. Cottesbrooke Hall and Gardens

An additional visit to consider is this Queen Anne-style house and its garden, dating back to the early 18th century.

The estate welcomes visitors in the summer months, offering a 45-minute guided tour of the hall, adorned with Corinthian pilasters and a balustrade, housing interiors embellished with family portraits, 18th-century furnishings, and exquisite ceramics from England, Europe, and China.

The beautiful gardens significantly enhance the estate’s allure, featuring an opulent terrace walk bordered by mixed borders and Lebanon cedars, as well as a sunken courtyard garden featuring a pergola and pool.

A captivating statue walk is nestled between yew hedges, displaying works by the 18th-century Flemish sculptor Peter Scheemakers.

14. Coton Manor Garden

For those passionate about charming country estates, Coton Manor Garden is located just ten miles from Northampton and is definitely worth the visit.

This picturesque garden spans ten acres and was designed in the 1920s surrounding a 17th-century manor house.

The striking building, characterized by mullioned windows, serves as the centerpiece of the gardens, which are adorned with rare varieties of roses, clematis, and various shrubs.

During summer, vibrant color erupts from the graceful York stone terraces, featuring agapanthus, heliotropes, pelargoniums, salvias, and verbenas.

Water features abound within the gardens, including ponds, fountains, and natural streams.

In early May, the bluebell wood provides a treat for visitors, while the wildflower meadow bursts to life in mid-summer.

15. Northampton Market

Trading in Market Square has been a tradition in Northampton since 1235 when a decree by Henry III mandated the market’s relocation from the All Saints’ churchyard.

This establishes it as one of the oldest continuously operating markets in the UK, with opportunities to participate from Tuesday to Sunday.

With 42 stalls, a diverse array of goods is available, including fresh produce, meats, eggs, cheeses, and ready-to-eat meals such as fish and chips and pies.

Additionally, the market hosts clothing vendors, haberdashers, jewelers, bike mechanics, and collectibles sellers, offering an engaging shopping experience.