Manor House Museum, Kettering

About the museum

The Manor House in Kettering appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, and parts of the present Grade II listed building are nearly 500 years old. Over the centuries it was a home for wealthy families, then a reading room for the library and later a dentist’s surgery.

The town museum began in 1903 in a single room of Kettering Library, after Roman pottery was found locally. The collection grew to include Anglo-Saxon finds, Roman jewellery, objects from the boot and shoe industry, one of the area’s first cars and a mummified cat. It later moved to West Street as the Westfield Museum before settling in the Manor House in 1989, where it uses two floors.

The displays follow Kettering’s story from its Roman origins to the town’s recent footwear trade and have included loans from the British Museum. The museum is currently closed because the historic building faces structural problems and needs thorough restoration; the council is preparing plans for reopening, and no date has been set.

Highlights

• Roman brooches, jewellery and face pots from local finds
• Anglo-Saxon cremation urns found on Stamford Road in 1903
• Pottery of the Kettering long-boss potter
• Boot and shoe industry collection
• Natural history and prehistoric fossils

Permanent exhibition

• Archaeology and local history displays – Roman brooches and face pots, Anglo-Saxon cremation urns and pottery by the long-boss potter, alongside objects from the footwear industry. The displays are not on view while the museum is closed.

Founded

1903

Operated by

North Northamptonshire Council

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Entry to the museum was free before it closed.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Before closure the museum offered ramped access, a lift, accessible toilets and a welcome for assistance dogs. The nearest car park, London Road, has 6 disabled parking bays.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

The museum ran programmes and activities for children and families, and the council publishes free craft activities to try at home.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

The museum shop sold Kettering-themed gifts such as tote bags, postcards, greeting cards, historical souvenirs and small toys.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.