Kelmarsh Hall

Over het museum

Kelmarsh Hall is a Palladian country house in Northamptonshire, completed in the early 1730s for William Hanbury to a design by the architect James Gibbs. The Hanbury family had bought the manor in 1618, when an older Jacobean house stood on the site, and eight generations of the family lived on the Kelmarsh land until the 1860s. In 1864 the estate was bought by the Liverpool banker Richard Naylor, who improved the servants' quarters and added a laundry block and kitchens. In the early twentieth century it passed to the Lancaster family.

The house is best known for Nancy Lancaster. The Anglo-American couple Ronald and Nancy Tree rented the hall from 1928 to 1933, and Nancy, a society decorator who later became a partner in the firm Colefax and Fowler, turned its dark Victorian interiors into what was called the most inviting hunting box in England. She returned in 1947 as the wife of Claude Lancaster and also shaped the gardens. Her way of mixing comfort and formality helped to define the English country house look; the terracotta Great Hall and the Chinese wallpaper are among her legacies.

Claude Lancaster's sister Cicely Valencia inherited the estate in 1977 and set up the Kelmarsh Trust, which has cared for the hall, gardens and landscape since her death in 1996. Visitors explore the ground floor rooms, newly opened bedrooms and exhibitions, and the servants' quarters and old laundry below stairs, which show Victorian working life with hands-on displays. The Grade II* listed gardens include herbaceous borders, a walled garden with a dahlia collection, a lake and woodland walks.

Hoogtepunten

• Palladian house of the 1730s by James Gibbs
• Rooms styled by the decorator Nancy Lancaster, including the Chinese Room
• Servants' quarters and old laundry with hands-on displays
• Grade II* listed gardens with a walled garden and dahlia collection
• Lakeside, woodland and fairy walks
• Sweet Pea's Tearoom in the old stableyard

Vaste collectie

• Kelmarsh Hall – Ground floor fine rooms including the Library, Chinese Room, Great Hall and Ballroom, with newly opened bedrooms and exhibitions on the families who lived here.
• Below Stairs: the servants' quarters and old laundry – Victorian service rooms and laundry under the hall, with sounds, smells and hands-on activities about the work of servants.

Opgericht

1996

Beheerder

Kelmarsh Hall and Gardens Charitable Trust

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

Prices are those for the 2026 open season and may differ on special event days. There is no pre-booking system; tickets are paid for on arrival at the visitor centre. The hall ticket includes the servants' quarters and laundry. Historic Houses members enter free, RHS members enter the gardens free Tuesday to Thursday only (hall upgrade £4 adult, £2 child), and garden season ticket holders enter the gardens free; cards do not apply on special event days or to groups. Visitors can use Sweet Pea's Tearoom without paying admission, with a suggested donation of £2 per person.

Toegankelijkheid

• Deels rolstoeltoegankelijk
• Lift
• Aangepast toilet
• Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats
• Hulphonden welkom
• Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten: geen informatie
• Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
• Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
• Audiodescriptie: geen informatie

Blue Badge parking is in front of the visitor centre, which has a ramped entrance. Two platform lifts and ramps give almost complete access to the ground floor of the hall, the servants' quarters and the laundry block; the first floor rooms can only be reached by stairs, and the laundry tunnel has two steps. Many garden paths are loose gravel, so wheelchair users are advised to bring a companion. An orientation map shows the accessible routes, accessible toilets and baby changing. Only assistance dogs are allowed in the hall.

Kinderen & gezin

Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen

• Doe- en voelstations
• Kinderwagenvriendelijk: niet aanwezig
• Verschoonruimte

The website describes a day out for the family. The servants' quarters are a sensory experience with sounds, smells and activities, where visitors handle brushes, irons and linen. Pushchairs are not allowed in the hall, but baby changing is marked on the orientation map and the grounds have lakeside and woodland walks. Child tickets are sold at a reduced price and family tickets are available.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

The entrance is in the village at the crossroads, through the gateposts, on the A508, 5 miles south of Market Harborough and 11 miles north of Northampton; from the A14 take junction 2 and head north, as Kelmarsh is 500 m from the A14. Some sat navs misdirect, so use postcode NN6 9LX or check the directions. The Brampton Valley Way cycle route passes the estate, but there is no bike storage. Coaches should call ahead.

Service & horeca

• Café
• Restaurant: niet aanwezig
• Museumwinkel
• Garderobe: niet aanwezig

Sweet Pea's Tearoom in the old stableyard serves cakes, lunches and pre-booked afternoon tea; the stableyard gift shop and a plant shop are in the visitor centre. There is no cloakroom for the hall, only limited space for coats and umbrellas, and large bags, pushchairs and tripods should not be taken into the hall. Picnics are allowed in the gardens for paying visitors.

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

• Ruimtes te huur
• Privéfeesten
• Zakelijke evenementen
• Bruiloften / trouwceremonies

Tot 100 personen.

Exclusive-use country house wedding venue; the Ballroom holds up to 100 guests, and a marquee, tipi site and orangery are also available. A 124-acre outdoor event site is available for large events.

Je bezoek plannen