Delapre Abbey: 12th Century building to open for first time
Stephanie Baines Photography
Activities over the weekend will include a re-enactment of the Battle of Northampton, as well as bird of prey and Tudor kitchen demonstrations
It was restored at a cost of almost £8m, including a grant of £3.6m from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The project has taken more than four years to complete and came in over time and over budget
It has a long and varied history, from its foundation as a nunnery in the 12th century through the War of the Roses and almost 200 years of ownership by the Bouverie family. Built by the son of Simon de Senlis, the 2nd Earl of Northampton, Delapre Abbey was established as a nunnery in 1145
After her death in 1290, Queen Eleanor's body was taken to the abbey for the night, while en route to Westminster
The Dissolution of the Monasteries under Henry VIII saw the demise of the abbey's nunnery with the Abbess finally surrendering the buildings in 1538. The Battle of Northampton in 1460 was the first major battle of the War of the Roses and saw the first use of massed guns
Abbey historian Vikki Pearson said the library had been restored to the way it would have looked in Victorian times in the 1860s. She said furniture and even books from the period had been found, adding: "The books are all as they would have been in the Victorian period and all able to be taken off the shelves and read"
In 1862, General Everard Bouverie fought John Augustus Sheil Bouverie's claim to be declared legal heir to Delapre as he believed his successor was illegitimate. The General lost, but made sure his nephew inherited only the land and buildings and nothing else - not even dead sheep
The War Office requisitioned the property in 1940, when Mary Bouverie moved to Duston following the auction of the house furniture
The abbey was almost demolished due to post-war austerity. It was only saved by a campaign which eventually resulted in it becoming the home of the new Northamptonshire Record Office
More than 100 volunteers worked to help refurbish the abbey. Northampton Borough Council Cabinet member for regeneration Tim Hadland said said the abbey "will be a huge asset" for the town
Northampton Borough Council Cabinet member for regeneration Tim Hadland said the abbey "will be a huge asset" for the town
Stephanie Baines Photography
