Kelmarsh Hall Summary

• Address: Kelmarsh, Northampton, NN6 9LY (Map)
• Tel: +44 (0)1604 686543
• Fax: +44 (0)1604 686537
• Owner: The Kelmarsh Trust
• Administrator: Administrator
• E-mail: Click here to contact
• Website: Go to the Kelmarsh Hall website

“There is nothing could more add to the happiness I enjoy,” wrote William Hanbury as he watched the roof going on his new Palladian style mansion. The virtuoso architect of his day, James Gibbs, and builder, Francis Smith of Warwick, had been instructed to replace the former Jacobean hall with something more modern. The famed historian Nikolaus Pevsner praised their results as, “a perfect, extremely reticent design…done in an impeccable taste."

The Naylors purchased the estate in 1864. Richard Christopher Naylor was a Liverpool banker, cotton trader and horse racing enthusiast who bought the estate for its hunting potential and cared for it through most of the Victorian era. Then, thanks to a fortune founded in iron and coal, George Granville Lancaster bought the Estate in 1902. His wife Cicely was of Hugenot family, Champion de Crespigny. Their son, Claude inherited on his majority in 1924, and was then followed by his elder sister in 1977.

The Anglo American Ronald Tree and his wife Nancy rented the Hall from 1928 -1933. The couple later moved to another James Gibbs house, Ditchley Park in Oxfordshire. On their divorce in 1948, Nancy Tree returned to Kelmarsh Hall as the wife of Colonel Lancaster. A well connected Virginian (her aunt was the formidable politician, Nancy Astor), she is most famous for her partnership in the decorating firm of Colefax and Fowler. The marriage was short lived and Nancy Lancaster ended her days and her gardening career at the much admired Haseley Court, Oxfordshire.

A famed arbiter of fashion, Nancy Lancaster’s taste for combining comfort with formality set the trend for what we recognise today as the English Country House look. Even Country Life came to photograph the glamorous American’s trend setting. Her spirit still pervades the house today and visitors can see Nancy Lancaster’s style most clearly in the delicate pink terracotta of the Great Hall, the exuberant Chinese wallpaper and seasonal flower arrangements on display.

Following her brother's wishes, Cicely Valencia Lancaster set up the Kelmarsh Trust to safeguard the estate's future after her death in 1996. To find out more about Kelmarsh, and about visiting, their Website should prove an invaluable aid.

The Gardens:

Despite the Eighteenth Century setting, the gardens that visitors see at Kelmarsh Hall today are largely inspired by Nancy Lancaster. With her instinctive panache she extended her interior style of shabby chic charm into the gardens and drafted in the garden designer of her day, the talented Norah Lindsay, to help.

Around the Hall the landscape architect Geoffrey Jellicoe laid out a formal terrace and horse chestnut avenues leading down to the lake. From the sophisticated pastels of the sunken garden through to the showier shades of the 30m long border, the garden leads you on a tour around the perimeter of a triangular walled garden. This secret heart is being renovated to a state of beautiful utility with joyous cut flower borders and, with the aid of a Heritage Lottery Fund Grant, a recent restored vinery.

Corporate and Weddings:

With a policy of exclusive use, Kelmarsh Hall is available for weddings and corporate events throughout the year. A series of rooms are available, including the recently renovated Ballroom which is large enough to seat up to 90 guests for dinner. The Saloon, which is licensed for civil wedding ceremonies, has spectacular views over the lake and the Great Hall, with its fine 18th-century plasterwork and open fire which is lit on cooler days, is perfect for champagne receptions. For larger parties there is a marquee site to the front of the house which is suitable for up to 350.

There is also a large event site comprising 36 acres of flat parkland with adjacent parking for 14,000 cars and magnificent views across the lake to the Hall. For further details, do have a look at their Website.

Opening Times - 2012

Gardens:

• 8th April - 27th September: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Sundays & Bank Holiday Mondays, 11 am - 5 pm

Hall and Croome Exhibition:

• 8th April - 27th September: Thursdays plus Bank Holiday Sundays and Mondays - 12 pm - 5 pm
• CLOSED - 2nd August

Tea room:

• 8th April - 27th September: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Sundays & Bank Holiday Mondays, 11 am - 5 pm

Admission Prices - 2012

House & Garden:

• Adult - £6.00
• Child (5-14 years) - £4.00
• Concession - £5.50

Access to House by guided tour only

Combined Ticket for House, Croome & Garden:

• Adult - £8.50
• Concession - £8.00
• Child - £4.50

Garden only:

• Adult - £5.00
• Child (5-14 years) - £3.50
• Concession - £4.50

Garden Season Tickets are available, £15 for individuals, or £30 for a Family Season Ticket.

Groups (16+):

• Tour of House with admission to the Gardens: Adult - £7.50
• Tour of Croome Exhibition and admission to the Gardens (12+): Adult - £7.50
• Tour of the Gardens: Adult - £7.50
• Evening Tour of the Gardens with a glass of wine: Adult - £12.50

Pre-booked guided tours are welcomed all year round

More information on the garden can be found on The Gardens Guide.

Further information including opening times and prices

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Events for Kelmarsh Hall

• Snowdrop Weekend - 11 February 2012 to 12 February 2012
  11 am - 3 pm: Take a stroll along the Oak Walk filled with a profusion of snowdrops. There will also be an exhibition from arts collective Edge Arts, including sculptures, paintings, photography, illustrations and artwork for sale. There will also be cushions and other hand-stitched items on sale from Fine Cell Work, a charity that was established to train prisoners in paid, skilled, creative needlework. Some of their pieces have been commissioned by English Heritage and the V&A Museum in the past. Admis
• Snowdrop Weekend - 18 February 2012 to 19 February 2012
  11 am - 3 pm: Take a stroll along the Oak Walk filled with a profusion of snowdrops. There will also be an exhibition from arts collective Edge Arts, including sculptures, paintings, photography, illustrations and artwork for sale. There will also be cushions and other hand-stitched items on sale from Fine Cell Work, a charity that was established to train prisoners in paid, skilled, creative needlework. Some of their pieces have been commissioned by English Heritage and the V&A Museum in the past. Admis
• Kelmarsh Game and Country Fair - 21 April 2012
  The beginning of the game fair season! Kelmarsh Game and Country Fair is the East Midland's foremost country sports event. There will be world renowned field sports competitions with the largest prize funds and many "have a go" opportunities from which you can learn about outdoor pursuits - a great family day out!
• Hardy Plant Fair - 06 May 2012
  10 am - 4 pm: Admission is £2.50.
• Victorian Painting by Sue Edwards - 10 May 2012
  From the diverse art work of the Victorian period this concise one hour talk concentrates on the Pre Raphaelite movement, realism and modern life, classical influences and more. Tickets: £5.00

• Painting in the Garden with artist - Maureen Smith - 12 June 2012
  After graduating from University of Northampton, during which time she visited Kelmarsh Hall to draw and paint scenes. Maureen's love of the landscapes in Northamptonshire and also the architecture of old buildings is a key feature on this day. Please see website for futher details.
• Lords and Lamps - 14 June 2012
  "How the Aristocracy advanced the use of electricity" - This talk by David Bright, covers work done to restore and refurbish the Engine House that was used to generate electricity to light Warwick Castle in 1894. Including information and equipment gathered to present a public exhibition. Tickets: £5.00
• Painting in the Garden with artist - Maureen Smith - 26 June 2012
  After graduating from University of Northampton, during which time she visited Kelmarsh Hall to draw and paint scenes. Maureen's love of the landscapes in Northamptonshire and also the architecture of old buildings is a key feature on this day. Please see website for futher details.
• Gertrude Jekyll: Artist, Gardener & Craftswomen - 28 June 2012
  This talk by Twigs Way, explores the early lifeGertrude Jekyll (1843-1932) - still one of the most influential of English garden designers even eighty years after her death. She is well known for her wonderful use of colour schemes in her characteristic flower borders. Also covered will be the creation of her garden and nursery at Munstead Wood and her associations with contemporary architects, artists and garden writers. Tickets: £5.00. Twigs book - Gertrude Jekyll - available from Shire Books, April 2012

Additional Info for Kelmarsh Hall

• Gardens
• Dogs allowed
• Weddings
• Disabled Access
• Education
• Refreshments
• Guides
• Conferences
• Filming
• Nursery
• Car Parking

Heritage Groups

• Historic Houses Association

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