Social evening : Tour of Delapre Abbey and meal

Visit to Delapre Abbey : 24 September

Despite the local traffic problems, arising from the partial closure of South Bridge, 29 of us managed to assemble more or less on time on Monday evening outside the Stable Block at Delapre, ready for our visit to the renovated abbey.  We were most fortunate that our guide for the evening was our own Alan Jukes, and what a splendid knowledgeable guide he was. Before going into the abbey we viewed the adjacent  location of The Battle of Northampton in the Wars of the Roses. Our attention also was drawn to the eclectic styles of architecture, which the exterior of the abbey revealed – not surprising in a building dating originally from the twelfth century.

We then toured the house and soon realised what an excellent job had been done in renovating the building.  The ceilings were one particularly remarkable feature, with the original designs restored with their original colours, but each of the rooms had received careful restoration and this had involved the  removal of widespread white paint, which had covered them for many years.

The abbey, although it never was an abbey as such, was built as a nunnery for Cluniac nuns, and when the nunnery was dissolved at the Reformation the building passed into private hands and Alan gave us a pen-portrait of the families who lived there, particularly the Tates and the Bouveries.  Each family left its mark in the development of the house, and, inevitably, we learned of a family scandal, this one concerning the paternity of one of the Bouveries.

After the Second World War the Borough council bought the house and some of us remembered its use as The County Record office, but Alan revealed to us the great debt we owe to the Record Office, as its presence in Delapre prevented its demolition for a housing estate.  Thanks to Alan our tour was not only informative but nicely laced with humour.

We then retired to the Billiard Room, where our two-course meal was served.  A most enjoyable evening.

Desmond Keohane