Abington
Park
Abington Park is Northampton's most
popular park. Land for the park was given to the town by
Lady Wantage in 1892 and the park was opened to the
public in 1897. Two years later, in 1899, Abington Museum
was opened in the centre of the park. it was the first
public park in the town and is seen by the town as one of
its most important assets. The historic park is in two
sections, divided by Park avenue, a road lined with
trees, creating an upper and lower park.
Set within the lower park is the remains of a disused
medieval village. Evident by the lumps and bumps in the
ground these earthworks represent the house platforms and
track ways of the village, and the ridge a furrow of the
farming system. The site of a former fishpond has been
converted into the children's play area and rose garden.
The hunting gates in the lower park were repaired in
2002, using stone to match the original or stone which
had come from the walls and pillars so as to keep the
natural appearance. The park also contains two lakes,
(one was a former boating lake) and a connecting stream
sustaining the aquatic and waterfowl environment of the
park.
Pigeonry
The park also contains a
number of buildings and structures of historical
importance like the water tower and pigeonary built in
1774 and the two hunting gates. The tower was restored in
the mid 1900s when repairs to the stonework and sluice
area were cleaned.
In the upper park is the 15th century manor house of the
Abington estate, which is now a museum dating back to the
Tudor period. Once the home of Shakespeare's
granddaughter, Elizabeth Bernard, the museum features
displays depicting the whole of life in Northamptonshire.
It boasts a room with original 16th century oak
panelling, a room full of Victorian curiosities, a 19h
century costume gallery and the history of the
inhabitants of Northampton from the cradle to the
grave.The church of St.Peter & St.Paul nextdoor is
where Shakspeare's granddaughter is buried. Its origins
date back to around 1200. To the rear of the house is the
aviary which attracts a lot of visitors to the park.
manor house museum
The Grade 1 listed manor house has been subject to
substantial restoration in 1993/4 approved by English
Heritage, where structural repairs to the fabric of the
building were undertaken. In the upper park can be found
two thatched farmers cottages and a Victorian bandstand
which is still in use today.
The bandstand was restored back to its former glory in
1997 with the original features being repainted in a
colour used at the time of installation. At the same time
the gates to the park where repainted to their original
colour.