Update 25th June 2020
Following the Government guidance we are pleased to inform you that we are planning our reopening. We will be staggering our reopening so as to ensure we are able to provide the safe environment that you our visitors, and our staff and volunteers require.
We have already implemented measures within the Orangery Café, which will continue to offer a takeaway service.
On the 12th July we will be reopening The Walled Garden, this will be via a pre-booking system open to all. Annual Pass members will be provided with a priority window for bookings 48 hours in advance of the general public.
In addition the Orangery Café will commence table service from the 10th July, whilst at the same time the popular takeaway offer will continue enabling you to make the most of the South Lawn and the Great British Summer weather.
We launched Hibiscus Restaurant weeks before lockdown and we are delighted that Executive Chef, Samuel Squires, will be taking reservations for Fridays and Saturdays from the 10th July. Details of how to make a reservation will be launched soon.
Furthermore we will be opening the public toilets across the weekends in July, we know that this has been a barrier for those wishing to make use of the park. So thank you for your patience on this matter. We are implementing a number of measures across the site to ensure your safety is our number one priority.
Finally and most importantly we will be reopening the Main House on the 7th August – we will be opening the doors every Thursday to Sunday throughout August. Tours will be managed slightly differently and all visits will need to be pre-booked in advance. We will be sharing details of these in due course, and again our Annual Pass Members will receive a 48 hour priority booking window.
Best wishes
Richard Clinton
Chief Executive
Annual Pass Memberships
As a result of not being able to open, and the potential for Annual Pass holders to need to self-isolate, we are offering all pass holders who renew their membership between 1 April 2020 and 31 March 2021 an additional 4 months membership free of charge.
In addition when we reopen we will be giving priority notice of all events to Annual Pass Members and providing them with exclusive content throughout the year.
Over the coming weeks we will be providing Annual Pass members a 48 hours priority window for all reservations in the Orangery Café and Hibiscus Restaurant. If you are a current Annual Pass member and wish to renew or you are interested in an Annual Pass membership please email info@delapreabbey.org for further details and to sign up.
We thank you for your ongoing support.
Questions & Answers
I have booked tickets for one of your events that has been postponed, can I exchange or have a refund?
If you are no longer able to attend once the new date has been released, you will need to contact TicketSource directly on support@ticketsource.co.uk or call TicketSource on 0333 666 4466 to arrange a refund in line with their terms and conditions.
Alternatively, you can donate your ticket fee to the Abbey by informing us that you can no longer attend but are not contacting TicketSource for a refund. This would be very gratefully received and the donation would go towards vital work to preserve the Abbey for future generations.
If you have any other event or booking enquiries, please email info@delapreabbey.org.
How can we continue to support Delapré Abbey during this difficult time?
Delapré Abbey is a registered charity that generates its own income through admissions, events, weddings, and private hire. To support the Abbey, you may choose to donate the cost of your event ticket if you are unable to make the new date, purchase an Annual Pass from us, or support us via the Northampton Lottery.
What increased measures have you implemented in the Orangery Café to enable Afternoon Tea collection.
We have added a number of measures to protect our customers, staff and volunteers:
- We have adopted a new entrance and exit for the Orangery, to enable greater distancing measures to be put in place.
- Hand wash stations have been installed at the entrance to the Orangery. We ask that all customers clean their hands thoroughly before entering the Orangery.
- Only one person from each family group we will be allowed to enter the Orangery.
- Where possible we request customers use contactless payment and avoid using cash.
- Team members will work throughout the day cleaning touch points such as door handles till areas and card machines
- We are operating a new collection only service to ensure we can operate in a safe way
I have an Annual Pass and I have not been able to use it; will you extend it?
As a result of not being able to open, and the potential for annual pass holders to need to self-isolate, we will be offering all pass holders who renew their membership between 1 April 2020 and 31 March 2021 an additional 3 months membership free of charge.
When do you plan to reopen?
With the most recent announcement, there are no guaranteed dates yet. However, we hope that we will be able to open the Walled Garden in a controlled manor in June, and some elements of the Abbey following further guidance from the Government in July.
We will keep everyone up to date with this through the website, and social media. The safety of our customers, staff and volunteers is very important to us and we will ensure we can provide a safe environment before opening.
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Update 18/05/2020
A message from our Chief Executive
The safety and wellbeing of our customers, volunteers, and staff is a key priority to us. In line with UK government measures outlined to tackle the spread of coronavirus, aspects of Delapré Abbey remain closed until further notice.
Whilst the Abbey, the Walled Garden, and Hibiscus may be closed, our work continues and please continue to engage with our digital channels.
Over the past week we have seen a growing number of our community visit to enjoy the grounds, and we thank you all for being mindful of the safety of others and yourselves. Over the weekend we saw high volumes of traffic, as people made the most of the weather and the relaxation of the restrictions.
I would like to ask all those intending to visit to please be considerate of others when they are parking and enjoying picnics. Whilst the carparks are open (The overflow carpark will close at 4.30pm everyday), we ask people to only park in designated spaces as parking outside of approved areas can impact accessibility for emergency services. For those who are enjoying a picnic please can you take all rubbish with you as you leave the grounds.
We are reviewing the updated Government guidance and working with our partners, to develop detailed and rigorous plans for how and when we will be able to begin to reopen safely and responsibly. We are focussing our plans on ensuring the safety of both our customers, staff, volunteers and local community.
As is permitted through the current Government guidance, the Orangery café will be offering a new Afternoon Tea collection service. We have implemented measures to protect our customers and staff, details of which can be found within the update below.
We will continue to post updates on our website and social media as soon as we have them, so please look out for these.
On behalf of everyone as at Delapré Abbey, I would like to thank you for your continued support. We wish you the best of health and look forward to seeing you again soon.
Kind regards,
Richard Clinton, Chief Executive
