Have a spooktacular Halloween this October at Delapré Abbey

Posted on 3rd October 20223rd October 2022 by Delapré Abbey

Delapré Abbey invites you to have a fun-filled October with a variety of new tours, Halloween activities and more.

It’s the final month to visit Delapré Abbey’s exhibition Joan Wake the pioneer: her passion and her legacy. Discover all about Joan Wake, her life and how she campaigned to save Delapré Abbey from demolition in 1954. At the beginning of September, Courteenhall lent a painting of Joan Wake to Delapré Abbey for the remainder of the exhibition.

Johnny Wake, Managing Partner, Courteenhall Estate said: “Myself and those at Courteenhall are honoured to lend Delapré Abbey a painting of my late great great aunt, Joan Wake, for their exhibition on her. Without her, Northamptonshire would not have the full knowledge of its rich history. We have Joan Wake to thank for Delapré Abbey still being here today amongst other things, and we are immensely proud of her.”

As part of the October programme, Robert Vaughan is returning after popular demand to deliver another one of his Underground Northampton talks. Enjoy a host of new tours about the nuns who lived at the Abbey with a Medieval Tour and those who still roam the halls today with the Unusual Happenings tour. On Friday 14th October, 7:30pm-11pm, Delapré Abbey is celebrating Oktoberfest with live music, steins, Bavarian food and more.

For Halloween, the Delapré Spooktacular is making a return on Sunday 30th October. Make sure to watch out for fearsome creatures and ghostly apparitions from the Abbey’s past as you follow the pumpkin themed trail through the house before collecting a trick or treat goodie bag. In the lead up to Halloween, pumpkin carving will take place in the Walled Garden. Pumpkins and carving tools are provided, just bring along your spookiest ideas.

Classics on the Lawn and the heritage tours that were due to take place on the 10th and 11th September have been rescheduled for Sunday 16th October 2022, 11am-3pm. All tickets and passes sold for the event and the tours will be honoured for the new date. The Abbey will be open its doors for free on this day for all to explore inside (usual price £8 per adult).

Richard Clinton, Chief Executive, Delapré Abbey Preservation Trust said: “All of us here at Delapré Abbey are looking forward to bringing the county a fun-filled programme of events this October. Our wonderful volunteers are presenting a variety of new tours this month for the public to enjoy. We are looking forward to partnering with Northampton Heritage Transport Group for Classics on the Lawn which thanks to our incredible team, will be able to take place this month allowing the public to have a taste of automobile history on the Abbey’s grounds.”

Delapré Abbey first opened its doors to the public in 2018 to showcase its turbulent 900-year history to visitors of all ages. The Urban Country House has had many lives as a Cluniac nunnery and a stately home before becoming the home of the Northamptonshire Records Society and now as a place to enjoy a day out with the family.

To see the full programme of events and book tickets visit delapreabbey.org.

june, 2023

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thu25mayAll Daythu13julThis Grief ThingGrief gatherings are small, free group conversations about grief and they're open to all.(All Day)

Event Details

Thu 25th May – Sat 29th July, various times and locations
Free, booking required
Sessions will last a maximum of 2 hours

This Grief Thing is a project that invites people to think, talk and learn about grief. We’re living at a time when many people find death and grief – our own grief or other people’s – almost impossible to talk about. We don’t know what to say, what to do, or how to act. So we stay silent, we pretend that grief doesn’t exist, or we hide it. This Grief Thing pushes against this, by opening up conversations about grief and making it visible.

As part of our wellbeing programme we are pleased to be working with Fevered Sleep who have created Grief Gatherings. They’re small, free group conversations about grief and they’re open to all. They’re for people who have experienced grief, and for people who haven’t. This will be an inclusive space. Any age, gender, race, faith welcome.
We’ll share thoughts, feelings, ideas and experiences. If you don’t wish to talk that’s fine, people are welcome to just be present.

This project is a partnership between Delapré Abbey and Fevered Sleep and is funded by Northamptonshire Community Foundation.

Dates and Locations

Thu 25th May, 2-4pm, Umbrella Fair
This Grief Thing host: Laura Graham

Mon 5th June, 6:30-8:30pm, Saints Coffee
This Grief Thing host: David Bowden

Thu 15th June, 2-4pm, Umbrella Fair
This Grief Thing host: Laura Graham

Sat 24th June, 2-4pm, Delapré Abbey
This Grief Thing host: Lisa Lovett

Mon 10th July, 6:30pm-8:30pm, Saints Coffee
This Grief Thing host: David Bowden

Thu 13th July, 2-4pm, Umbrella Fair
This Grief Thing host: Laura Graham

Sat 29th July, 2-4pm, Delapré Abbey
This Grief Thing host: Lisa Lovett

How to get to each location

Saints Coffee: 62 St Giles’ St, Northampton NN1 1JW (map)

Umbrella Fair: Racecourse Pavilion, Kettering Rd, Northampton NN1 4LG (map)

Delapré Abbey (this session will be held in our Library): London Road, Northampton, NN4 8AW (map)

Meet the hosts

Laura Graham
Laura Graham is a freelance writer and content creator based in Northampton. In 2009 she lost her mum to breast cancer, a loss that changed her life and taught her about the complexities of grief. She went on to work for a local charity on a project to support people coming towards the end of life. She believes that grief is the last taboo and hopes that grief gatherings will enable participants to feel connected and seen by their community.

David Bowden
Dave Bowden – A.K.A Word Guerrilla – is a poet and performer. Utilising beatboxing, live looping and multi-instrumentalism, he delivers Word Guerrilla’s unique brand of spoken word poetry performances and workshops to a variety of different educational settings, workplaces and events across the country. As an educator and creative facilitator, he seeks to generate creativity in people through writing, empowering them with language and words.
He believes that grief is ever- present, and like bits of glitter: long after you think it has gone, it continues to turn up everywhere, often unexpectedly. It can be challenging to make sense of grief and adapt to it. Dave wants to facilitate grief gatherings to help others understand the experience, giving them a space to articulate how they think and feel about the process of grieving and help others adapt to the experience of grief.

Time

May 25 (Thursday) - July 13 (Thursday)

Buy here

Book Tickets

Calendar GoogleCal

sun28may(may 28)11:00 amsun29oct(oct 29)4:00 amExhibition: "The Walled Garden Was Magical"An exhibition of your memories of the gardens.(may 28) 11:00 am - (october 29) 4:00 am

Event Details

Sunday 28th May – Sunday 29th October
11am-4pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays
Entry included in the price of general admission (£8 adults, under 18s free)

“The walled garden was magical… the absolute treasure.” Councillor David Smith

This exhibition explores the vast history of Delapré Abbey’s gardens and tells the stories of those who have worked here over the centuries to make beautiful outdoor spaces for the house owners and, subsequently, for the general public to enjoy.

There have been gardens here since the opening of the nunnery in 1145. On Saturday 19^th July 1952, Delapré Abbey’s gardens opened to the public and have continued to be a place open for all to enjoy. As Alderman J.V. Collier said upon their opening 71 years ago: “The gardens offer a haven of rest away from the milling crowds. Within almost a stone’s throw of the centre of the town, we have something unique.”

Timed to coincide with the centenary year of Delapré Abbey’s water garden, the exhibition captures and celebrates the local communities’ memories of Delapré through photos, text, ephemera and oral history.

Whether you enjoyed the walled garden as a child, have attended a wedding here, or discovered the grounds during one of the Covid-19 lockdowns, we want this exhibition to encourage visitors to tell their friends and loved ones about any existing memories they have made here while making new ones together.

Photo: John Pettitt