Kelmarsh Hall and Gardens

About

Nestled in rural Northamptonshire, Kelmarsh Hall is an elegant country house surrounded by award winning historic gardens, offering a fantastic day out for the whole family. The award winning historic gardens at Kelmarsh are known for their relaxed charm, overflowing borders and a unique historic walled garden with a vivid dahlia collection. 

Kelmarsh Hall is a Grade I listed country house. Built in 1732, successive owners and influences have left their imprint on this elegant Palladian style manor. Kelmarsh Hall evokes the warmth of a family home, with the stories of past owners and residents for visitors to discover today. The Hall can be visited by the public on a ‘free flow’ basis on set days of the week during our open season. Visitors can access the ground floor fine rooms, including the Library, Chinese Room, Yellow Drawing Room, Great Hall, Dining Room, Saloon and Ballroom. The newly opened bedrooms and exhibitions allow visitors to explore the upstairs areas of the Hall, and the ‘Below Stairs’ servants’ Quarters give visitors a chance to experience Victorian working life

Built for the Hanbury family in the 1730s by virtuoso architect, James Gibbs, and builder, Francis Smith of Warwick, Kelmarsh Hall was praised by historian Nikolaus Pevsner as, “a perfect, extremely reticent design, done in an impeccable taste.” One other arbiter of fashion to leave her mark on the Hall was society decorator Nancy Lancaster.  Drawn by the house’s fine bone structure, her taste for combining comfort with formality set the trend for the Twentieth Century’s Country House look. Her spirit still pervades the house today in the delicate terracotta colouring of the Great Hall, the exuberant Chinese wallpaper, and seasonal flower arrangements.

The Principle Rooms

The Great Hall is the centrepiece of the house and is the first room to be entered through the front door. With its Italian pink walls and fine 18th century ceiling plasterwork, this room has welcomed many guests during its history. Beyond the Great Hall is the Saloon resplendent with chandeliers, polished oak floorboards, and far reaching vistas. 

Left of the Great Hall is the Chinese Room with 300-year-old hand-painted wallpaper. To the right is the formal Dining Room displaying many female portraits. Left of the Saloon is the Library complete with secret door opening into the Hall from which the ornate cantilever staircase ascends. 

Right of the Saloon is Nancy Lancaster’s Yellow Drawing Room. The final room to be seen is the Ballroom, a Victorian extension, with views over the West Terrace and the lake beyond.

The Stableyard Gift Shop

Our enchanting gift shop, located within the visitor centre, is open and full of goodies during our open season. The gift shop is home to tasteful homewares, gifts, cards, accessories, books, scarfs, decorations, and much more! 

We also have our lovely plant shop, found at the back of the visitor centre which has an assortment of seasonal plants, chosen by our own gardens team.

Treat yourself or a loved one something lovely whilst visiting the gardens, Hall or tea room. The shop is updated throughout the season, so you can find something different with each visit!

Sweet Pea's Tea Room at Kelmarsh

We are delighted to have the fabulous Sweet Pea’s Tearoom located at Kelmarsh Hall and Gardens. The Tearoom can be found in our old stableyard block, through the entrance of our visitor centre. 

The lovely Sweet Pea’s Tearoom offer a wonderful assortment of cakes, sweet treats and lunches. Afternoon Tea’s are also prebookable via their website. There is seat in for tearoom customers outdoors and indoors, and for garden customers, there is extra seating located at the back of the Hall with views of the lake and parkland

Weddings at Kelmarsh 

Kelmarsh is a stunning exclusive use country house wedding venue, set in the Northamptonshire countryside, with historic gardens and ornamental lake. The Hall boasts beautiful fine rooms for your ceremony, wedding breakfast and evening party. For larger weddings we have a lovely marquee or Tipi site, and for more intimate wedding ceremonies, our Orangery is a beautiful location.