Delapre Abbey and Kelmarsh Hall are celebrating recent transformations thanks to over £5million from National Lottery players.

Kelmarsh Hall

Kelmarsh Hall celebrates the grand opening of its new ‘Below Stairs’ experience from 1 to 4 April.

Dating from 1732, the manor house in Kelmarsh is opening up its servants’ quarters for the very first time.

Awarded £1.35m for the ‘Tunnelling through the Past’ project, the Kelmarsh Trust conserved the former laundry and stable yard, opening up access to the previously unseen wine cellar, brew house and butler's pantry.

Discover what life was like ‘below stairs’ through new interactive and augmented reality experiences, including a new app, and even try your hand at servants’ work, such as polishing the silver.

The project has also transformed the former coach house into a dedicated learning centre, which will host a range of fun events from evening lectures, craft fairs and pop-up talks.

To find out more about upcoming events at Kelmarsh, visit their website.

Delapre Abbey

Just a bit further south, Delapre Abbey, located in 600 acres of parkland in the centre of Northampton, is now open to the public following a National Lottery funded restoration.

Opened earlier in March by property developer and TV presenter, Sarah Beeny, the abbey is able to share its fascinating 900-year history for the first time.

There are five interactive storytelling zones to discover, detailing the different eras of the building’s past, from its life as a Cluniac nunnery through to its heyday as a scandal-ridden Victorian country home.

The abbey will host a range of Easter events over the long weekend, including a Peter Rabbit trail, Easter bonnet parade and make your own Easter egg workshops.

For more information, take a look at the Delapre Abbey website.