This day visit to Northamptonshire will take in two of the county’s most impressive historic houses, Althorp and Lamport Hall.

Our visit begins at Althorp, home of the Spencer family, where we will have a tour of the house led by curator Sofie Pedley. The house dates to 1688, replacing an earlier house once visited by Charles I. The original appearance of the red brick Tudor building was radically altered in 1788, when the architect Henry Holland was commissioned to make extensive changes. Mathematical tiles were added to the exterior, and four Corinthian pilasters were added to the front. The grand hall entrance to the house, Wootton Hall, was described by Sir Nikolaus Pevsner as ‘the noblest Georgian room in the county’. Numerous fireplaces and furnishings were brought to Althorp from Spencer House in London during the Blitz for safekeeping and still remain.

There will be time to buy a sandwich/soup lunch in the Stable Yard Cafe at Althorp before travelling to nearby Lamport Hall, home to the Isham family for over 400 years. Originally a Tudor manor house, architecturally the hall has been worked on by Smith of Warwick and William Burn but is best known for its John Webb classical frontage. The Hall’s fine rooms, including the High Room of 1655 and eighteenth-century library, are filled with a wealth of outstanding furniture, books, ceramics and paintings collected by the Isham family. Most were bought during the 3rd Baronet’s Grand Tour of Europe in the 1670s. The first floor has undergone lengthy restoration, allowing further paintings and furniture to be displayed. Our tour will be led by Lamport’s conservation officer and one of their dedicated tour guides.

COST: £60 (Travel and lunch not included)
If travelling by train, we suggest taxis from and to the station and car-sharing between the houses.

LIMIT: 18

CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS: 20 March 2026

To express interest, contact events@furniturehistorysociety.org

Neapolitan cabinet, Lamport Hall