Deene Park House and Gardens

On a recent foray into darkest Northamptonshire, we picked up a leaflet for Deene Park House and Gardens near Corby. It is only 35 minutes away from our home but we had never heard of it.

Like most English stately homes it closes for the winter, but this week the gardens were opened for "Snowdrop Week" and we decided to go for it while we had the opportunity. I'm so glad we did.

Fortunately the flowers obliged and weather was mild, but overcast. We left the car beyond the house in a beautiful parkland meadow with views of the house, the park and the ornamental ponds that were created by diverting a local stream, the Willow Brook.

Up to six red kites soared low overhead while the local buzzards preferred to hunt from fence posts and trees. Kestrels hovered on the light breeze while geese grazed the fields and the short turf near the water. It was an idyllic start and it just got better and better.

We saw acres of snowdrops from the car before we even entered the estate. Wherever there was woodland there was a rolling blizzard of snowdrops. In other places we found yellow aconites, a few primroses, crocuses and lilies, and buds on the trees near to bursting.  Rooks were nest building and there were new lambs in the fields. Spring was just a few weeks away.

In the artificial lakes we saw all sorts of wildfowl, including great crested and little grebes.

But what of the house itself? It is extremely imposing, but how old is it? It's hard to tell because it has had so many extensions and alterations over the centuries. We will have to come back in summer for a tour of the house to find out the details but we did learn that it was built onto the original 16th century manor house that belonged to Westminster Abbey, so some of it is therefore very old.

The 7th Earl Cardigan in his Hussars uniform.

We  were invited in for tea and cakes in the old kitchen, which was a delight. The two ladies who were on duty looked after us and offered to take a photo of us both together in front of the roaring fire that had been lit in a huge Victorian cast iron range, manufactured by the Eagle Range and Foundry Company.

And what of the people who live in the house? The Brudenell family has lived here continuously since 1514 but they must have had a bit of a shock during World War 2 when, along with most of the big houses in the area it was used by the military who bashed it about rather a lot.

The most famous member of the family was the 7th Earl of Cardigan who led the disastrous Charge of the Light Brigade in the Crimean War. We found his tomb in the church next door.

The next chance for a visit will be when the house opens to the public on the Easter weekend. I'm sure we will be there.