Northampton’s Top 5 Cultural Tours: A Detailed Review

Northampton, that gem smack-dab in the heart of England, is just crammed to the rafters with loads of olden-days stories and places worth checking out. It can almost feel a bit like you’re peering through a magnifying glass at different moments from the past, that history is layered everywhere. So, selecting where to even start can feel a bit much, actually. These days loads of folks are keen to get properly stuck into where they’re going, digging around beneath just the standard tourist bits. Here is a gander at a few choice cultural jaunts to seriously think about if you’re in Northampton and hoping to get properly familiar with its heart and soul.

1. Northampton Guildhall Tour: Step Back in Time

The Northampton Guildhall, so, too it’s almost like a striking sort of architectural showpiece dating way back to the Victorian times, tends to be top of my list, basically because it properly brings all that civic history right to your doorstep. This beautiful place had it all drawn up by a gent named Edward Godwin, and clearly Godwin went absolutely all out because, in a way, even now it’s thought to be a prime sample of what the Gothic Revival can do. You will have a chance to properly wander right through its rather stately chambers while your guide pitches you into loads of tales regarding all of Northampton’s big moments. A proper must for anyone with an interest in local stories and how blummin’ councils used to do things.

I always think one of the biggest bits of charm has to be its wood carvings, and that very impressive great hall does make you feel smaller, too. If walls could actually chinwag, oh the gossip this spot could throw at us! Is that why I felt so incredibly pulled into that old courtroom? Very possibly. See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (Northampton Guildhall Tour)

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2. Northampton Museum and Art Gallery Tour: Culture Feast

Fancy nipping around a cracking museum that just hits loads of historical checkboxes? The Northampton Museum and Art Gallery has you covered. They put the work in and, arguably, after recent fancy sprucing-ups, it isn’t simply exhibiting cool Northampton bits, and it now also swings wide open its arms to national arts. Anyway, one day I just thought “sod it” and signed myself up for a tour; a very sound move it proved, actually, that I managed to discover right from a passionate soul all about what goes on within those walls. The top highlight had to be that shoe bit, which is that standout bit regarding shoemaking history (which, that is an essential Northampton bit!) It also, arguably, doesn’t stop there, because a bit more chinwagging showed me they’ve also got that downright daring arts place exhibiting works you almost certainly wouldn’t simply spot everywhere.

The tour will walk you properly around exhibits, throwing out insights to sort of add heaps of color. The bits about footwear were absolutely my type. See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (Northampton Museum and Art Gallery Tour)

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3. Abington Park Museum: A Glimpse into Local Life

Are you wanting to go out, breathing in bits of what feels properly Northampton but, that actually swerves a little away from your standard streets-based chinwag? Abington Park Museum gets properly buried inside one hell of a beautiful green zone, and gives that nosey peak into those homely bits, that you’d only typically pick up from locals. It finds its crib within what was once an old manor, tends to now put those homely collections right front and centre so anyone just stumbling through actually gets the feels for past peeps and how their worlds looked. Tours truly animate this experience properly; someone really with the know-how doesn’t simply shove out history-related snippets, plus, that guide sort of throws some extra stuff so everything ties nicely with the gaff’s layout. As I see it, if stories from everyday folk seriously strike you better compared to them king and queen tales, then, you absolutely should swing on by. The gaff itself appears positively magical too! It’s got what you want for a laid-back wander following absorbing a shedload of historical gossip. I reckon the outside spots feel perfect on milder sunny days. See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (Abington Park Museum)

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4. 78 Derngate: Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s Gem

78 Derngate appears seriously one of those jaw-hangingly cool cultural spots for checking out in Northampton for anybody a bit of an art freak and especially in the mood for Charles Rennie Mackintosh things! Arguably it isn’t only that single gaff within England that had Mackintosh proper slap some designer chic over it, so, actually naturally peeps buzz all around to see how this great brain worked whenever building up designs. Booking up for that chinwag all over 78 will chuck over heaps more knowledge; actually it highlights Mackintosh’s seriously sharp thinking and even points outwards to a pile more on the history relating to the house itself. It’s almost that combination from both designer class plus local bits creates this unique draw — just, well worth eyeballing really if designer-styled homes strike a bell right through you. I’m seriously never forgetting peeking upwards that winding staircase; talk about turning up to look properly Instagram ready!

78 Derngate has loads, with tours bringing those smaller designer elements properly bubbling upwards with a seriously expert viewpoint; I found it gave heaps extra nuance in what I considered initially just an admittedly, rather flash gaff! See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (78 Derngate)

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5. The Canal Museum, Stoke Bruerne: Narrowboat History

A few minutes out from Northampton happens to have The Canal Museum out within Stoke Bruerne which spins everyone deep into them canal tale bits! Snapping up the special gander creates properly enlightening moments, particularly when peeps working inside explain that crucial influence waterways tossed right around throughout loads industrial periods thereabouts. Clearly peeps could scope aged narrowboats along accompanied with even nab a peek within what life seemed like that water based life; I really sensed there had that vibe from some time long since past – definitely super cool in order soak everything upward! A waterside bar too will simply do simply because that best part; therefore, picturing a beer along by some calm river? Perfect immediately after exploring the rich inside workings!

The museum simply has simply that seriously hands-upon tone because guides will usually toss out facts as being folks drift right amongst exhibits causing which feel really fascinating. Honestly? The museum does well simply by producing some dry subject simply because a complete, exciting peek for some factor; for people needing something away those most extremely common trips, come have a nose along a canal path and watch most English past gets shared. See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (The Canal Museum, Stoke Bruerne)

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