Visit Northampton's Guildhall as part of Heritage Open Days

Visitors to the Grade II* listed Victorian building can enjoy guided tours and see areas usually closed to the public, including the original Town Hall Keeper's living quarters, basement cells and the Mayor's Parlour and corridor, where portraits of Mayors and Mayoresses from the 1940's to the present day are displayed.

The Mayor of Northampton Cllr Stephen Hibbert and the Deputy Mayor Cllr Paul Joyce, will be on hand to greet visitors in the parlour, while Northampton’s history will be brought to life through reenactors telling stories inspired by characters depicted within the Guildhall.

Cllr Hibbert said: “On behalf of Northampton Town Council, I am looking forward to welcoming visitors to the Mayor’s Parlour and sharing the traditions of Northampton’s rich civic heritage.

“The Guildhall is a fine example of Victorian architecture and the open day will be a wonderful opportunity to explore its spectacular Gothic Revival style interiors and enjoy all the activities on offer.”

In addition to tours of the building which are organised by West Northamptonshire Council, town councilor Bob Purser will lead free walking tours to show the variety of geological stonework present in Northampton town centre, starting from the Guildhall at 12.30pm and 2.30pm. Places on these 60-minute tours are limited and need to be booked in advance by emailing [email protected].

The Moulton Morris Men will also perform traditional English dances throughout the afternoon, performing all the varieties of Sword and Morris and local dances of the county.

In the lead-up to the Heritage Open Days festival, Northampton Town Council is launching the ‘Snapshots in Time’ virtual trail, which highlights how 10 historic places in some of the town’s major streets have evolved over the years, using photos from bygone days. The trail will be available on the Explore Northampton app from 1st September.

The Guildhall is one of many heritage venues in Northamptonshire that will be open to the public for free during the Heritage Open Days, which takes place between Friday 8th and Sunday 17th September.

Visit the Heritage Open Days website for full details and further information about all participating venues.