Delapre Family Show 10am to 5pm Saturday/Sunday - 30/31 August 2008 FREE Entry to the Delapre Abbey Family Show, car parking fee of £2.00 Organized by Friends of Delapre Abbey in association with Northampton Allotment Network.  Over 50 different stalls, entertainment, exhibitions, competitions, dance and a number of food stands.  Event in aid of Cynthia Spencer Hospice. Live Music - including a string quartet and saxophonists Dog agility show Many horticultural exhibits and displays,vegetables and flowers  Children's 'Garden In A Seed Tray' competition Home made preserves Woodland Walk The Popular Hedgehog Man Children's pets & Reptiles Haraam Egyptian Dance Troupe Many local charities exhibiting including The Workbridge Centre Dog Costume Competition (follow our link to the entry form)

Heritage Weekend - 12/13/14 September 2008 12th/13th/14th September, a unique chance to see inside Delapre Abbey. Tours to announced by Northampton Borough Council in August. Entertainment to be announced later

Cannon uncovered in Abbey Greenhouse – 11 July 2008  What is thought to be the barrel of a cannon has been uncovered forming an integral part of the heating system in the first of four 19th century greenhouses the Friends of Delapre Abbey (FoDA) are hoping to restore to their former glory.   Thanks to a grant from the East Midlands Development Association, support from Barclaycard, and volunteers, the first green house will be ready for use by the end of August 2008. Further funding is desperately needed to ensure that all 4 greenhouses can be rendered fully functional again.

Graham Walker, Chair of FoDA said: ‘Once home to vines and peaches, we hope to use the greenhouses to stock the Abbey’s gardens, to grow plants for sale to visitors and organic produce for use in our community tearooms, which are open daily from 10.00am to 5.00pm.’ We would welcome more volunteers and donations to help ensure we can complete necessary work on the other greenhouses. Please telephone 01604 708675 to make your contribution now.’

Abbey Tea Room. April 2007 saw the doors open to the newly refurbished Abbey Tea Room situated in the 17th C Stable Block and overlooking the beautiful and tranquil walled garden. Officially opened by the Mayor & Mayoress of Northampton in May 2007, the Tea Room is open every day from 8am - 5pm weekdays and 10am - 5pm weekends, serving a selection of sandwiches, home-made soups, baked potatoes,wraps, ploughmans lunches, home-made cakes, teas & coffees and a warm welcome. After a recent visit by Northampton Environmental Health inspectors the Abbey Tea Room was awarded 3 stars. We can also open the Tea Room outside these hours on demand and offer a competitive external catering service

Northampton in Miniature at the Abbey The Stable Block at the Abbey is currently home to a wonderful display of 'Northampton through the Ages' in miniature. Please come down to see this hand-made display which took 5yrs to create to celebrate the year 2000. The display is on loan from Northants Miniaturist Society.

Greehouse & Tea Room Project We are delighted to announce we have been successfully awarded funding from the Local Alchemist Fund to the tune of £20,000. This money will be used to rennovate and restore the two Victorian greenhouses in the walled garden, and revamp our Tea Room in the Stable Block. We hope to recruit local volunteers to grow organic locally produced fruit, vegetables & flowers to supply the Community Veg Bag scheme and also to sell from the Stable Block cafe. The Friends Committee members visited The Lost Gardens of Heligan, (pictured right), where a similar project has been undertaken.Help has also been sought from Holkham Hall, Norfolk on the use of their linseed based paints. Any ideas or suggestions welcome. We are now looking for volunteers to tend the vegetables and plants currently being grown.

Tours of the Abbey We are pleased to announce we are now taking names and contact details of anyone interested in taking a guided tour of the Abbey building. Please use the 'Contact Us' form to let us know if you would like to put your name down, and we will contact you to arrange a date & time.