Northampton Borough Council are well under way with the setting up of Delapre Abbey Trust. The initial trustees will be sitting to oversee an 'Options Appraisal' from an independent company. Many thanks to Ron Fitzhugh from the FoDA Committee for taking up position as one of the Trustees. This is basically a business plan that will prove the long term viability of Delapre Abbey operating as a Buildings Heritage Trust with provision for Arts, Education and Heritage, this will build events and activities within our community with a major input from FoDA. NBC will be paying for the consultant firm to undertake this feasibility study. When the concept is proved viable the Architectural Heritage Fund (the organisation behind the trusts involved in the BBC's Renovations program) should reimburse our council and hopefully open up funding that will renovate the Abbey.

FoDA Proposal for the future of the Abbey

This Document is an initial outline of the proposal by the Friends of Delapre Abbey to bring Delapre Abbey into community use. FoDA will work with NBC and other interested parties to set up Delapre Abbey Trust. This is to be a grant, membership and activity funded organisation that NBC will operate with employed and voluntary staff to develop the infrastructure, partnerships and facilities to deliver a range of community and educational activities covering, arts, environment, heritage and leisure. The Delapre Abbey Trust will be a ‘not for profit organisation’ that other groups will be able to join as associate members, enabling all parties to operate as a single entity with a board of trustees balancing the needs of groups, and guiding the direction of development.

The Friends of Delapre Abbey are working with N-Compass, Local Alchemy, Northampton Arts Collective, Northampton Borough Council, Northampton County Council and the Urban Development Corporation, as well as other parties to set up the Delapre Abbey Trust. It is envisaged that Delapre Abbey Trust will link with the Nene River Regional Park and Northampton Cultural Mile projects as they come to fruition.

Users and Partners for Development

The well-attended public meetings FoDA have held identified the following areas in which to develop Delapre Abbey. These are The Arts, Our Heritage, The Environment, Leisure Activities and Education. By encompassing these areas we will help to bring, social and community inclusion and cohesion, joining existing and emerging communities, and offering opportunities for personal development, business growth and crime reduction. To achieve this we are forming partnerships with groups and organisations with specific skills and experience. These are at varying stages from initial contacts to close working relationships.

The Arts - We have a strong working relationship with Northampton Arts Collective. It is envisaged that the large ground floor rooms of the south wing will be developed into a Studio Theatre setting. This would be utilised by Mask Theatre for rehearsal and performance, by Forum Cinema as a south Northampton screening venue. There is interest from Northampton Festival, Dance Dangerous and Northampton Community Dance organisations and potentially many others. The first floor rooms of the North Wing lend themselves well to ‘artist hatcheries’ and we look to work with The Artist Sanctuary to develop these. The Walled Garden and South Lawn offer suitable outdoor space for outdoor events such as wedding parties. These types of events would complement the ambience of the Abbey. There is existing sculpture in the Walled Garden. This offers the opportunity to develop a secure outside sculpture space that will enhance the beautiful horticulture here and to expand this to a sculpture trail around the parkland. On a larger scale the western parkland at the front of the Abbey has been used for ‘Proms in the Park’ concerts in the past, and could host a music concert on an annual basis. This depth of arts will make it a beginning / end point of the Cultural Mile as a counterbalance to UCN Avenue / The Racecourse.

Our Heritage - Delapre Abbey is a standing example of the way Northampton has grown and developed. There is architecture from late medieval through to Victorian periods, it has the county’s best preserved Eleanor Monument (top of London Road), is in close proximity to the Battle of Northampton site and hosted councils of war during the Civil war as well as being utilised by the M.O.D. during the Second World War. The Ground Floor North Wing rooms offer good public access and are the oldest surviving part of the building. It would be appropriate to work with Northampton Central Museum to develop a Heritage exhibition here. The adjoining Ground Floor East Wing rooms would offer space to accommodate further changing exhibitions. We have been approached by re-enactment and living history groups from the medieval and civil war periods with interest in putting on a Festival of History within the parkland. FoDA are also currently working on various projects to offer guided tours of the Abbey and grounds to the public.

The Environment - The parkland of Delapre Abbey offers a wide variety of different habitats including meadow, woodland and a large lake. With such a close proximity to the town centre there is the opportunity for a Country Park setting that is accessible to an urban community. This would help cross boundaries between rural and urban lifestyles offering a link between Northampton as a Developing Urban City and Northamptonshire as a Rural Farming County. The Victorian Farm Buildings to the north of the Main Abbey Buildings offer the opportunity to establish a City Farm. This will benefit Northampton Pony Club with improved stables and barn spaces and provide a rural link for local children and schools.

The Walled Garden is a well-kept and fine example of horticulture and we look to sustain and enhance this. The Water Garden to the East of this is a well-established area of hidden pathways and sunken water features the water supply to these needs to be re-connected. There are existing volunteer groups from Far Cotton Residents Association and Workbridge who help to maintain the gardens. The Trust will support and help develop these groups and help them develop their activities. The wider park area holds many spaces for wildlife and conservation areas, the large lake to the east of the abbey offers the opportunity of a wildfowl area. Delapre Abbey’s close proximity and easy access to the River Nene makes it a prime location to link in with the River Nene Regional Park.

Leisure Activities - Horse Riding is a major activity at Delapre Abbey and we would like to see the Country Sports and all Sporting Leisure activities improved. The lake is currently used for powerboats with an area of rough ground used by off-road vehicles adjacent. We would like to move away from motor sport activities as we believe they destroy the ambience of the Parkland and surrounding area and often bring conflict with other users and have a detrimental effect on the environment of the parkland. The lake area would be better suited to non-motorized activities such as sailing and canoeing allowing for nesting birds, and subsequently birdwatcher's hides in other parts. In conjunction with this we would look to improve the fishing sites. People often cycle in the park and it would be beneficial to improve the major pathways to enable better access. There is a circular route around the park taking in the approach drive, Charter Wood, the lake, along Eagle Drive, around Delapre Wood at the far side of the golf course, past the Eleanor Monument and down London Rd. This route can be seen on the map prepared and published by Northampton County Council in 2004. This is a varied and relaxing tour of the park either on horse, cycle or foot, with links to many other parts of the town. We are looking to improve and promote this.

Education - Many of the activities and settings described above offer opportunities for education. At a schools level we would look to offer supporting guides and assistance to make these fit with the curriculum so that Delapre Abbey can be a safe and accessible resource for our county's schools. These educational tours would also be available weekends for the general public. There are many opportunities for adult, further and higher education here as well. To this end we will look to work with all local schools, UCN, Northampton College and Moulton College to develop Delapre Abbey as a site for learning. The rooms in the north side of the Stable Block have been earmarked for this purpose, they are larger and have existing storage and toilet facilities. To support this and other activities within Delapre Abbey we will provide the facility of Internet Hot Spot (Broadband Internet and network Wi-Fi connection) covering the Abbey buildings, Walled Garden and Farm Yard areas.

Other Community Activities - The 3 larger rooms in the Stable Block to the North of the main Abbey Buildings offer good sites for smaller group or club community activities. These may cover things such as meeting space for residents' groups, yoga class, photography club, parent and toddler, and many other user groups.

Finance & Infrastructure

Ownership of Delapre Abbey - We have agreed with Northampton Borough Council that ownership of a 125 year lease of Delapre Abbey buildings, garden and immediate parkland will pass to the Delapre Abbey Trust.

Income Streams & Business Opportunities - There will be a need for grant funding for initial set up but it is essential that we identify long term funding streams that will sustain and develop Delapre Abbey in the long run. There will be a need for a reception for enquiries and bookings; there is space in the Stable Block for this. With this there is the opportunity for a shop selling appropriate merchandising and supporting materials for activities taking place on site. There will be an income from room hire, and events. Other streams such as benefactors, sponsorship and supporting membership will also support the trust.

Private Functions - FoDA are currently providing a large marquee for hire to stage private functions such as weddings and parties. This venture can be developed further to bring in much needed funds to sustain the maintenance of the Abbey & grounds. The south wing rooms lend themselves perfectly for this purpose, as they are bigger and offer beautiful views over the south lawn, and excellent natural light. The Library would be a wonderful venue to become licensed to hold civil wedding ceremonies, with the Saloon area housing a bar area. The Drawing room could be restored to 17th century architecture and used as a sitting room or waiting area for wedding parties and guests or a venue for smaller wedding parties to hold their reception. The backdrop of the south lawn and ancient cedar trees offers a superb photographic opportunity. The marquee would be situated on the south lawn for larger wedding parties and private functions. The cellar could be converted to a mediaeval banquet hall offering entertainment evenings with a mediaeval theme.

Conferencing - The rooms on the first floor of the south wing could be developed into meeting rooms providing training and conference facilites for local business in a relaxed and serene environment. This would bring in more revenue to ensure sustainability. These rooms would be avilable to the community for a much lower rate.

Other revenue streams - FoDA are currently working on a project to restore the Georgian greenhouses in the walled garden. Once made safe these will be used to grow hot house vegetables, bedding plants and traditional Victorian varieties of flowers. The produce from the greenhouses will be sold to the general public. FoDA have recently opened the Tea-Room in the downstairs of the Stable Block offering access to the walled garden, and this will be developed further to provide healthy light snacks and refreshments at weekends and most weekday lunchtimes. The cottage in the walled garden could be converted into an a la carte Restaurant or Bistro open lunchtimes and evenings.

Transport and Accessibility - Delapre Abbey is in a very good location with easy access from town on foot or cycle. This is enhanced with the footbridge across the river joining Beckets Park to the South Bridge residential developments. We will improve the Ransom Road entrance to the park to link it to this. It is on a main bus route along London Road and has plenty of parking spaces at the front, and easy turning for coaches. The field areas to the north of the access drive are already used as ‘park and ride’ for Northampton Balloon Festival and offer extensive parking for larger events. The close proximity to the A45 and M1 offer good regional links. The National Cycle Network runs very close to Delapre Abbey and conversations with Sustrans have shown an interest in re-routing it through the preferable setting of the grounds. People working there from Far Cotton, Delapre and South Bridge use the park, as a way of getting to Brackmills on foot and cycle. Starting and ending a day’s work travelling through a tranquil setting can only be of benefit to working in the otherwise grim industrial setting of Brackmills. To assist this we would look to improve and promote this access. There is a footbridge across the A45 from Delapre Woods at the south of the park into Hardingstone. This is underused at the present and we feel that improving access to this and promoting cycling and walking from villages to the south east of Delapre Abbey would encourage sustainable leisure use. We will have to work in balance with the listed building status but will ensure that where ever possible wheelchair access is created.

How Delapre Abbey Development Trust Will Help Northampton -

With major growth coming to our town it is vital that we have the infrastructure to support this. Delapre Abbey Trust will bring the social structure and well being that will help ensure the long-term success of our community. Housing and jobs are only part of the equation. Giving people the ability to live happy, healthy and fulfilled lives in our town is what will make Northampton not just the place we live but the place we want to live, grow, and raise our families. To allow us to do this we need the facilities and opportunities for individuals, organisations, and businesses that Delapre Abbey Trust can help provide. It is with this in mind that Delapre Abbey Trust is being formed.

Stages of Development - FoDA currently lease offices in the Stable Block. We will use this space to display these plans for a public consultation, making use for the feedback to further hone them. The Architectural Heritage and Northampton Borough Council are supporting a feasibility study to prove the viability of the Delapre Abbey Trust. Whilst this is underway the Trust will be constituted and more formal links will be built with development partners. We will look for other models from similar projects to gain advice from and begin to get projects running that are attainable in the short term. At this point we will require seed funding for staffing, as the revenue streams will take longer to develop. The renovation and development of Delapre Abbey is a complicated project and will need to take place in stages. This will see more and better facilities opening up as the project progresses.

For further information please contact Graham Walker, Chairman of FoDA on 01604 708675 or e-mail 'friends@delapreabbey.org'.