78 Derngate and Northampton Cultural Quarter
Outside Visit
12 March 2026
Delapré Abbey
On today's Outside Visit to Northampton we first toured Delapré Abbey, a Grade II listed building and former Cluniac nunnery dating from 1145. Our guided tour offered an insight into the Abbey's nine hundred year history and its residents over that time. Lunch was provided at the Abbey, before we departed the short distance to 78 Derngate, the Charles Rennie Macintosh House, where we were given a guided tour.
Designed and remodelled in 1916 by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, 78 Derngate Northampton was his final commission and is the only place outside Scotland where his architectural and interior style can be seen in their original setting.
We also had the opportunity to visit the nearby Northampton Museum and Art Gallery, which within its art and historic collections houses the largest collection of shoes and shoe heritage items in the world, from ancient Egypt to the very latest fashions.
78 Derngate interior