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Kirby Hall
Travel Information and nearby accommodation
One of the great Elizabethan houses of England, Kirby Hall was built for Sir Humphrey Stafford of Blatherwick in 1570. Sir Humphrey had little time to enjoy his grand new house, for he died in 1575. The property was purchased by Sir Christopher Hatton of Holdenby, who later rose to become Lord Chancellor to Queen Elizabeth I.
Hatton enlarged the house, but that was as nothing compared to the expansion under his ancestor, the third Sir Christopher Hatton. Sir Christopher III (later Baron Hatton) called in the leading architect of the day, Inigo Jones, to modernise the Elizabethan house. This Jones did in his own inimitable style, so that the current building is a beautiful mix of clasical Jacobean and grand Elizabethan design.
The Hatton family remained in possession of Kirby Hall until 1764, when it passed to the Finch-Hattons. Descendants of the Finch-Hattons still retain the estate today, though the house is now cared for by English Heritage.
Kirby Hall is a symmetrical house; almost every feature on either side of the great central portico is mirrored on the other side. Late 16th century stables stand to the north of the house.
Kirby Hall has hosted royalty on at least one occasion. The second Sir Christopher Hatton (owner from 1597-1619) entertained King James I and Queen Anne of Denmark here, and it seems likely that he was forced to remodel the house in order to provide a suitable setting for his lavish entertainment.
Part of the house is without a roof, but most of the walls stand to their original height, as does the impressive classical porch, decorated by Nicholas Stone. Within, the interiors are sumptuously furnished and decorated in 17th and 18th century style. The house is surrounded by glorious gardens, proudly described by the fourth Sir CHristopher Hatton as the finest in England.
Film enthusiasts will recognize Kirby Hall for its appearance in the 1999 adaptaton of Jane Austen's Mansfield Park.
Gretton,
Corby,
Northamptonshire,
England, NN17 3EN
About Kirby Hall
Attraction Type: Historic House
Location: On a minor road off the A43, 4 miles east of Corby. Seasonal opening.
Website: Kirby Hall
English Heritage
Location
map
OS SP925928
Heritage Rating:  ?
Nearest Accommodation to Kirby Hall
Nearest Self Catering Cottages |
 Elms Farm Lodge -
17.8
miles from Kirby Hall
Fleckney, Leicestershire
Sleeps: 4
Stay from: £260 |
 Elms Farm Cottage -
17.8
miles from Kirby Hall
Fleckney, Leicestershire
Sleeps: 2
Stay from: £180 |
 Manor Stables -
19.5
miles from Kirby Hall
Rippingale, Lincolnshire
Sleeps: 6
Stay from: £254 |
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Nearest Tourist
Information Centre
Corby
Tourist Information Centre
Willows Art Complex
George Street
Corby
Northamptonshire
England
NN17 1QB
Tel: 01536 407 507
Email: tourist.information@corby.gov.uk
Web: http://www.corby.gov.uk
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