Northamptonshire

Gardens Trust

Caring for the County’s parks, gardens and designed landscapes

Welcome to Northamptonshire Gardens Trust …

… a registered charity passionate about protecting and conserving our county’s historic parks, gardens and designed landscapes.

We are an enthusiastic group of volunteers who work in partnership to raise public awareness and appreciation of our enviable landscape heritage – from the recognised treasures and curiosities, to the less well-known surprises waiting to delight. Thoughtful conservation today can ensure a richer, biodiverse environment for future generations.

We hope you will enjoy the opportunity of discovery through our website. If you are interested in being part of a welcoming group of people passionate about making a difference and having fun – JOIN US >

Object 74: Copper metal tree label affixed to trees planted in the grounds of Ecton Hall

A History of Northamptonshire in 100 Objects

A History of Northamptonshire in 100 objects exhibition is now open at Northampton Museum and Art Gallery, Guildhall Road, Northampton and runs until February 2026 so do try to get along there to enjoy it.

It is an excellent exhibition and displays objects that are not normally on public view.

NGT member Elizabeth Taylor is a guest curator for the exhibition and put forward a tree plaque from Ecton Hall which was kindly donated by another of our members, David Banner.

Podcasts

A podcast has been recorded giving the background to the tree plaque and this is now available on YouTube.

You can also hear the podcasts for all the other items in the exhibition on YouTube.

Website

If you are unable to visit the museum details of the tree plaque and all the other exhibits are available on the exhibition website.

Our Autumn Lectures

Allotments Past and Present with an outline of ‘No-Dig Gardening’

Russell Attwood is a regular speaker for societies across the region. He has a degree in crop science and gives talks on allotments, no-dig gardening, soil improvement and weed management. He has a particular interest in pumpkins and squashes. A retired teacher, a keen gardener for 50 years, tending a large allotment for over 30 years.

Date: Thursday 13 November Time: 7pm

Cost: Members £5.00 / Guests £10.00 Venue: Great Houghton Village Hall

CHRISTMAS LECTURE followed by drinks and Christmas nibbles

A stroll down The Strand

David Bond was a Senior Lecturer at Peterborough Regional College and became an adult education tutor in Local and Landscape History after he retired. David served as Chair of Northamptonshire Gardens Trust and was Chair of Oundle History Society until his recent move to Stamford. We are delighted to welcome him back to entertain us with a leisurely stroll down The Strand.

In the century between the Reformation and the Civil War the Strand in London was the best address to have in the country. Along it were some dozen houses with their gardens belonging to many of the most important families in the kingdom, several of these had Northamptonshire connections. These houses have all now disappeared but traces can still be found as we stroll down this most entertaining of streets.

Date: Thursday 11 December Time: 7pm

Cost: Members £5.00 / Guests £10.00 Venue: Great Houghton Village Hall

Walled Kitchen Gardens of Northamptonshire

NEXT in our series

To be published DECEMBER 2025

Ecton Hall

A social architectural and landscape history

By Elizabeth Taylor

ECTON HALL describes the history of the Grade II listed property and its owners from the sixteenth century to the present day. It includes the 18th and 19th century alterations to the house, with interior photographs from before and after the house fell into ruin; also included are the historic gardens, parkland, and the gardeners.

This is the latest publication from the Northamptonshire Gardens Trust on the country houses and gardens of the county and is the fifth in the series which includes Finedon Hall & Vicarage, Sulby Hall, Loddington Hall, and Rushton Hall.

£25 | LIMITED EDITION | A4 hardback book | 190 pages fully illustrated with prints, maps and photographs in colour and black & white

An ideal Christmas present!

Interested?

If you would like to purchase a copy interest, please email elizabeth.taylor6@btinternet.com

Planting a tree with the help of Capability Brown

For a flavour of what we do …

Why not watch our video of Capability Brown's work at Castle Ashby.

Financed by Heritage Lottery funding as part of the Capability Brown Festival 2016, this film was inspired by Alan Titchmarsh in the television series entitled Titchmarsh on Capability Brown (Channel 4 2015) where he celebrates the 300th anniversary of his horticultural hero by helping to create one of Brown’s lost masterpieces at Belvoir Castle, Leicestershire. The final programme of three showed him standing at Belvoir Castle accompanied by the Duchess of Rutland with a lap top in hand viewing drone footage of the landscape.

For more about this great landscape gardener, see Capability Brown >

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