May opening at Boughton House

20th May, 2019

Visitors to Boughton House this spring are among the first to view its newly restored Fire tapestry.

The Northamptonshire home of the Duke of Buccleuch is gearing up for a public opening over the late May Bank Holiday weekend (25^th – 27^th May), when its celebrated Mortlake works tapestry will be on display in the House’s Great Hall.

Fire is one of four 17^th century Elements tapestries created at the renowned London tapestry works for Ralph Montagu of Boughton. It was returned to the House ahead of its first public opening of the year and its restoration follows that of Water and Air, with Earth now with conservators De Wit for repair.

Charles Lister, Property Manager at Boughton House, said: “The return of the Fire tapestry certainly sparked interest over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend and I’m sure it will be a big draw again later this month.

“We are delighted to be opening our historic doors to visitors and encourage them to soak up beautiful Boughton House, which is home to a portion of the celebrated Buccleuch Art Collection and is, in many ways, a time capsule of 17^th and 18^th century aesthetics.”

Visitors to Boughton during the special opening are invited to build their own bespoke journey through the House’s impressive ground floor.

A huge array of celebrated art, including works by great masters such as El Greco, Van Dyck, Batoni and Gainsborough, can be enjoyed on a self-guided tour, including a portrait of Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough (who was depicted on screen as one of the principal characters of the Oscar-winning film, The Favourite).

Knowledgeable guides will be positioned around the House to provide additional insights into the House’s rich history, and an in-depth Boughton House guidebook will be on sale from the gift shop.

Visitors can also journey beyond the House into wider Designed Landscape and formal Gardens, where further conservation works have seen significant lime tree replanting in recent months, as well as the instatement of a new bee enclosure.

Charles added: “Our free-flow tours are very popular among visitors who want to linger for longer over our celebrated artworks and enjoy this splendid house at their own pace.”

Visitors can also enjoy excellent food in the 18^th century stable block and peruse the gift shop’s wide variety of crafts, food, jewellery and books.

Boughton House will open to the public from 25^h – 27^th May from 12pm – 5pm, with last entry at 4pm. Visitors can also access the House’s celebrated Armoury and Grade I Designed Gardens.

Entry to the House and Gardens costs £10 per adult, £8 for children and £30 for a family of four. Gardens only entry is £5 for adults, £3 for children and £14 for a family of four.

To find out more, contact Boughton House on 01536 515 731 or email info@boughtonhouse.co.uk.

The nearby Montagu Monuments at St Edmunds Church, Warkton will also be available to view on Thursday 30^th May between 2pm and 4pm.  The monuments were commissioned to commemorate key members of the Montagu family, ancestors of the Duke of Buccleuch, and have been restored in recent years.