Chester House Estate celebrates two years of visitors

24 October 2023

There have been celebrations at the Chester House Estate as this nationally significant heritage site celebrates its second birthday.

Since opening in October 2021, the site has gone from strength to strength welcoming over 250,000 visitors, developing the offering and events calendar, including the Halloween themed events in the coming weeks.

The past year has seen two pedestrian bridges officially opened, which cross the main River Nene and link Wellingborough, Irchester and Rushden with the Chester House Estate, the introduction of large storyboards showcasing the site’s 10,000 years of history, the opening of the new escape rooms and the creation of a new memorial garden for Queen Elizabeth II.

The schools programme continues to grow with over 4000 pupils attending events, archaeological digs and educational trips throughout the past year. The team are also delighted that the Estate’s volunteers base has also grown by 30% and every volunteer becomes part of the Chester House Estate family.

Other highlights include the hosting of more than 40 events, from Christmas to Halloween, outdoor music nights, Roman re-enactments and children’s events throughout the school holidays.

The team are now looking forward to a week of spooky activities to coincide with Halloween, the opening of the new escape room and of course Christmas with the visits from Santa! NNC have ambitious and long-term plans to develop the Estate further.

Two years ago, the Chester House Estate opened its doors to the public. We are extremely proud to be the home of 10,000 years of history.  Literally, every step you take here is packed with history, much of its still buried. We are committed to caring for and preserving our historical landscape for future generations. The team, including our volunteers, do an amazing job engaging with the visitors and explaining about the history of the site, which is great to see and shows how important the site is.

In just two years, the Chester House Estate has become Northamptonshire’s go-to destination for family friendly events, and we hope this continues for many years to come.  If you have not visited the site yet, make sure you check our website to find out what exciting events we have coming up, we look forward to welcoming you!Cllr Helen Howell, Deputy Leader of North Northamptonshire Council and Executive Member for Sport, Leisure, Culture and Tourism

After a successful two years, the Chester House Estate is now firmly embedded into the community, with businesses thriving and growing on site and visitors flocking to the events. The continued success is all down to the dedicated staff and volunteers, who constantly look to innovate and develop the offering.Cllr Jason Smithers, Leader of North Northamptonshire Council

Chester House Estate is overseen by North Northamptonshire Council and opened to the public in October 2021, following an extensive £17m Nationally Lottery Heritage Funded restoration project.

More information about the Chester House Estate and upcoming events.