Manor House Museum secures £196,896 Heritage Fund Grant
Culture and tourism14 October 2026
North Northamptonshire Council has been awarded a £196,896 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to help shape the future of Manor House Museum in Kettering.
Utilising the grant, the council will now start work on a project designed to focus on strengthening the resilience, care and future planning of the Museum through the development of a comprehensive Masterplan for the site and the appointment of a full-time Collections Manager, on a three-year fixed term contract.
The project will look to safeguard the Museum’s accredited collection whilst the site is closed and help create a plan for the site’s long-term future.
The Collections Manager will lead on day-to-day collections care and management, whilst the Masterplan will provide strategic direction addressing the museum’s building collections, audiences, accessibility and financial sustainability.
Whilst this work continues behind the scenes, the Museum remains temporarily closed as earlier surveys revealed significant structural issues throughout the building. These issues do not have a quick and easy fix. The fabric of the Grade 2 listed building has deteriorated to the point that it is unsafe to open to the public.
We know there have been a lot of questions locally about the future of Kettering Museum and this announcement is a hugely important step for the future of the Museum.Cllr Greg Wilcox, the council’s Executive Member for Communities and Rural Affairs
This grant will help provide a strong foundation for the future - the project will protect heritage assets and rebuild the site, ensuring resilience for many years to come.
This funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund will mean we can plan for the future, whilst preserving the town’s history.
This is great news for Kettering and the wider North Northants area.Cllr Martin Griffiths, Leader of the Council
We know that the Museum is in need of a lot of work and this funding will enable us to come up with a plan for this important heritage building and look at next steps.
This project has been made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, North Northamptonshire Council will be able to build a resilient future for Manor House Museum.
Further updates will be published in due course and follow Manor House Museum on Facebook for updates.