Holdenby House
A Northamptonshire house and gardens occupying part of a former Elizabethan palace, with surviving traces of a much larger royal and aristocratic setting.
A Northamptonshire house and gardens occupying part of a former Elizabethan palace, with surviving traces of a much larger royal and aristocratic setting.
Register entry — HOLDENBY HOUSE. National Heritage List for England reference: 1067053. Recorded designation: Grade II* listed building.
First listed: 1954-11-02. This is the listing date, not a construction date.
Source: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1067053
The register identity was cross-checked against the official record name, coordinates and grade on 21 October 2026.
An English editorial overview and visiting guidance are available in this dossier. Check the linked official information for current opening times, access and booking arrangements.
Record
- Country house on a former palace site
- United Kingdom
- Holdenby
- East Midlands
- other
- 1954-11-02
Editorial reading
Holdenby's official history dates Sir Christopher Hatton's palace to 1583. It subsequently became a royal property, and Charles I was held there for five months in 1647 after his defeat in the Civil War. The palace was later reduced to a single wing; that surviving part was adapted into the present house in the 1870s. The current building and the much larger Elizabethan palace should therefore be distinguished.
The gardens also preserve different periods of design. A garden planted by Rosemary Verey in 1980 used plants available in Hatton's time, while a working kitchen garden continues to supply produce and flowers. Earthworks and other landscape remains recall the earlier palace setting.
Sources: https://www.holdenby.com/house/history and https://www.holdenby.com/gardens (checked 21 October 2026).
Recommendation
Our editorial view: read the surviving house together with the garden's historical traces. Consult the estate's current opening information; advertised garden open days do not by themselves confirm access to every house interior.
Location and visiting
Confirm current opening times, access and reservations with the place itself. These details follow the source record.
Sources & credits
Source record: Wikidata
Source record: Eigen redactie
Source record: Eigen redactie
Source record: National Heritage List for England (Historic England)
Source record: Wikimedia Commons
Explore the region
Based on the recorded country and region. Europe’s regional grouping is an editorial choice. Open the English regional collection to explore places across the Mondes and linked publications.