Snatching victory from the jaws of defeat
ATHENA recently enjoyed previewing a completely new heritage attraction that will open to the public this weekend: Chester House estate, Northamptonshire (www. chesterhouseestate.org). In 2004, Northamptonshire County Council purchased a 17th-century farmhouse a short distance outside the town. The building stands between two sites of known archaeological importance, a Roman town and an Anglo-saxon settlement, now both open fields. There have been finds from the site indicating a yet deeper human history, too, stretching back 10,000 years to the Mesolithic era. The intention was to create the opportunity for an archaeological and adult-education centre largely supported on revenue from car parking.
Four years later, in 2010, when the plans for the centre were still under development, the farmhouse accidentally burned down. New proposals were then put in train and, in 2012, these won the support of the National Heritage Lottery Fund. Work, however, progressed very slowly. As a final twist, in 2019, the main contractor went bust. It seemed hard to imagine a worse run of misfortune. Then came the pandemic.
It is testimony to the remarkable commitment of those involved both on the ground and as funders that this project has now been dramatically and rapidly turned around. Also that, in the process, it has assumed a much more dynamic and convincing form. The farmhouse itself will now incorporate a cafe, conference facilities and bed-and-breakfast rooms in the uppermost floor. There will also be independent shops in its historic ancillary buildings selling local produce, as well as a wedding
It seemed hard to imagine a worse run of misfortune. Then came the pandemic
venue in a 17th-century barn that is capable of receiving more than 100 guests.
The revenue generated, as well as the work of volunteers, will support a range of other initiatives, including the management of an archaeological store of finds from across Northamptonshire. For the past 20 years, an estimated 20,000 boxes of archaeological material from the county has been kept inaccessibly across multiple sites. A new Archaeological Resource Centre (ARC) promises to gather these together, making possible their management and study for the first time. This will facilitate ambitious plans for a long-running series of archaeological digs at Chesters itself, in partnership with the University of Leicester.
ARC offers facilities for public access and there is a small museum space within the old farm buildings for the display of artefacts. The fields of the Roman town and Anglosaxon settlement will lie open and serve as a public amenity. With new bridges across the River Nene, these will not only connect Chesters to Wellingborough itself, but also the mainline station and a greenway to Peterborough. The river links the site by boat and canoe to other attractions along the river valley, too. Overall, this initiative strikes Athena as both imaginative and sustainable. She wishes it every success.