Canons Ashby is a country house cradled by time. One of Northamptonshire's hidden gems, this ancient courtyard house seems lost in a time warp, hidden far away from the hustle and bustle of the modern world. Built in the 1550s by John Dryden, and lived in by his heirs and successors for over 400 years, Canons Ashby wraps its visitors in the atmosphere of a much-loved family home.
John Dryden's H-shaped Tudor manor now forms the great hall range of the house. Wings were added later, producing a cobbled internal courtyard with delightfully rough and irregular walls which are patterned with lichen and moss, and set with leaded windows.
Canons Ashby has an association with three important literary figures which span the centuries: Edmund Spencer (1552-99), author of The Faerie Queen; John Dryden, Poet Laureate, who visited the house in the 1650s to pay court to his cousin; and the playwright and novelist Samuel Richardson (1689-1761).
The Garden
A flight of terraces falls away from the house, linked by stained stone steps. This is a rare formal garden laid out in the early eighteenth century. Tha character of the garden changes down the slope, moving from mown grass and topiary yew, through an orchard of apples and pears, to a wild garden with meadow flowers in long grass.
The garden possesses great grace and charm, and publicity early this century resulted in the gardens becoming an important influence on the whole Lutyens-Gertrude Jekyll generation of gardeners.
The Park
The house and gardens are set in 70 acres of parkland. The visitor is free to roam the park at will, entering from the gardens.
The Church
A lime avenue from the garden leads to an unexpectedly grand church. One of the very few churches in England to be privately owned, passing to the Drydens in 1666, it is all that remains of the Augustinian priory which gave Canons Ashby its name.
Although reduced to a quarter of its former length, this is an extrordinarily impressive church, and its massive pinnacled tower is visible from miles around
Location
Situated approximately 13 miles south-west of Northampton, off the B4525 Northampton to Banbury road.
Further Information and Opening Times
Visit the National Trust Canons Ashby web site.