Residents in Wellingborough have the opportunity to take part in free guided tours of the Archaeology, Research and Conservation centre at the Chester House Estate starting 7 May 2026. These sessions run daily from 2pm to 3pm on selected dates until 4 June 2026.
The tours are led by the centre’s curator, Ben Donnelly-Symes, and a team of volunteers. Visitors will be guided through the building, which serves as a home for archaeological archives recovered from across Northamptonshire. The centre currently houses over 20,000 boxes of historical material collected from roughly 3,000 different sites, offering a unique look at how these historical objects are preserved and studied.
The North Northamptonshire Council, which operates the estate, confirms that while the tours are free of charge, all visitors must book their place in advance. Bookings can be made through the estate’s online platform. Each tour is expected to last approximately 30 to 60 minutes.
The Chester House Estate is situated in Irchester, just off the A45 between Wellingborough and Rushden. The 84-acre site, which features 10,000 years of local history, was restored as part of a £14.5 million project supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and local authorities. Since its opening in 2021, the site has become a significant destination for local history enthusiasts.
About this article: This story was put together with the help of AI tools and checked by a real person on our team. We're a small crew trying to cover as much of the UK as we can on a limited budget. We're getting better every day - but we're not perfect yet. If something looks off, let us know. You're part of the process.
