‘We need to celebrate what is on offer in Northampton,’ says chief executive of historic Delapre Abbey

The chief executive of Delapre Abbey, which is home to 900 years of “exciting and turbulent history”, has spoken to this newspaper about how far the venue has come during and following the pandemic.

Richard Clinton was first appointed as chief executive of the Abbey in February 2020, unbeknown to what was to come over the years to follow.

He began in the role two months on from his appointment, which followed previous roles as operations manager at the Royal & Derngate and a post at The Culture Trust Luton.

As a trustee of the Abbey for two years before becoming chief executive, Richard made his passion for the importance of nurturing accessible culture and heritage known to the Northampton community.

Three years on, he has shared just how far Delapre Abbey has come and has promoted the importance of “celebrating what is on offer” across the town.

Richard admits that the start of the pandemic gave him and his team a “forced opportunity” to pause and reflect on what they offered.

Though the chief executive admits the venue was at an advantage as he had only recently shared a “framework for the vision and direction of travel” for the Abbey before the start of the pandemic, it allowed them to realign with their values – heritage, culture, community, wellbeing and sustainability.

It was also important to ensure the organisation was financially sustainable too, to continue playing its key role in the town and county.

Richard said: “The pandemic showed people had a real connection and hunger to explore and enjoy the great outdoors, and we played into the priorities of our visitors.”

Despite it being difficult to strike a balance with staffing and programming at the venue as Covid took its hold on the world, it became clear what the Abbey’s focuses should be moving forward.

One of the factors that has played an important role in the way the venue bounced back from the pandemic and continued to thrive is the “development of partnerships”.

“We wouldn’t be able to do what we do without our partnerships,” said Richard, who believes being able to share heritage and culture for free “excites” people into visiting.

Just one of their upcoming collaborations, launching next week, is with the Battlefields Society.

The ‘interpretation panels’ exhibition will educate visitors on the Battle of Northampton in an innovative way, by providing something for everyone.

Another partnership Delapre Abbey will continue to nurture is with Northamptonshire Sport and mental health organisation Action for Happiness.

Working with these two groups has seen the Abbey develop a wellbeing programme that meets the needs of visitors and has been “really well received”.

Richard said: “Partnerships are a testament to Delapre Abbey, its organisations, and what we can achieve when we work together.

“It is all about community engagement and making people aware of what is on offer on the grounds.

“The curiosity of the public is good to see and we will continue developing a programme of events, talks and tourism that excites people across the town and county.”

Richard’s main aim is to make Delapre Abbey “a place the county can be proud of”.

The chief executive and his team will soon put the finishing touches to Delapre Abbey’s 15-year master plan, which has been a year in the making.

Though a lot of visitors question what more there is to do now most of the restoration work is complete, Richard says not to underestimate how much more there is still to be developed.

“We are creating somewhere people enjoy and want to contribute to them loving where they live,” he added. “There is an appetite for what we offer.”

Richard wants everyone to be able to connect with what is available on site – whether that is young families, people with disabilities, children or even dogs.

Footfall on the grounds has continued to be “great”. Though the team is unsure of whether this is because people fell in love with the outdoors during the pandemic or enjoy the events they put on, they hope to see it continue.

With Delapre Abbey having taken on its own catering, Richard says it will be interesting to see how the year pans out.

He acknowledged the struggles the hospitality industry faces – with the Abbey seeing a 35 percent increase in food costs – but says their “loyal” visitors have kept them going strong.

The ‘stables development’ is one of the Delapre Abbey team’s main focuses moving forward.

Funds for the project are being raised between now and December, Richard hopes the work will begin in spring-summer next year, and that the work will be finished a year later in 2025.

The development will see a number of stables repurposed, to put them to good use among the community while preserving their heritage.

Whether they end up being a ‘muddy-boot-style’ cafe for all the family, offices, spaces for wellbeing services or even toilets, a lot of research and planning will take place to determine their use.

The courtyard near the stables will become a small events space and a “destination in itself” – hosting arts and crafts markets, for example.

In his final remarks about the future of Delapre Abbey, Richard said: “I hope it will continue to play an important role in making Northampton and the county a great place to live, work and play.

“It’s about developing a vibrant economy and a positive space in the local community.”