Museums

Abington Park has held numerous events and performances since it opened and has been a focus for Northampton’s celebrations.

A craze for historical pageants involved local communities re-enacting historical events from the local area with proceeds going to local charities. Abington Park played host to 2 historical pageants in 1925 and 1930 that involved between 1000 and 1700 performers. They performed key events from Northampton’s history, including the founding of the town by the Saxons and the visit of Queen Elizabeth I. The 1930 pageant formed part of the Northampton festival, which also included a trade exhibition and carnival, and was attended by the Duke of York who later became King George VI. Shortly after the opening of the park Pierrot troupes such as Grapho and Jackson’s Pierrots and the Jovial Jollies started visiting Abington. A Pierrot troupe was a group of entertainers who would tour around the country entertaining audiences with a variety of songs and comedy. The shows were a hugely popular form of entertainment, so much so that in 1911 Bert Grapho opened his Winter Gardens on the Wellingborough Road corner of the park to host performances. Sadly the wooden theatre burnt down in 1914 and because it was wartime it was never rebuilt. As the popularity waned for variety entertainment other styles of performance became popular at Abington. In the summer of 1945 an outdoor Shakespeare performance took place and this tradition continues today with the annual Masque Theatre production.

Abington is a place to enjoy

In this section of the exhibition discover one of the great delights of Abington, the abundance of leisure pursuits. Wellingborough Road is a hive of activity with shops, restaurants and bars and the area abounds with sports clubs including the county cricket ground, bowling and tennis groups. However, the central focus remains the park with its landscaped parklands, lakes and museum.

When it opened in 1897 Abington Park provided a welcome refuge from the industrial air of the bustling Victorian town. There were places to promenade, socialise and enjoy the sporting facilities, pageants and performances.

Today it remains Northampton’s oldest and well-loved park. Visitors can still enjoy the beautiful grounds, meet friends and spend time with family and take part in the numerous activities – all for us to enjoy.