Lamport Hall

Lamport Hall is a classical Italianate country house in Northamptonshire built in 1655 by John Webb, a student of Inigo Jones, replacing an original Tudor manor. The structure features a grand neoclassical facade enhanced by wings added by Francis Smith of Warwick during the 1730s and 1740s.

The original Tudor manor built by John Isham in the 15th century stood on this site until John Webb replaced it with a classical structure in 1655. In the 19th century, Sir Charles Isham later introduced garden gnomes, leaving a lasting cultural mark on the estate.

The High Room features elaborate plaster work by William Smith, while the library houses rare books including a 1638 Bible once owned by Charles I.

The 10-acre gardens and interiors are explored through guided tours conducted by staff members throughout the year. The estate sits in Lamport, Northamptonshire and is reasonably accessible, so planning ahead for opening times is recommended.

In the 19th century, Sir Charles Isham placed terracotta figures in a high alpine rockery, pioneering the garden gnome tradition in Britain. This early collection demonstrated how continental artistic practices found their way into English landscapes.