'Financially unviable' Knuston Hall to be sold off by cash-strapped North Northants Council

Knuston Hall, an historic country house adult education asset, is to be sold off by the council that inherited the valuable mansion and 40 acres of land.

At a behind-closed-doors discussion, North Northamptonshire Council’s (NNC) executive members have decided that the costs of upkeeping the Grade II listed heritage residential college and conference centre are too much.

The house and grounds between Rushden and Irchester will now be marketed and with some courses switched to Chester House Estate.

Cllr Graham Lawman, North Northamptonshire Council’s executive member for highways, travel and assets, said: “Knuston Hall is a Grade II listed heritage asset and, until recently, has been used as a creative course and event centre including overnight accommodation.

“The hall was closed during the Covid-19 pandemic and re-opened briefly in 2021, with heavily restricted guest numbers, until it closed again in January 2022 following surveys conducted at the start of the year finding that it no longer met statutory compliance requirements.

"To overcome these would have entailed significant investment in the building.

“Unfortunately, a combination of the need for such a significant investment to bring it up to standard and a large uplift in annual maintenance budgets means the business has become financially unviable.

“As the council supports Chester House Estate, which is less than three miles away, it is thought that this could provide an alternative location for some adult learning courses, which will be explored for the future.

“Staff employed at Knuston Hall have been briefed and there is an opportunity to redeploy the staff to suitable alternative employment within the council, following a consultation process, therefore, the council does not believe there will be the need for any redundancies.

“As a Grade II listed heritage asset, the hall is protected through planning and associated heritage land and property policy, the council will, therefore, as the local planning authority, continue to regulate development of the site.

“The council will now look to launch a marketing campaign to offer the site for sale on the open market, seeking to preserve an important local heritage asset and give it the opportunity to find new purpose through the investment it needs.”

Users of the facility had expressed their concerns about courses switching to Chester House Estate as there are no buses that stop there for those without cars.

Members of NNC’s executive had deemed the matter ‘restricted’ as information discussed will relate to ‘financial or business affairs’.

Knuston Hall offered residential and non-residential courses and drew students from the UK and further afield.

The Knuston Hall website is now unavailable.

History of Knuston Hall

Set in 40-acres of parkland, the estate owned by the Brudenell family of Deene Park near Corby was sold in 1542. After many improvements over the centuries, in 1865 the estate was bought by Robert Arkwright.

After Arkwright’s death in 1888 the house was occupied by caretakers or tenants until the hall was sold in 1920. Northamptonshire County Council bought the hall in 1949, using it for adult education courses.

Knuston Hall has nine meeting rooms, 35 en-suite bedrooms, a dining room for up to 60 guests and a bar.