Swanspool Pavilion Cafe and Kitchen opens to the public in historic Wellingborough building

A cafe and kitchen has opened in Swanspool Pavilion today, bringing the asset back into regular use.

Swanspool Pavilion Kitchen and Cafe has begun its tenure at the historic premises, opening to the public this morning (November 11), promising to be ‘a relaxed neighbourhood café in the heart of the park.’

The cafe offers breakfast, lunch and sweet treat options on its vast menu, which includes cafe staples such as full breakfasts, sandwiches, jacket potatoes and cakes such as cream teas and teacakes. Coffee is supplied by Northampton-based roasters, Yellow Bourbon coffee.

The cafe and kitchen forms part of the ongoing renovations of the pavilion and its gardens, a long-running saga, stemming from the town council taking on the asset from North Northants Council in May 2025.

Cllr Simon Masters, leader of Wellingborough Town Council, says the cafe is ‘a wonderful example of what can be achieved when we combine ambition with financial prudence.’

He said: “The re-opening of Swanspool Pavilion is a fantastic moment for Wellingborough and a real achievement for everyone who has worked to bring this much-loved historic building back to life.

“Swanspool Pavilion is part of the fabric of our town. Its restoration is not simply about bringing a building back into use, but about preserving a piece of Wellingborough's history and allowing it to become part of its future.

“The journey has not always been straightforward, and some of the decisions along the way were understandably contentious.

“Ultimately we worked hard with partners in forming decisions, for the best interests of the town, sometimes difficult ones, and having the resolve to see them through.

“My responsibility and that of the Conservative Group was guided by a determination to find a more realistic and sustainable way forward, one that would secure the future of the Pavilion while protecting the interests of local taxpayers. That approach helped bring the project back on track, secure the recovery of vital grant funding and deliver savings, demonstrating that sound financial judgement and ambition need not be mutually exclusive.

“The finished pavilion is a wonderful example of what can be achieved when we combine ambition with financial prudence. With improved facilities, energy and water saving measures, community spaces and a new café, we have created an asset that can serve the town can be proud of while keeping its long-term running costs to a minimum.”

Swanspool House and Gardens have a rich history, having been a home for the Sharman family until 1919 when it was bought by the borough councillor Frederick Charles Chamberlain, who contributed £2,500 and asked that it be maintained ‘as a pleasure resort now and for all time.’

The pavilion was completed in 1929 and has since been a hub for the community, before falling out of regular use in recent years.

Swanspool house, pavilion and gardens were inherited by North Northants Council when it formed in 2021, and four years later Wellingborough Town Council took over the running of the site, leading to its eventual restoration.

The cafe and kitchen was one of the planned improvements and today it welcomed customers for the first time.

Cllr Rayaz Koriya said: “It’s a fabulous achievement by all involved. It's rare these days a public restoration like the Swanspool Pavilion is achieved on time and below budget. The Swanspool Pavilion once again will serve Wellingborough and is something that we all can be proud of.”

The new food spot is open from 9am until 4pm from Wednesdays to Sundays, with the main hall of the now-renovated pavilion available to hire for private functions.

More information about the cafe can be found here.