Apethorpe Hall, near Oundle in Northamptonshire, is a major country house dating back to the fifteenth century.
Apethorpe Hall's state apartment suite was rebuilt in 1622-1624 to receive James I, and still has one of the finest sets of Jacobean interiors of the period, with decorative plaster ceilings, fireplaces and panelling.
The house was abandoned to neglect and decay from 1982, becoming one of the most prominent buildings at risk in the country. Following compulsory purchase action, English Heritage took over the site in 2004 and undertook a multi-million pound programme of rescue works, with the aim of selling the Hall for use as a private country house when the conservation project ends.
A major programme of historical and archaeological research accompanied the rescue project, with many new discoveries coming to light.
