With the gradual end of rationing in the early 1950s, the agricultural committee moved from Delapré to offices in the town and the Estates Department of the Corporation moved into the building in 1953. Obviously the state of the building gave rise to some concern as to the potential cost of looking after the Abbey for within a year the Town Council had voted to demolish the building.
There was immediate public outcry and a “Save Delapré Campaign” quickly begun.
Modern Delapre
In 1946 the story of Delapré took a new turn. No longer a private house inhabited by one of Northampton's prominent families, the Abbey was to have a new and at times precarious life as a public building encountering periods of great change, neglect and threat over the next 70 years.
Amongst the voices of dissent was that of Joan Wake, the County Record Officer, who was interested in establishing Delapré as a home for the County Record Office which was being temporarily housed at Lamport Hall. Following much discussion and debate the Northamptonshire Record Society were tasked with raising a massive £15,000 in order to save the building and enable its use as the County Record Office. By early 1957 the fundraising appeal had reached its target, and along with £5000 from the Ministry of Works this meant that works could begin to make the building fit for use as the new County Record Office.
When the War Office finally relinquished the House in 1948, Delapré was requisitioned by the Ministry of Works and became home to the Northamptonshire County War Agricultural Committee tasked with assisting local farmers to meet the food production needs of the post-war society. Various parts of the house were used as offices and their employees were able to make good use of the Abbey’s grounds including playing cricket on the South Lawn!
Delapré Abbey was leased by The County Council for a nominal rent and The Northamptonshire Record Office was formally opened in May 1959. It was to occupy Delapré for the next 33 years and during this time many people visited the Record Office and the grounds and gardens were enjoyed by the wider community.
The Borough Council responded. The options for Delapré in the future were considered carefully and a commitment was made to safeguarding the Abbey as a historical site at the heart of the community.
Between 2001 and spring 2015 the Friends worked to raise the profile of Delapré , with volunteers opening a tea room, undertaking restoration projects and helping to provide tours of the Abbey and acting as a voice of the local community with regard to plans for the future of the Abbey. The tea room has now closed and been replaced with a temporary facility as restoration proceeds. The Friends of Delapre Abbey continue to support the works to restore the Abbey and develop it for the benefit of the community.
With the move of the Record Office to a new purpose-built site at Wootton in 1992, the future of Delapré Abbey once again seemed uncertain. The house remained empty whilst first the County Council and then the Borough Council (once the building had been handed back to them) considered what to do with it. Early in 2001 the decision was made to offer the Abbey for lease by potential businesses and a number of organisations came forward with plans to develop the site.
The local community became concerned that they would lose access to the Abbey and its grounds and a group Friends of Delapré Abbey was formed to campaign for the house and grounds to remain accessible by the public.
In 2013, a Borough Council application to the Heritage Lottery Fund was successful in raising £3.6 million for the first phase of a restoration project that will see parts of the Abbey restored to their former glory and opened to the public for the first time. The Friends and community groups contributed to work to develop the successful bid.
After nearly 900 years, the future of Delapre seems secure with exciting times ahead.