Dressed Northamptonshire Sandstone

Northamptonshire is blessed with the most beautiful orange coloured ironstone and sandstone. It has been used in the construction of many of the County’s finest buildings; and there is no reason why it should not be used in buildings, including homes, of the future.

This piece of stone is 160 million years old. This block of dressed stone (it is shaped for use in construction, here to be part of a window surround) was quarried at Harlestone and dressed by Northamptonshire stonemason, Mike Hilless, in 1999. It was intended for use in the restoration of the Manor House in Great Doddington but was surplus to requirements.

The Manor House is a Grade one Listed building, built in 1509 (when Henry VIII became King) by John Bernard, whose family home was Abington Manor, now Abington Park Museum. The house was extended in 1564 with the permission of Queen Elizabeth I. The document giving permission with the queen’s seal is now at Northamptonshire Archives, Wootton Hall Park.

In 1999 Wellingborough Borough Council and English Heritage advised that it would be unlikely that the original stone used to build the house would be found; it seemed at first that guiting (a very durable stone but grey in colour) would have to be used and spray-dyed orange!

Number 96 of the objects selected for the A History of Northamptonshire in 100 Objects exhibition 2025.