Discover Collyweston

Collyweston combines an exceptional stone tradition with royal history, historic buildings and traces of the area’s former quarrying. This creates an interesting mix for planning your trip: you can learn about the village’s distinctive limestone, discover historic remains or plan a specific route such as the Collyweston Circular.

Collyweston stone slates and the history of the village

Collyweston stone slate is a fissile limestone from the Jurassic period, formed between 140 and 190 million years ago. It is not true slate. Its significance is evident not only in its geology but also in the local townscape: roofs made from Collyweston stone slates are a distinctive feature of the historic towns and villages around the village of Collyweston in Northamptonshire.

The limestone quarries of Collyweston were worked from Roman times until the more recent past. Visible remains of both open-cast workings and quarry shafts have been preserved in the quarries. The Deeps is now preserved as a nature reserve. Anyone interested in landscape history and craftsmanship will find several different ways here to engage with the character of the village.

The traditional processing of the stone also remains present. Specialist Collyweston stone slate roofers preserve the high level of skills required for this work and maintain existing roofs. Some new stone slates are produced as replacements using traditional methods. When choosing accommodation, such topics can determine the desired focus of your trip: holiday accommodation in Collyweston is particularly suitable if you want to experience historic details not merely in passing, but as part of your discoveries.

Collyweston House and St Andrew’s Church

The visible remains of Collyweston House include earthworks, garden terraces, two fishponds and the park’s boundary banks. The building was constructed between 1412 and 1441 and became a royal palace where Margaret Beaufort, the mother of Henry VII, lived.

St Andrew’s Church dates from the 11th century and was restored in 1857. The building has a late Gothic, two-bay nave arcade in the Perpendicular style, with double-chamfered arches dating from the late 15th century. It also has lead and Collyweston stone slate roofs. The exhibition on the history of Collyweston is also located in the Lady/Tryon Chapel of St Andrew’s Church on the High Street.

Routes for different day plans

The Collyweston Circular is 3.11 miles or 5.0 kilometres long and has no gate crossings. The Jurassic Way runs via Ketton Drift to Collyweston Bridge.

If you are travelling with different interests, you can weight your stay accordingly: architectural history and church architecture make for a culture-focused day, while the quarries, The Deeps and the routes mentioned above offer other focal points. When looking for accommodation, it is therefore especially important to consider which of these experiences should shape your trip. This means that your choice of holiday apartment or holiday house is guided by your actual travel plans.

Discover more places

For further travel planning, you can also visit the following places: Syresham, Church Stowe, Greatworth, Nassington, Whittlebury, Woodford, Harrington and Oundle.

For the higher-level travel overview: Northamptonshire.