Highgate House was an important

Northamptonshire Northamptonshire ( ; abbreviated Northants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Leicestershire, Rutland and Lincolnshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshi ...

coaching inn The coaching inn (also coaching house or staging inn) was a vital part of Europe's inland transport infrastructure until the development of the railway, providing a resting point ( layover) for people and horses. The inn served the needs of t ...

and

Royal Mail Royal Mail Group Limited, trading as Royal Mail, is a British postal service and courier company. It is owned by International Distribution Services. It operates the brands Royal Mail (letters and parcels) and Parcelforce Worldwide (parcels) ...

posting station at the village of

Creaton Creaton is a village and civil parish in West Northamptonshire, England. Location The village is north-west of the town of Northampton and south-east of the city of Leicester, along the A5199, formerly designated as the A50 trunk road. The r ...

, on the

Northampton Northampton ( ) is a town and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England. It is the county town of Northamptonshire and the administrative centre of the Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority of West Northamptonshire. The town is sit ...

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...

road, dating from 1663. The building, much expanded and adapted, was used as a country house hotel and conference venue. It was purchased in February 2024 by th
Christian Conference Trust
and added to its conference centre portfolio. It retains its original appearance and character.

Location

The house is located south of the village of Creaton,

, England, approximately north west of

on the

A5199 road The A50 is a major trunk road in England between Warrington and Leicester; historically it was also a major route from London to Leicester. Route The current A50 runs south-east from Warrington via Junction 20 of the M6, Knutsford, Holm ...

and south of the start of the A14 road, which runs from the

Catthorpe Interchange The Catthorpe Interchange is a major intersection at the southern end of the M6, the western end of the A14 and junction 19 of the M1 near the village of Catthorpe in Leicestershire, England. It was developed in 1994 when the link to the A ...

with the M1 and M6 motorways, via

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...

, to

Felixstowe Felixstowe ( ) is a port town and civil parish in the East Suffolk District, East Suffolk district, in the county of Suffolk, England. The estimated population in 2017 was 24,521. The Port of Felixstowe is the largest Containerization, containe ...

History

The current house is built on the site of an earlier inn with the present buildings dating from 1663. When the main Welford road, now the

A5199 The A50 is a major trunk road in England between Warrington and Leicester; historically it was also a major route from London to Leicester. Route The current A50 runs south-east from Warrington via Junction 20 of the M6, Knutsford, Holm ...

became a turnpike in 1721 the inn rose in importance. Successive members of the Bosworth family were licensees until 1837 when the establishment of the railways took over

distribution around the country more effectively. At that time the most famous inhabitant was the

Revd The Reverend (abbreviated as The Revd, The Rev'd or The Rev) is an honorific style given to certain (primarily Western) Christian clergy and ministers. There are sometimes differences in the way the style is used in different countries and chu ...

Thomas Jones, a fiery Welshman, who came to Creaton in 1785. Unable to find lodgings in the village, he resided at the inn, in defiance of both fellow

clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

and also

Canon law Canon law (from , , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical jurisdiction, ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its membe ...

. However, the landlady supported him, saying that his presence had a good effect on the conduct of the other customers, and his

Bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

turned a blind eye for 51 years. In contrast to other more relaxed clergy, Jones filled the church with his preaching and set up the first

Sunday School ] A Sunday school, sometimes known as a Sabbath school, is an educational institution, usually Christianity, Christian in character and intended for children or neophytes. Sunday school classes usually precede a Sunday church service and are u ...

in the county. Distressed by local poverty, he also became Rector (ecclesiastical), Rector of

Spratton Spratton is a village and civil parish in the West Northamptonshire unitary authority area of Northamptonshire, England. Before changes in 2021 it was governed by Daventry District Council. At the time of the 2001 census, the parish's populat ...

, a neighbouring village to the south. There he organised a clothing and sick club and employed a woman to teach sewing, all based on his principle of helping the poor to help themselves. With income from the books he wrote, he built six

Almshouses An almshouse (also known as a bede-house, poorhouse, or hospital) is charitable organization, charitable public housing, housing provided to people in a particular community, especially during the Middle Ages. They were often built for the povert ...

in Creaton village. The house then passed into the Langham family estate at Cottesbrooke Hall in the neighbouring village of

Cottesbrooke Cottesbrooke is a village and civil parish in West Northamptonshire in England. At the time of the 2001 United Kingdom census, 2001 census, the parish's population was 144 people, falling marginally to 143 at the 2011 census. The villages name ...

about one mile north, being later bought by its tenant Lt Colonel Charles Eyre-Coote when the estate was sold in 1911. The house was used as a base for

hunting Hunting is the Human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products (fur/hide (sk ...

with the

Pytchley Hunt The Pytchley with Woodland Hunt is an organisation formerly based near the Northamptonshire village of Pytchley, but since 1966 has had kennels close to Brixworth. The Pytchley country used to include areas of the Rockingham Forest but was split ...

based nearby. At this time a large amount of money was spent on the house with the addition of a floor and the Baronial Hall, which is visible in the south elevation behind the 3-storey

leaded Tetraethyllead (commonly styled tetraethyl lead), abbreviated TEL, is an organolead compound with the formula Pb( C2H5)4. It was widely used as a fuel additive for much of the 20th century, first being mixed with gasoline beginning in the 1920 ...

bay window. The

Elizabethan The Elizabethan era is the epoch in the Tudor period of the history of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603). Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history. The Roman symbol of Britannia (a female per ...

linen-fold wooden panelling in the room was architectural salvage. The building later became a private house and was eventually sold by the late Mrs Coote, in a somewhat dilapidated state, to the Chudley family in the 1960s. It has since been restored and sympathetically expanded and converted into its current form.

References

{{coord, 52.332, -0.956, region:GB-NTH_type:landmark, display=title Coaching inns Country houses in Northamptonshire History of Northamptonshire Tourist attractions in Northamptonshire