Refurbished History.
Grafton Villas were built in 1837 by the Duke of Grafton, with the original intention being to show off the beautiful Northampton stone.
Grafton Villa (number 27) was home to the local doctor and his family, with the cottage you see now providing the dispensary and waiting room. Check out the bathroom door, which was the door from the former to the latter and has the little hatch through which the medicines were passed. Don’t worry, the hatch can’t be lifted from the outside!
The old Blisworth station
Where the summer house now stands used to be an old corrugated shack which, contrary to its appearance, was actually the doctor’s surgery! The steam train used to stop just up the hill to drop off the patients. Horses were the most common mode of transport at the time the house was built and the stables were an essential addition which included a separate bay for the mare and her foal.
In 2006 we purchased this Grade II listed, interesting but very neglected property and then spent several years (and not a little cash!) lovingly converting first the main house, then the cottage and stables, into a beautiful home and small holiday letting business.
There is so much to see and do in Blisworth and within a very short drive from here. There are lovely walks along the towpath of the Grand Union Canal just up the road and Northamptonshire is famous for having the most stately homes of any county in England. Some of our overseas guests choose to stay here as we are situated so conveniently in the middle of the country and just 10 minutes from the M1. They use their holiday home here as a base to travel around the country.
Here are some local attractions to whet your appetite
The information booklet in your accommodation tells you more about Blisworth and we are always happy to expand on that should you so wish.