APETHORPE PALACE

Among England's greatest country houses, Apethorpe Palace holds a particularly important place in English history because of its ownership by,

 and role in, entertaining Tudor and Stuart monarchs.

Elizabeth I once owned the building, which she had inherited from

 Henry VIII. For a period, Apethorpe was a royal palace lived in regularly by James I and Charles I. 

James I so loved Apethorpe that he personally contributed to its extension to make it more suitable for his

 'princely recreation' and '

commodious entertainment', particularly for hunting in the nearby royal forest of Rockingham.

 The resulting series of state rooms

, including the King's Bedchamber and the impressive Long Gallery,

 is one of the most complete to survive from the Jacobean period.

Due to its past royal ownership and use, along with its outstanding historic and architectural significance, 

English Heritage and the new owner jointly agreed, prior to the sale in 2014, that the building would

 henceforth be known as Apethorpe Palace.

Visitors now have a unique opportunity to discover

 its past and explore the grand rooms through guided tours in July

 and August. Tickets can be pre-booked by ringing 0370 333 1183