|
It
must be one of the most beautiful settings for a cricket pitch.
"It's
such a perfect spot. It's England at it's finest," said Earl
Spencer as he gazed out across the pitch to the surrounding deer
park.
"It's
incredibly tranquil here. The house is a backdrop one way; the stables
are in a slightly different direction. It seems a million miles
away from the hustle and bustle of Northampton."
Nine
matches are normally held here each year: one charity match and
the rest against local villages, such as Harlestone, East Haddon
and the Bringtons.
"We've
had endless test cricketers and all sorts of international sportsmen
playing here," said Earl Spencer. "They enjoy coming for
something that is quite low key and old fashioned in a way. I think
country house cricket is about as old fashioned as you can go."
Diana,
Princess of Wales
The
death of his sister, Diana, Princess of Wales, has dominated his
life - and the estate - since her tragic car crash in Paris in 1997.
She is buried on an island in the oval lake on the estate and the
stable block has been turned into a museum about her life.
The
estate now opens to the public for three months a year.
Earl
Spencer now spends a lot of time raising the profile of his home
and encouraging people to visit. But he rejects suggestions that
Northamptonshire as a whole should benefit by marketing itself as
'Diana County'.
"That
wouldn't be a fair reflection on the county," he said. He believes
Northamptonshire has much more to offer.
"I
think the biggest problem Northamptonshire has is its name. I think
if it was called Midhamptonshire it would be a lot more of a tourist
attraction. People don't know where it is; they think it's somewhere
beyond Staffordshire, or near Northumbria.
Standing
up for Northants
"If
people knew what was here, it would be every bit as popular as,
say, Oxfordshire or Cambridgeshire. Northampton doesn't have the
resonance or the obvious architectural appeal of Oxford or Cambridge
but Northamptonshire villages are just as pretty as the ones around
those two University towns.
"There
are so many historic attractions here - all those American connections
(the Washington connection), this house, Boughton, other historic
houses - we've got so many. And beautiful gardens at Cottesbrook
and Coton Manor.
"I
like the way that Northampton itself is being regenerated; I think
the Sixfields leisure area is an excellent thing for the town. And
then you've got the theatrical side: Derngate and the Royal. They're
fantastic places to serve this community and I just think its a
pity they're not better known further afield."
More
»
|
I think the biggest problem Northamptonshire has is its name.
I think if it was called Midhamptonshire it would be a lot more
of a tourist attraction. 
View
