Kirby Hall is an
Elizabethan country house, located near
Gretton, Northamptonshire,
England. (Nearest town being
Corby). Kirby was owned by Sir
Christopher Hatton, Lord Chancellor to Queen Elizabeth I. It is a leading and early example of the Elizabethan
prodigy house. Construction on the building began in 1570 based on the designs in French architectural pattern books and expanded in the classical style over the course of the decades. The house is now in a semi-ruined state with many parts roof-less although the Great Hall and state rooms remain intact. The gardens with their elaborate ‘cutwork’ design complete with statues and urns have been recently restored.