The original house was built in the late 1400’s for Sir Guy Wolston, who served as Constable of the nearby royal castle at Fotheringhay, Esquire of the Body to Edward IV. Wolston established the house on an impressive scale, built around two courtyards, separated by the Hall Range and with the North Gate Tower as the main entrance.
In 1551 the property was acquired by Sir Walter Mildmay, who became one of the foremost public figures of the 16th century. He served as one of the few Privy Councillors and Chancellor of the Exchequer to Elizabeth 1 for over 20 years. He created a State suite in 1562 (the date on the fireplace in the Great Chamber) and entertained Queen Elizabeth here on the royal progress of 1566. Mildmay was closely involved in the power struggles that culminated in the execution of Elizabeth’s cousin, Mary Queen of Scots, who was imprisoned for a number of years and finally executed at Fotheringhay Castle, only 3 miles to the east of Apethorpe.
Sir Walter was succeeded in 1589 by his son, Anthony, who served as Elizabeth’s Ambassador to France in 1596. In 1603, Sir Anthony entertained James 1 at Apethorpe; James returned to Apethorpe nine times in ensuing years, more than he visited any other country house. On his visit of 1614, James 1 met the young George Villiers for the first time. Villiers became James’ favourite and rose to become Duke of Buckingham. At Apethorpe, the Duke’s Chamber was placed to adjoin the King’s.
Sir Francis Fane, who had married sir Anthony’s daughter, inherited the estate in 1617, becoming the 1st Earl of Westmorland in 1624. James 1 continued to visit, granting Fane 300 acres of land from the royal forest of Rockingham to enlarge the deer park, to provide better hunting for the King’s pleasure. Then, in 1622, James ordered Sir Francis to enlarge the house for the ‘more commodious entertainment of his Majesty and his princely recreation’, giving him 100 oak trees from the royal forest for the purpose. This unparalleled royal command led to the construction in 1622-4 of the State apartment in the South and East Ranges. This whole sequence of rooms, with their unrivalled Jacobean interiors culminating in the Long Gallery, was designed to entertain the monarch.
Apethorpe received four visits from Charles 1 up to the outset of the Civil War. Subsequent Earls served as diplomats or soldiers under Marlborough and Wellington and the 6th and 7th earls did much work on the gardens and house. In 1904 the Westmorland ownership came to an end after 352 years and the property was bought by Leonard Brassey (later Baron Brassey of Apethorpe), whose grandfather had amassed a fortune building railways. He carried out a major programme of works to the house, gardens and park with the leading Edwardian architect Sir Reginald Blomfield.
In 1949 Lord Brassey sold the property and it became an approved school, which closed in 1982. Following a protracted period of neglect, the site was transferred to English Heritage in 2004 after compulsory purchase proceedings, and they have undertaken a major programme of repair and restoration in the last two years. These Phase 1 works have exceeded £4million. The Phase 2 works, that English Heritage are seeking the purchaser to complete, are likely to cost in the same region.