Apethorpe Hall, a renowned Grade I listed 15th century country house set in the rural heart of Northamptonshire, is one of our local jewels. In its prime, the Hall was graced by royalty including James I, Elizabeth I and even Henry VIII. In the past the Hall has been owned by millionaires to whom money was not an issue, but since the late 1970’s the Hall has been empty, allowing damp and decay to undermine the structure to hazardous levels. The Hall is surrounded by beautiful sweeping gardens and vast hedges, all still neatly cropped, because of the heroic efforts of one man.

Were it not for George Keeley, gardener at the Hall for thirty years, one of the finest examples of Elizabethan architecture would have fallen far beyond repair. Keeley worked tirelessly eight hours a day, seven days a week, not only on the fifty acre gardens but also on repairing the extravagant interior of the Hall itself. When the roof broke and water poured into the Hall, Keeley worked unstintingly in order to ensure that the Hall survived.

This in itself is an impressive feat, but Keeley, 61, did all this and received absolutely no pay for twenty years. Keeley recently received an MBE from the Queen for his services to the country. Commenting upon the presentation, a cheery Keeley said, ‘We were in and out pretty quick.’ Although clearly this is a distinguished award, it was more Keeley’s love and passion for the property that kept him going.

He first arrived at Apethorpe in the 1970’s when it was a school and he taught the boys football. He moved on to become the caretaker, and among other projects, he helped the boys build a swimming pool. In 1982 the Hall was sold to a Libyan businessman who after a few years seemed to have little or no interest in the property. Initially he seemed to be a decent man, shaking Keeley’s hand and stating ‘I’ll look after you, if you look after Apethorpe.’ But after a scandal in 1984 in which a police officer was shot dead outside the Libyan embassy in London, Keeley’s employer returned home. ‘He kept me on, but I never saw him after 1984. But soon after this Keeley’s pay packets stopped and since then for 20 years Keeley has relied upon his wife Nikki to be the breadwinner.

As money ran out for Hall maintenance, Keeley had to make do without expensive equipment and building work. For example, if the lawnmower broke down he would have to borrow parts off a local mechanic and if holes appeared in the roof then he would be forced to use polystyrene to patch up the gaps. As awareness of this huge empty mansion increased, vandals began to plague the house, and subsequently George patrolled the house on guard each night.

Six years ago in 2002 the Hall was compulsorily purchased by the Goverment under section 47 of the Planning Act 1990, consequently English Heritage has spent four million pounds restoring the hall, and they are now looking for a buyer wishing to complete the restoration work.

Without George Keeley, a truly selfless man, the Hall would have fallen far beyond repair, and the MBE he received truly acknowledges the incredible work he did here, and is Britain’s way of thanking his dedication to Apethorpe’s History.