Arson suspected after fire at Althorp farmhouse

A fire at a derelict farmhouse which is part of the Althorp House estate is being treated as arson, police have said.

The blaze started at the Dallington Grange farmhouse in Mill Lane in Kingsthorpe, Northampton, at about 01:30 BST.

Northamptonshire Police said the fire was started deliberately although the exact cause was "yet to be determined".

Princess Diana grew up at the estate and her brother Charles Spencer, who still owns Althorp House, said he was "stunned" by the fire but said it was "fortunately unoccupied at the time".

Earl Spencer wrote on X that it was "apparently burnt down by vandals".

"So very sad that anyone would think this a fun thing to do," he said.

Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service said the two-storey building was "fully on fire" when crews arrived.

It said that at the height of the fire, four crews wearing breathing apparatus used hose-reel jets to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading further.

One crew would remain on the scene with a water bowser to continue dampening down any remaining hotspots, it said.

Anyone with information about the farmhouse fire asked to contact police on 101.

The blaze comes less than a year after a fire at an empty industrial unit in nearby Harlestone Firs, which is also part of the Althorp Estate.

In a statement, David Fawkes, the chief executive of the Althorp Estate, said the farmhouse had been unoccupied for several years and was due to be redeveloped.

"The farmhouse was built in the late 18th Century, and it has been completely destroyed by the fire, but the surrounding outbuildings are undamaged," he said.

"Our priority is to secure the site and make sure it is safe."

He said "we are very grateful" to the fire service and estate team for "dealing with the fire so effectively".

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