1798 Sir John Knightley was created a Baronet. His nephew, Sir Charles Knightley, 2nd Baronet, carried out the Gothic alterations to the Georgian Wing, and his son Sir Rainald, the 3rd Baronet, commissioned architect Anthony Salvin to re-model the North Wing. Sir Rainald married Louisa Knightley and served as MP for South Northamptonshire for 40 years. He was created Baron Knightley in 1892, but died childless in 1895. During this time Joseph Merrick (the 'Elephant Man') was invited by the family to holiday at the estate and lived in the gamekeeper's cottage. Sir Rainald's widow kept possession of the hall until 1913, after which financial restraints necessitated the auction of the house's contents after her death. She was the last Knightley to live at the Hall, completing 500 years of Knightley occupation. When her eventual heirs Sir Charles Valentine Knightley, 5th Baronet died in 1932 and his brother, Sir Henry Francis Knightley, 6th and last Baronet, died in 1938, the estate passed to the Gage family of Firle Place, Sussex, by virtue of an earlier marriage of Sir Rainald's sister, Sophia, to Viscount Gage. The Gage family still own the former Knightley lands. Fawsley Hall is now a country house hotel and spa, owned by Hand Picked Hotels. It is one of two buildings in Fawsley listed as Grade I, the other being St Mary's Church. There are three bodies of water near the hotel named Big Waters, The Canal and Horse Pond, the first of which was created using a small dam. St Mary's church Standing isolated on a grassy knoll and surrounded by a ha-ha, St. Mary's Church contains the Knightley family tombs including effigies of the 16th-century Sir Richard Knightley and his wife Jane. Dating to the early 13th century, the church has many fine features such as carved poppy heads and stained glass thought to be from Sulgrave Manor. A considerable amount of the copper roof covering was stolen in 2015, and temporary sheeting had to be applied whilst considerable funds are amassed to replace the metal. See also Knightley Baronets References External links Hamlets in Northamptonshire West Northamptonshire District Civil parishes in Northamptonshire