Adjoining the Gardens and forming a large part of the 550 acres estate is the area known as the…read moreMiddle Park extending to Delapre Woods. For many years this pleasant meadowland was used for grazing cattle. However, in 1976 this was opened as The Delapre Golf Complex, comprising an 18-hole course and a 9-hole Pitch and Putt course, a 9-hole par 3 course and a 25-bay driving range. There is also an attractive 'Clubhouse' open to the public. Indeed, the whole philosophy of the Complex is to make golf available to anyone on a 'pay as you play basis. Still more recently, Delapre Park has become home to the Northampton Horse Trials - an increasingly popular sport made up of dressage, show jumping and cross-country. Fittingly the Northampton Pony Club also use Delapre as the base for their own activities. At the southern end of the Delapre estate lie Delapre Woods. These were originally cleared and planted when the gardens were laid out. Some fine oak, sweet chestnut and beech remain from this planting. Further clearances and planting of beech, oak and conifers have produced a mixed wood with many beautiful walks, together with fine views of the Abbey and town centre

This is a great indoor play area for kids with lots of space for them to run around as it is…read morebasically a big warehouse! Two large trampolines, climbing frames, slides, ball pits etc. They also have a soft play area for very young children and an indoor basketball/football area. They have two party rooms which are quite small and the party packages are overpriced. It is a great place to take younger (pre school) children for a run around, but the toilets are very small and cramped. The communal coffee area for parents is often grubby and dirty. Snacks and drinks are very expensive and poor quality. Security is not great so keep an eye on your purse! It is also down to you to keep an eye on the children. General entry prices are pretty reasonable, but the whole place always looks like it needs a good clean!

we've taken our son here a number of times & have found it to be a great facility…read more nice surroundings for adults & children. cafe good. comfortable. & the little 'un really enjoys it. which makes it easier for us.

Yay! I love coming here! Its always such fun for us and the kids!…read more There is a very big childrens park made out of wood and rope. Swings, climbing frames, slides, steps its all here! And there are toilets nearby. For the adults and bigger teens, there is a big assault course a short walk away. There is so much I havent seen at Stanwick Lakes as Ive been limited by the children but Im very pleased by what I have seen! I think parking is £1-£2 depending on the season.

lovely walks, all landscaped out of the former gravel pits alongside the A45 between Wellingborough…read more& Raunds the play area built from wood is great for kids & 'big kids' there's a really interesting interactive water feature also built from wood in the same area it is exposed to the elements, so wouldn't be much fun if the weather was bad

I have walked and fished here for a good few years now and even now with COVID-19 it's been a place…read moreto go and just take a walk for a while

Emberton offers a great family day out! It has on site parking (which is charged for the up keep of…read morethe park and lakes) There is charge for walking on to the lakes only if you are driving. there is fishing available if you get the right permit etc. Also there is a area for camping and caravans at the back of the lake. There are a couple of parks with in the lakes and the kids love them, one has a big slide that comes through the trees which is great fun for them. There are some lovely walks around the lake and a path so its great for bike rides. There is lots of nice areas which are great for picnics in the summer. there is a cafe which is open at busy times so you can get some lunch or a coffee after your walk. Also in the summer there is ice cream available. this is a really fun family day out.

This country park is truly a gem in the cown of Northamptonshire…read more Based around Pitsford resorvoir, there's a pathway of about 7 miles around the perimeter. The main car park is accessed from the main road between Northampton & Market Harbororgh, is pay & display & has a superb kids play area, picnic area, bike hire shop & tourist information area. There's a smaller free car park which can be accessed from Pitsford village, & it's a gentle 5-10 min stroll to the play area. The water is used for trout fishing & sailing. Altogether, it's a wonderful day out for all.

If you're into cycling or walking then this is a great place to visit…read more Parking costs £2 and if memory serves if you don't have the change you can't stay as the cafe there won't give change so make sure you've got it beforehand. The path around the lake is 8 miles or so and you get some great views. If you need a break halfway round then there's a carpark at that point with an ice cream van if you feel the need! Plus there are sometimes swans to see. Part of the route takes you into a village. Mind you look out for the turning on the right back to the route as it's quite hidden otherwise you can find yourself wheeling down a hill that takes a lot of effort getting back up. Believe me, I'm speaking from experience! If you're only doing the circuit for a day out rather than to get healthy then when you're done it's well worth stopping for lunch in the cafe. The burgers and coffee are great! As you face the cafe to the right is a small childrens' play area. There's a small cycle shop there too although I wouldn't say it's particularly cheap.

in the day it's a great outdoor space for assorted leisure activities, although can be the 'hang…read moreout' of undesirable groups (i've been abused on a number of occasions whenout jogging around there) at night it can be quite a dangerous place, especially in the centre which dips down a little, so is out of sight of the roads surrounding those new to northampton are advised to walk around the racecourse & not directly across it at night

The Racecourse has a long tradition of being the major open space in the town for both regular…read moreformal sports and for major events, the largest of which is currently the annual town/balloon festival, elements of which were formerly located in Abington Park. The eastern side is surrounded by fine Victorian housing and with the Listed Pavilion within the park forms Kingsley Conservation Area. The western end includes the earlier heritage connections of St Andrew's Priory buildings. This open space of just over 118 acres and notably one of the largest landmarks in the town and it received its present name when it became a venue for horse racing. Today the site is the home for one of the largest balloon festivals and the biggest single outdoor sports area in the county and has swings for kids nice restaraunt bowls to

Harlestone Firs isn't just a saw mill, it is a huge expanse of woodland open to the public and…read moreeasily accessible in its location just off the main road - A428. It is a perfect place for a stroll on a pleasant day and is so big you could get lost! Although chances are you would bump into someone sooner or later since Harlestone Firs is hugely popular, not just with walkers but with joggers, cyclists and horse-riders. It is also dog-friendly. Parking is right outside, across the road but on busy days it is difficult to get a space. There is a big garden centre opposite however with ample parking and the garden centre is well worth a visit too and has a cafe and toilets.

lovely park, great for dogs and kidsread more

Attended a rare concert in the library. It is a very beautiful building filled with works of art, a…read moregreat place to visit. I have not seen the gardens yet.

A mainly eighteenth century house with a park and nineteenth century garden, on the site of a…read moreseventeenth century house and garden. There is an 'Italian garden', made by Sir Charles Isham, with a large rockery. Brent Elliot writes that 'In 1881, an engraving was published showing a toy monkey swinging from one of the miniature trees, and by the 1890s the rockery was swarming with miniature china figures, mostly gnomes, of continental provenance. . . This is the first recorded appearance of gnomes in an English garden, and the motive for their addition was religious. Isham was an ardent spiritualist'