The Chester House Estate reveals a sweeping span of human activity spanning more than 10,000 years. This historic visitor attraction is free to enter and offers a year-round programme of events. To find your way there: the estate is located just off the eastbound A45 between Wellingborough and Rushden.
History in houses and collections
Delapré Abbey also takes visitors through different layers of the past. The former Cluniac monastery was founded in 1145; the abbey’s history stretches back almost 900 years. It was the setting for important events, including the Battle of Northampton in 1460. A tour of the garden and parkland traces 900 years of landscape history. Delapre Park comprises 8 acres of gardens and around 500 acres of open parkland. Groups can also book one- or two-course lunches and cream teas in a historic room in advance.
The shoe gallery at Northampton Museum and Art Gallery spans more than 7,000 years of footwear history, from 5300 BC to the present day. This long time span makes the changing story of a familiar everyday item its subject. Kirby Hall, a 17th-century Elizabethan mansion, offers a different perspective on historic interiors. Exhibitions in the grand rooms trace its rise and decline; the gardens have been reconstructed to their late-17th-century design. A tapestry trail adds to the visit.
Boughton House brings together 18th-century landscape gardens, woodland and an extensive country park. The house contains significant collections of fine art, furniture, tapestries, porcelain and carpets. Its notable rooms include some of the best-preserved Baroque state rooms in the British Isles. At Althorp, meanwhile, paintings, furniture and ceramics are as much a part of the house’s character as its finely furnished interiors. Althorp has been the home of the Spencer family for more than 500 years. From the West Gate visitor car park, Althorp House is a 15-minute walk away.
Parkland, trails and water
At Irchester Country Park, landscape and industrial history come together: the 200-acre woodland has trails, an adventure course with zip wires and a children’s playground. The 3.8-kilometre Ironstone Heritage Trail explores the ironstone theme further, while a railway museum focuses on the history of mining in the park.
At Sywell Country Park, trails run along the lake and through meadows. For a route with a set length, there are two different options: the 1-kilometre Waterworks Heritage Trail and a 2.5-mile circuit around the reservoir. The lake opened in 1906 as a water supply reservoir for Rushden and Higham Ferrers. This allows visitors to consider their choice of route alongside the history of the water, without treating the two trails as equivalent.
The Nene Valley offers a broader landscape perspective. It stretches from west of Northampton along the River Nene, through medieval villages and market towns, to Peterborough. The valley includes 41,000 hectares of wildflower meadows, woodland and wetlands. Stanwick Lakes, a 750-acre landscape attraction and nature reserve, lies within the Northamptonshire part of the Nene Valley. Families, walkers, cyclists and nature lovers can explore its trails and open spaces.
Wicksteed Park offers another highlight: this free-to-enter, 281-acre Grade II-listed park and garden, designated by English Heritage, includes parkland, meadows and lakes. The park also offers rides for all ages. The landscape and rides are distinct visitor experiences.
Motorsport, railways and getting around
Silverstone Museum is located at Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire. Its immersive exhibitions, legendary racing cars and stories of racing heroes put motorsport centre stage. The Northampton & Lamport Railway offers a different way to experience railway history: the heritage railway travels through the Northamptonshire countryside using steam and historic diesel locomotives, and visitors can ride the trains on the former railway line. The Brampton Valley Way, by contrast, is a 14-mile linear park running from Northampton to Market Harborough.
Northamptonshire is centrally located in the United Kingdom, in the heart of England. The M1, A5 and A14 roads, as well as the connecting roads between the M1 and A1, cross the county. East Midland Railway connects London St Pancras with Wellingborough, Kettering and Corby, and continues towards South Yorkshire. As rail services can change, it is advisable to check the timetable before travelling.
Discover more destinations
Helmdon, Whittlebury, Wellingborough, Warkworth, Towcester, Sywell, Syresham, Stoke Albany, Oundle, Kettering, Desborough, Deanshanger, Daventry, Corby, Castle Ashby, Brackley, Ashby Saint Ledgers, Flore, Aynho, Braunston, Greatworth, Harringworth, Easton On The Hill, Ringstead, Wootton, Rothwell, Ecton, Crick, Blisworth, Weedon Bec, Harpole, Nassington, Staverton, Woodford, Quinton, Long Buckby, Brigstock, Rushden, Harrington, Hackleton, Roade, Maidwell, Hellidon, Gretton, Thurning, East Haddon, Wappenham, Hartwell, West Haddon, Byfield, Hardingstone, Collyweston, Overstone, Sulgrave, Finedon, Potterspury, Wollaston, Pattishall, Church Stowe, Kilsby, Upton, Maidford and Northampton.
For the broader travel overview: East Midlands.
