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Places to Visit whilst in DaventryEvery effort has been made to ensure that the information given is accurate but ALWAYS phone ahead to the place you want to visit first just to make sure. Large houses and stately homes Althorp   T: 01604 770107 Group Visits T: 01604 772111 P: NN7 4HQ E: mail@althorp.com W: althorp.com !: Booking for group’s essential, check website for opening times & costs. Owned by Earl Spencer, Althorpe is situated on the A428 1mile north-west of Harleston Village. The House dates from the early part of the 16th century and houses a fine collection of paintings, furniture & ornaments including English & French porcelain. There are well laid out gardens and an arboretum. The estate is now most famous as the final resting place of Diana, Princess of Wales and there is a museum dedicated to her life. The house and grounds are open during July, August and September & must not be missed. Canons Ashby T: 01327 860044 P: NN11 3SD E: canonsashby@nationaltrust.org.uk W: nationaltrust.org.uk/canons-ashby-house/ !: Pre-booking essential, check website for opening times & costs.
Cottesbrooke Hall T: 01604 505808 Group Visit T: 01604 505808 P: NN6 8PF E: enquiries@cottesbrooke.co.uk W: cottesbrooke.co.uk !: Check opening times Home of the Macdonald-Buchanan ; a fine example of a Queen Anne built in 1702 by an unknown architect. It was modified and extended in the Adam style. It houses an excellent collection of pictures, furniture and porcelain. Open certain days Easter to September, please check opening times & costs. Fawsley Hall T: 01327 892000 P: NN11 3BA E: info@fawsleyhall.co.uk W: fawsleyhall.com !: Booking advised Queen Elizabeth I stayed here during her visit to the heart of England in 1575. This manor house with its extensive parklands and gardens is today a stately elegant hotel. Capability Brown landscaped the Hall’s grounds in 1763 and much of this is maintained today. A relaxing stay, fine dining & pampering – it’s a real treat. Please check opening times & costs. Holdenby House Garden & Falconry Centre T: 01604 770074 School Visits T: 01604 770786 P: NN6 8DJ E: gilly@holdenby.com W: holdenby.com !: Check website Standing proudly on its hill commanding the rolling Northamptonshire countryside around it, no wonder locals say “It shines like Holdenby”. Holdenby Palace was built in 1583 by Sir Christopher Hatton, Lord Chancellor & favourite of Elizabeth I. From Elizabethan England’s greatest mansion to Royal Palace & prison, Holdenby has a unique place in English history, a must see for all visitors to our area. Please check opening times & costs. Lamport Hall & Gardens T: 01604 686366 Group Visits T: online booking P: NN6 9HD E: admin@lamporthall.co.uk W: lamporthall.co.uk !: Booking not essential On the A508 Northampton to Market Harborough road, set in wooded parkland and peaceful gardens including an unusual rock garden - Lamport was the first place to have garden gnomes! The House has fine rooms housing collections of paintings, furniture, china and unusual objects collected by the family on their travels. A number of special events are held each year including antique and craft fairs and concerts. House and gardens are open certain days Easter to September. Please check opening times & costs. Kelmarsh Hall & Gardens T: 01604 686543 Group Visits T: online booking P: NN6 9LY E: Online W: kelmarsh.com !: Booking not essential A lovely mellowed red brick Palladian house designed by James Gibb in 1728, there are interesting displays of English furniture, as well as gardens & lake. The estate also maintains a herd of British White cattle. Open certain days Easter to August. Please check opening times & costs. Coton Manor Gardens T: 01604 740219 Group Visits T: online booking P: NN6 8RQ E: Online W: cotonmanor.co.uk !: Booking not essential A glorious English garden set in Northamptonshire countryside. Coton Manor is on the Ravensthorpe to Guilsborough road, midway between the A428 and A50 and is well worth a visit. Amongst the well thought out beds and borders, there are lakes and hedges all set off by a touch of the exotic, namely flamingos, cranes and waterfowl! The gardens are open from April to the end of September. Please check opening times & costs. Places of interest Heart of the Shires shopping centre T: 01604 230213 W: heartoftheshires.co.uk P: NN7 4LB On the A5, about 2 miles north of Weedon, these Victorian farm buildings house a variety of shops such as upholstery, cookery, clothing, art and antiques to name but a few. Naseby Battlefield & Farm Museum T: 01604 740241 W: britainexpress.com P:NN6 7DD Purlieu Farm, off the B4036 in Naseby village, houses a miniature layout of the battlefield with over 800 models representing 21,000 fighting men. The Farm Museum displays relics of the battle, domestic bygones, farm hand tools &machinery including vintage tractors. Old Dairy Farm Centre, Upper Stowe T: 01327 340525 W: old-dairy-farm-centre.co.uk P: NN7 4SH Centred on a working farm in the village of Upper Stowe. Visitors can expect a selection of shops &crafts, restaurant & tea room, ample free car parking with access for coaches, special events throughout the year and much more for the whole family. Northampton & Lamport Railway T: 01604 820327 W: nlr.org.uk P: NN1 1LW The branch line between Northampton and Market Harborough closed in 1981, but one group of committed enthusiasts were determined to change that. Years of hard work helped & the granting of a Light Railway Order meant full steam ahead! It is now up & running as a leisure facility. Trains run March-September. Please check for opening times & costs. Borough Hill T: 01327 871100 W: daventrydc.gov.uk P: NN11 4NB Daventry’s very own Jurassic Park! The hill capped with a layer of Jurassic sandstone owes its shape to the retreating glaciers of the last Ice Age. The hill was once home to the BBC’s World Service transmission centre & maintained a strong presence from 1925 -1992. One of the largest ancient hill forts in the country, there is also evidence of Roman and Saxon activity, of which some of these discoveries can be seen in the British Museum in London. The Hill is now maintained by Daventry District Council as a leisure amenity and offers a great place to walk & take in some of the views that stretch across many counties. It offers a diverse range of environments, open grassland & wooded areas, that provide a haven for wildlife. Daventry Country Park T: 01327 876094 W: daventrydc.gov.uk P: NN11 2JB Offers a nature reserve, walks, angling, picnic facilities, children’s play area, visitors centre & refreshments with toilet facilities. There are also special events, guided walks & activity days throughout the year. The Country Park has seen some interesting and rare bird visitors, wardens can advise you of the latest arrivals. All this set amongst lovely countryside with a man-made reservoir at its centre. The park can be accessed from the Northern Way. Please note there is a small charge for car parking. Brixworth Country Park T: 01604 883920 W: northamptonshire.gov.uk P: NN6 9DG Overlooking Pitsford Water, there is a picnic area and twenty acres of space for wildlife and amusement. The David Macintosh Visitor Centre has been open since 1992. There is ample parking, refreshments and souvenirs. A ranger service is also available. Pitsford Reservoir T: 01604 883920 W: northamptonshire.gov.uk P: NN6 9DG Pitsford Water, as it is known locally, was completed in 1956 and covers some 741 acres. It is part of the Ruthamford strategic water supply network operated by Anglia Water. About 10 million gallons daily are pumped from here to Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire and Cambridgeshire. There’s a lot to do here, licensed fishing, sailing, bird watching, footpaths, nature reserves & picnic sites are all on offer. Walks in the Daventry area (Download Brochure?) Nene Way A 67-mile walk through the county which goes from Badby through the Nene Valley to Wansford near Peterborough. The Knighley Way Northamptonshire’s first County Path opened in 1972. It is a 12 mile walk from Badby to Green Norton and leaves our district at a point near to Farthingstone and Maidford. Much of it passes through land once owned by the Knighley family of Fawsley, hence its name. Brampton Valley Way A leisure route for cycling, walking and horse riding using the old Northampton-Market Harborough railway route, starts from Boughton Crossing north of Northampton. Part of the route has been reintroduced as the Northampton and Lamport railway but the entire of the above facilities have been kept. Midshires Way A long distance public footpath stretching 225 miles from the Trans-Pennine Trail near Stockport, Cheshire, to the Ridgeway in Buckinghamshire, the ‘Way’ enters our district near the village of Great Oxendon and passes near Arthingworth and Maidwell. The route also takes in the Brampton Valley Way via Lamport, Brixworth, Spratton and the Brampton’s. It continues via Harleston and leaves the district just past the hamlet of Nobottle. The Grafton Way Continues from Greens Norton all the way to Cosgrove in the south of the county, near Milton Keynes. Everdon Stubbs Now in the care of the Woodland Trust, this area is almost 100 acres of predominantly Oak and Sweet Chestnut woodland. The wood has lots of footpaths running through it and in spring there is a dense carpet of bluebells which looks spectacular. The Jurassic Way Heading from Banbury in Oxfordshire, across Northamptonshire to Stamford in Lincolnshire, it is 88 miles long. Underfoot is rock of up to 195 million years old. |