With the sun finally showing its face, now's a great time to start exploring Northamptonshire's beautiful countryside! From woodlands to wetlands, there's a wealth of different places to discover!

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Salcey Forest:

Just a short jaunt from Northampton, discover Salcey Forest. The ancient woodlands are home to many veteran oak trees known as “The Druids.” Explore the waymarked walking trails that meander through woodland landscapes. From one miles to six miles, there’s a trail for you. For a traffic-free ride, hop on your bike and pedal along the cycle trail. No bike? No worries! Why not hire one at the on-site cycle hire? If you’re bringing the little ones, they’ll love the play areas and character trails. Keep an eye out for the magnificent Gruffalo sculpture — it’s a hit with kids and adults alike!

Enjoy endless walking trails, a family cycling trail, adventure play area and even an onsite café selling tasty homemade meals and cakes in a warm, friendly environment. Finish your cycle ride in the forest with a homemade cake and a coffee.

Find out more about Salcey Forest here: www.forestryengland.uk/salcey-forest

Stanwick Lakes:

Stanwick Lakes is a unique 750-acre nature reserve and is widely considered to be one of the region’s most imaginative outdoor activity destinations. It offers extensive play areas for families and includes acres of wide-open spaces and paths for nature lovers, walkers and cyclists. Stanwick Lakes has a wide variety of art and craft events throughout the year, whether you want to learn a new skill, brush up on an old one or be inspired by the talents of others.

The visitor centre’s diverse spaces accommodate all sorts of arts events and the natural light that streams through the windows is one of the things that attracts regular groups. The cafe in the visitor centre has wonderful views over the lake from the huge glass windows. It serves a range of hot and cold drinks, sandwiches, paninis, cakes and light meals, including jacket potatoes, soup and specials. Well-behaved dogs are welcome.

Find out more about Stanwick Lakes here: www.stanwicklakes.org.uk

Brixworth Country Park:

Brixworth Country Park is a gorgeous park with a view over the Pitsford Reservoir. The situation of Brixworth Country Park at the north-western shore of Pitsford Water make the park a popular location for events such as triathlons, running, cycling and charitable walking events, and fundraisers. Visit Rutland Cycling to hire, or bring your own and cycle the beautiful 7.5 mile surfaced circuit around Pitsford Water. Allow 2 to 4 hours for walking and 1 to 2 hours for cycling (depending on ability). Follow the blue route to discover the story of the last four gnomes in England.

Follow the red trail out to the Memorial Meadow and Barn Owl Meadow, these are perfect places to get your kites airborne. Visit the sensory play garden nearby to the café, or try the main playground to let little ones run off some steam. Let your youngsters explore the woodlands where they will find secret paths, den building, trees to climb, log steps and balance beams amongst the trees. Reward your efforts with a treat in the Willow Tree cafe.

Find out more about Brixworth Country Park here: www.westnorthants.gov.uk/brixworth-country-park

Lyveden Way:

The Lyveden Way is a walk through part of the ancient Rockingham Forest, beginning at Fermyn Woods Country Park. The area is steeped in local and natural history, with a landscape that has changed little over the past 2000 years. The distance of the walk is 9.5 miles. Refreshments are available at the Skylark Cafe at Lyveden and at the Kings Head at Wadenhoe.

Lyveden is a remarkable survivor of the Elizabethan age.There are tranquil moats, viewing terraces and an Elizabethan orchard to explore, as well as an enigmatic garden lodge covered in religious symbols.The Elizabethan Garden is a rare Elizabethan survivor and one of the country’s oldest garden landscapes, including terraces, spiral mounts, moats and orchard. Visit Lyveden Manor and explore the interpretation spaces revealing the intruiging story behind Lyveden. The Lyveden Manor Café serves light meals, sandwiches, drinks and homemade cakes. Seating inside and out, dogs welcome in parts of the café.

Find out more about Lyveden here: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/leicestershire-northamptonshire/lyveden

Coton Manor Garden:

The beautiful garden at Coton Manor occupies a hillside position extending down from the 17th century manor house constructed of mellow Northamptonshire stone. The 10 acre garden has luxuriant borders that will delight the plant enthusiast while everyone will enjoy the garden’s charm and special atmosphere, with colour and interest throughout the seasons.

Beyond the garden is a magical five acre bluebell wood and a wildflower meadow. The Stableyard Cafe serves homemade lunches and teas when the garden is open. The extensive nursery has over a thousand varieties of plants, many of which are unusual and are propagated from the garden.

Find out more about Coton Manor Garden here: www.cotonmanor.co.uk