20 Attractions to Explore Near Summer Leys Nature Reserve

Irchester Narrow Gauge Railway Museum is a beautiful museum that is little the site associated with the initial ironstone railway, that is house to a collection of working steam and diesel locomotives. It includes 8 locomotives within the collection, 7 running on steam, the other a diesel engine, plus over 30 items of rolling stock. The museum is owned byThe Irchester Narrow Gauge Railway Trust.

This spectacular former quarry boasts Jurassic geology, and has a wonderful children's play area in addition to a network of long and short trails through 83 hectares of mixed woodland. The park is home to the Quarryman's Rest Cafe, Jungle Parc UK, and the Irchester Narrow Gauge Railway Museum.

The Wellingborough Museum built-in 1892 as an indoor swimming pool by David Dulley, a brewer in the town. Today, the museum welcomes visitors to explore a range of exhibits. This beautiful museum displays the collection of artefacts owned by the Winifred Wharton Trust, previously shown in The Heritage Centre at Croyland Hall in Wellingborough.

Castle Ashby is the ancestral home of the 7th Marquess of Northampton. This majestc castle was set in the heart of a 10,000-acre estate, the 35 acres of extensive gardens are a combination of several styles including the romantic Italian Gardens, the unique Orangery and impressive Arboretum. It is a leading example of the Elizabethan prodigy house, with a Palladian section closing the front courtyard added in the 18th century.

This church is the masterpiece of Sir Ninian Comper built between 1908 and 1930. It is a free essay in the gothic style fearlessly mixed with classical appropriations. The design and interior of the church were influenced by the Oxford Movement and the Victorian revival of ritualism. It was one of the main attractions in this area and is visited by many tourists along.

A beautiful serpentine park and a Victorian garden which was set in the heart of a 10,000-acre estate, the 25 acres of extensive gardens are a combination of several styles including the romantic Italian Gardens, the unique Orangery, and impressive Arboretum. The full Castle Ashby experience also involves a menagerie, children's play area, plant centre, tea room and gift shop.

Sywell Country Park exists on the site of a former drinking water reservoir near the village of Sywell in East Northamptonshire. It offers an eclectic mix of things to see and explore. An Edwardian water pump house and tower still stand within the small reservoir. The site includes a small tea room. There is also a project which aims to use both oral and written records to interpret the route of the water supply throughout the site.

This is a huge nature reserve made up of five connected wildlife sites. This extensive series of shallow and deep open waters are surrounded with a wide range of marginal features, such as sparsely vegetated islands, gravel bars and shorelines, and habitats including reed swamp, marsh and so more. It is also a birdwatcher's paradise and The reserve forms part of a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and is managed by The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire.

The Sywell Aviation Museum is a voluntary, non-profit-making organisation which aims to preserve the history of Sywell Aerodrome and Northamptonshire’s rich aviation heritage from the early days of aviation to the Second World War and beyond. Inside the Museum can be found various displays on the history of aviation in Northamptonshire including aviation archaeology, aircraft cockpits, uniforms and models.

Billing Aquadrome is a leisure park in Great Billing, in the eastern district of Northampton, England. Facilities within the 235-acre park, which was built around various mature gravel pits, include a caravan site, marina and funfair. It is also frequently home to a wide variety of shows throughout the year, including music events and car shows, such as the world's largest annual Land Rover show and the American Car Show. It also hosts the Northampton Balloon Festival.

Hall Park is a 34 acre site which includes a walled garden. The site has been in public use since 1931 and was previously in the ownership of several wealthy local families. It was one of the iconic attractions in this area and is a unique place to soemd some time in peace.

Rushden Transport Museum is housed in the beautifully restored Victorian Midland Railway Station which once formed part of the Wellingborough to Higham Ferrers branch line. It comprises a vast collection of transport-related artifacts from the Rushden area, giving visitors a nostalgic glimpse into its past. Rushden station has been preserved by the Rushden Historical Transport Society. The station building is fully intact and open with no admission fee.

Chichele College is a rare surviving example of a chantry college. It was founded in 1422 by the locally born Henry Chichele, Archbishop of Canterbury. It’s a very special place; a Scheduled Monument which has considerable historical significance to the town and many who visit the site are enchanted by its spiritual atmosphere.

A beautiful 144 acres of award-winning green space which includes a nature reserve, two picturesque lakes, and a stretch of the River Great Ouse. The area covered by the park has formerly been a quarry, a farm, an Iron Age farm, and a Roman settlement - not necessarily all at the same time. The park is currently owned and managed by Bedford Borough Council. There is a wide variety of birds, and mammals include otters, shrews and bats.

Stanwick Lakes is a unique 750-acre countryside attraction and nature reserve located in the heart of Northamptonshire’s Nene Valley. There are extensive and imaginative play areas, open spaces, and paths that families, walkers, cyclists, and nature lovers can explore at leisure. The visitor center, with café, shop, and function space, hosts events, family celebrations, business meetings and craft workshops throughout the year.

Pitsford Water or Pitsford Reservoir is a 413 hectare reservoir and biological Site of Special Scientific Interest east of Brixworth in Northamptonshire. It is owned by Anglian Water, which manages it as a water park for walking, cycling, fishing, sailing and birdwatching.[3] An area of 181 hectares north of the causeway which divides the reservoir is the Pitsford Water Nature Reserve, which is managed by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire.

The Cowper and Newton Museum is a museum in Olney, Buckinghamshire, England, in the Borough of Milton Keynes. This museum is housed in 'Orchard Side', the former home of 18th-century writer and poet William Cowper. The museum contains exhibits illustrating the life and times of the two men.

Bradlaugh Fields is a community open space wildlife park in Northampton covering a huge area from Moulton Park to Kingsthorpe and accross to Spinney Hill. Three fields with a total area of 17.5 hectares are managed by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire as a nature reserve also called Bradlaugh Fields. There is access to Hills and Holes from Kettering Road, and other access points include a footpath from Aintree Road which passes between Scrub Field and Quar

The Racecourse is an open space park situated in the centre of Northampton. It is the sports park for Northampton with football, rugby, bowls, tennis, and more. The park has many paths connecting different areas and over 100 streetlights. It is surrounded by the Mounts, Kingsley and Semilong estates. The Racecourse did hold regular horse racing meetings. However, these ceased in 1904.

Becket's Park is a traditional park along the bank of the River Nene, and forms a green gateway to the centre of Northampton. It's a great place for those based or working in the town centre to relax. It stretches from Queenswood Drive to the West and Batcliffe Mount to the East. St Chads Drive to the North and Langdale Terrace to the South. It also encompasses the Beckett Park School, a children's play park, a skate park and tennis courts.