Northants, Leics &amp; Rutland


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-make-a-splash">Make a splash!</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="643" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/02/Aqua-Park-Rutland.jpeg" alt="Aqua Park Rutland kids family activities days out" class="wp-image-41571" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/02/Aqua-Park-Rutland.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/02/Aqua-Park-Rutland-300x193.jpeg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/02/Aqua-Park-Rutland-768x494.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Head to the shores of Rutland Water, where you&#8217;ll find the phenomenal <a href="https://aquaparkgroup.co.uk/locations/rutland/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Aqua Park Rutland</a>. Open between May and September, it&#8217;s a water park for ages 6 and up where you can do flips off the Tornado Tower and brave cliff jumps, blast bags, giant slides, monkey bars and balance beams, it&#8217;s an adrenaline fuelled day out for groups, families, adults and kids, who might even fall asleep in the car in the way home. Win. Now you just need a gorgeously sunny day to enjoy it. </p>



<p>If you want to hit the water, but fancy something a bit more sedate, <a href="http://stoneycove.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stoney Cove</a>, a national dive and open swimming centre,&nbsp;covers 13 acres and offers a 1,000 metre perimeter course in Leicestershire’s cleanest waters. It’s great for everyone including under-confident swimmers as it’s always fully manned with qualified first aiders. If you’re diving here (for ages 12 and up), an underwater adventure awaits you where you can discover The Gresham Ship; an armed Elizabethan merchantman that sank over 400 years ago and a submerged aircraft cockpit&nbsp;wreck. Go on, take the plunge! </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-go-wild">Go wild!</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="676" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/02/RUTLAND-WILDLIFE-SANCTUARY.jpeg" alt="Rutland Wildlife Sanctuary near Oakham" class="wp-image-41602" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/02/RUTLAND-WILDLIFE-SANCTUARY.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/02/RUTLAND-WILDLIFE-SANCTUARY-300x203.jpeg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/02/RUTLAND-WILDLIFE-SANCTUARY-768x519.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p><a href="https://www.rutlandwildlifesanctuary.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rutland Wildlife Sanctuary</a> is a bird and wildlife sanctuary set in 42 acres of woodland to the north of Rutland Water, near Oakham. It&#8217;s home to an international collection of birds of prey, including owls, hawks, buzzards, falcons, eagles and vultures, who live next to a vast array of flora and fauna including the critically endangered Amur Leopard. At <a href="https://icarusfalconry.co.uk/?doing_wp_cron=1657802832.7018730640411376953125" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Icarus Falconry Centre</a>, based in the grounds of glorious <a href="https://www.holdenby.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Holdenby House</a> near Northampton, you can get up close and personal with the huge bird of prey collection, watch amazing flying displays, meet resident tortoises Sly and Simba, Roxy the fox and Norma the hedgehog and learn about wildlife conservation. And for younger kids, <a href="https://westlodgeruralcentre.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">West Lodge Farm Park</a>&nbsp;in Desborough has 500 acres of walks and nature trails to tire out the tiddlers, plus piglet racing, small animal handling, goats, ponies, sheep, pony rides and a giant adventure playground, there is easily a full day’s worth of activities for your little ones here.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-travel-back-in-time">Travel back in time</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image" id="block-4d6e121e-9f33-4329-bba1-1efc1a6fd827"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northants/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/02/richard-iii-visitor-centre.jpg" alt="This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is richard-iii-visitor-centre.jpg" /></figure>



<p>They found him under a car park in Leicester 650 years after he was killed in battle at nearby Bosworth. Now they&#8217;ve turned the place where King Richard III was discovered into a state of the art museum, the <a href="https://kriii.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">King Richard III Visitor Centre</a>, dedicated to telling the story of the last Plantagenet King, who also happens to have been born at Fotheringhay Castle in Northants. You can explore the battlefield at Bosworth too, at the <a href="https://www.bosworthbattlefield.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Battlefield Heritage Centre</a>. And if you&#8217;re still hungry for history, head into deepest south Northants to <a href="https://sulgravemanor.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sulgrave Manor</a>, the ancestral home of George Washington and a symbol of the Special Relationship between the UK and USA, where you can learn about life in the 16th century, with hands on exhibits in throughout the house, making it fascinating and immersive for young children.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hug-a-tree">Hug a tree</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/02/The-National-Forest.jpeg" alt="The National Forest tree planting" class="wp-image-41613" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/02/The-National-Forest.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/02/The-National-Forest-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/02/The-National-Forest-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Get back to nature in the woods. <a href="https://www.forestryengland.uk/salcey-forest" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Salcey Forest</a> in Northants is a former medieval royal hunting forest boasting ancient wood banks and trees.&nbsp;The &#8216;druids&#8217;, or veteran oaks,&nbsp;are rare and amazing wildlife habitats, and some of the old oaks are over 600 years old. There are walking trails, a family cycling trail, adventure play area and an onsite cafe. Head to Leicestershire&#8217;s <a href="https://www.nationalforest.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Forest</a>, embracing 200 square miles of the Midlands, it&#8217;s the first forest to be created at scale in England for over 1000 years, it transformed and literally turned this former coal mining landscape back to green. There are regular family friendly <a href="https://www.nationalforest.org/get-involved/plant-a-tree/plant-a-tree-with-us-events" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tree planting events</a>, so you can event contribute to the growth of this precious resource. <a href="https://www.evenleywoodgarden.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Evenley Wood Garden</a>&nbsp;near Brackley, in south Northants, is a real gem throughout the seasons, but always a gloriously magical place for a stroll as the spring flowers unfold and herald the arrival of the warmer weather (crosses fingers) and we highly recommend a paddle in the sandy stream whatever the weather. The lovely wooden cabin cafe, serves scrumptious homemade meals and cakes.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mess-about-on-the-river">Mess about on the River</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="640" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/02/Canoe2-Rushden-Lakes.jpeg" alt="Canoe2 Rushden Lakes River Nene Northants Kayaking " class="wp-image-41617" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/02/Canoe2-Rushden-Lakes.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/02/Canoe2-Rushden-Lakes-300x192.jpeg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/02/Canoe2-Rushden-Lakes-768x492.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Head to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.canoe2.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Canoe2</a>&nbsp;at Rushden Lakes in Northants for a splash about in the gorgeous, slow flowing River Nene as it winds its way northwards from the Lakes. There’s a variety of different hire options from a two-hour paddle or half day adventure to a multi-day trip with B&amp;Bs or camping all organised for you and luggage transport included. You can also paddle around Skew Bridge Lake in a swan or dragon pedalo or a katakanu – that’s basically two canoes attached side by side, FYI, so great for families and groups of friends to splash about on sunny summer days. In Leicestershire, weave your way along the River Soar while&nbsp;exploring your natural surroundings on a kayak with <a href="https://letsgetlost.uk/kayak-tours-and-trips" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Let&#8217;s Get Lost</a>.&nbsp;Embrace the great outdoors, disconnect from social media and reconnect with friends and family on a Paddle to the Pub tour or a popular Twilight Paddle and watch the sun slip beyond the horizon. And if you fancy tackling some whitewater, you&#8217;d be forgiven if your mind didn&#8217;t immediately go to the ambling River Nene, but you <em>can</em> hit the rapids at <a href="https://northamptonactive.com/whitewaterexperiences/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Northampton Active</a>, with expert guidance from experienced instructors, with whitewater rafting sessions from age 12 and tubing from age 7. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shimmy-up-those-high-ropes">Shimmy up those high ropes</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="898" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/02/go-ape-salcey.jpeg" alt="go ape salcey forest northamptonshire" class="wp-image-41622" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/02/go-ape-salcey.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/02/go-ape-salcey-300x269.jpeg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/02/go-ape-salcey-768x690.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Swing through the trees at <a href="https://jungleparc.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jungle Parc</a>&nbsp;in Irchester. Set in a former ironstone quarry with a whopping 83 hectares of woodland, it is definitely not for the faint hearted. There’s a children’s Adventurer Course with over 50 different activities suitable for kids from the age of 4, and the Xplorer Course for Big Kids from age 10 and adults. And, set to open this March, <a href="https://goape.co.uk/locations/salcey-forest" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Go Ape Salcey Forest</a> is bound to be the perfect place to get your adrenaline pumping, with two high ropes courses for kids and adults. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mosey-around-a-museum">Mosey around a museum</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northants/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/02/National-Space-Centre-Leicester.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-45443" /></figure>



<p>The iconic <a href="https://www.spacecentre.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Space Centre</a>, with it&#8217;s 42m tall Rocket Tower, is easily a full day of fun activities for all ages to enjoy, with interactive galleries, the UK&#8217;s largest Planetarium, and a low Earth orbit cruise included in your ticket, plus science busking&#8217;, talks and workshops. The glass elevator to the galleries at top of the tower is quite the experience too. Budding engineers will be in their element at he cutting-edge&nbsp;<a href="https://www.silverstonemuseum.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Silverstone Museum</a>, where you take a pole position journey through more than 70 years of racing history, innovation and glamour. Beware the grand finale!&nbsp;<em>The Ultimate Lap</em>&nbsp;is breathtakingly brilliant but completely nuts, I couldn’t stand upright for about 20 minutes afterwards and was in a an even more intense state of dizziness than usual. One of our favourite hangouts for its world class shoe collection, if nothing else, <a href="https://www.northamptonmuseums.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Northampton Museum and Art Gallery</a> houses the largest collections of shoes and shoe heritage in the world, representing Northamptonshire’s historic shoe industry. There are more shoes here than in Carrie Bradshaw’s closet – a whopping 15,000 &#8211; plus loads more historic collections, modern art and a fab cafe and shop. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-take-a-stroll-with-an-alpaca-or-a-goat">Take a stroll – with an alpaca or a goat</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="847" height="1024" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/02/Catanger-Llamas-847x1024.jpeg" alt="Catanger Llamas weedon lois northants family activities" class="wp-image-41624" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/02/Catanger-Llamas-847x1024.jpeg 847w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/02/Catanger-Llamas-248x300.jpeg 248w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/02/Catanger-Llamas-768x929.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/02/Catanger-Llamas.jpeg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 847px) 100vw, 847px" /></figure>



<p>It doesn’t get much further from the madding crowd than&nbsp;<a href="http://www.llamatrekking.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Catanger Farm</a>&nbsp;in Weedon Lois in south Northants. Not only can you trek along country lanes and bridleways with the adorable llamas who live here, you can also stay in a secluded and romantic gypsy wagon or shepherd’s hut nestled in the woods and nab some llamarabilia in the gift shop. And we are not kidding (geddit?)<a href="https://gandersgoat.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> </a>when we bleat on about <a href="https://gandersgoat.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ganders Goat</a>, who make amazing goats’ milk ice cream and soaps as well as offering Goat Walking experiences on the farm in Cottingham.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-or-choose-pedal-power">Or choose pedal power!</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northants/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/02/Cycle-Rutland-Water.jpg" alt="Cycle Rutland Water" class="wp-image-45461" /></figure>



<p>Saddle up for a family pootle around <a href="https://anglianwaterparks.co.uk/rutland-water-park/cycling" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rutland Water</a>, where there&#8217;s a choice of cycling routes around the picturesque lake and neighbouring villages. You can even hire a bike on site if you need to, so no need to load them all up onto the car before you set off. We did this very route on a hot sunny day last year and loved every minute, especially the pitstops at the Horse and Jockey in Manton and the ice-cream kiosk at Normanton church. Don&#8217;t fancy pedalling the full 23 miles? Hire an electric assist bike. Stop at the Lyndon Visitor Centre and you might even catch a glimpse of the resident ospreys. You can also get pedalling at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forestryengland.uk/salcey-forest/family-cycle-trail-salcey-forest" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Salcey Forest</a>, where you can cycle along the flat, smooth cycle route, which is great for beginners and novice cyclists. The trails around the woods are a great way to develop skills and build confidence, so extra good for wee ones who are just getting comfy in the saddle, or even big ones who want to ride their bicycle but don’t want the hassle of navigating road traffic. Don’t have a bike? You can hire bikes at the lovely&nbsp;<a href="http://www.aecatering.co.uk/grounds-salcey/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Grounds&nbsp;</a>café.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-get-green-fingered">Get green fingered</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="670" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/02/University_of_Leicester_Botanic_Garden_pond.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-41630" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/02/University_of_Leicester_Botanic_Garden_pond.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/02/University_of_Leicester_Botanic_Garden_pond-300x201.jpeg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/02/University_of_Leicester_Botanic_Garden_pond-768x515.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>If you&#8217;ve got budding eco warriors on your hands (and let&#8217;s hope so), <a href="https://le.ac.uk/botanic-garden" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Leicester Botanic Garden and the Attenborough Arboretum</a> in Oadby are part of the Uni of Leicester and have a strong focus on global biodiversity. Visitors can run about and explore a huge range of plants in the collections from around the world in 16 acres of grounds and greenhouses, with activity sheets available for children to get in on the action.</p>


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