When it comes to things to do in Northamptonshire, England it’s hard to pick. There are actually many things to choose from. For a small county, it’s quite diverse.
In this article, we will walk you through what we feel are the best things to do in Northamptonshire for adults and children alike. We have even included what we feel are some of the secret places in Northamptonshire.
From famous race tracks to little-known beautiful locations to places of historical importance, Northamptonshire has a little bit of everything.
So what I’ve done here is included a list of very, very different things. Choose what you feel is the best for you, depending on what you like doing. Any one of these activities will make for great days out in Northamptonshire.
So are you ready to see which attractions in Northamptonshire we have chosen for you? Get a paper and pen so you can make notes and lets us walk you through things to do in Northampton today.
14 GREAT THINGS TO DO IN NORTHAMPTONSHIR
Visit Silverstone Racetrack
If you love cars, you’re going to love Northamptonshire because of the famous Silverstone Circuit, home of the British Grand Prix.
Silverstone is about four miles away from Towcester in the South of the county. There’s lots of car racing that takes place here but obviously the most famous is the British Grand Prix.
There are lots of things to do and see there obviously depending on when you are in the area. You can go to have dinner, and they have lots of festivals and events here, including track days.
If Silverstone is on your list of things to do in Northamptonshire then look at their website before you go to see what is on. Currently, they are displaying Hamilton’s winning cars. If you love Formula One then this is one of the things to do in Northamptonshire.
Look Around 78 Derngate – one of the things to do in Northamptonshire
One of my favourite places, 78 Derngate is the only house in England designed by Charles Rene Macintosh. It’s actually a small terraced house in the middle of Northampton You probably wouldn’t know from the outside what lies within. The only clue is a rather fancy door.
The house was designed for WJ Bassett-Lowke as a wedding present from his father. And really it is absolutely stunning.
The interior of this house is really hard to describe. If you are not familiar with Charles McIntosh’s work let’s just say it is an incredible example of Art Nouveau. It is just beautiful; every room is something different, something quite unusual.
It’s definitely a great place to visit. And as well as a visitor’s centre, there’s also a lovely cafe there as well if you fancy going to eat.
If you love architecture and design, then take a visit to 78 Derngate it’s one of the secret places in Northamptonshire you must visit.
Get Historic At The Church of the Holy Sepulchre
The Holy Sepulchre Church is one of only four round churches in the UK and is modelled on its namesake in Jerusalem.
The original part of the church is Norman, dating from 1100 and built by Simon de Senlis on his return from the Crusades. The tower, nave, and aisles are later additions, however, the Round is still the most striking feature of the church.
The church has a fascinating history and a guided tour is highly recommended. This is one of the free things to do in Northampton and believes us you won’t regret it.
Marvel At Althorpe House
One of the most famous houses in Northamptonshire, Althorpe was the house that Lady Diana Spencer grew up in. I absolutely adore this place; there’s something about it that I just find very beautiful and calming. It’s big but it’s not overwhelmingly large.
This should be high on your list of things to do in Northamptonshire.
Earl Charles Spencer, Diana’s brother and uncle to William and Harry has been in charge of the household for over 29 years now.
The house has a 500-year history and it showcases some of the finest private collections of furniture, paintings, and ceramics. It is absolutely gorgeous inside and outside with some beautiful landscaping. Obviously also the Diana Memorial is here and her body is famously buried on an island in the middle of a lake on the property.
It’s only open from the end of July until the end of August, but they hold various events throughout the year, such as the food festival and literary festivals, where you can also explore some of the grounds.
Althorpe and the surrounding countryside are lovely, and seeing Diana’s memorial is actually quite a moving experience.
It’s a very friendly, welcoming place and surprisingly has a very homely feel about it. And if it isn’t open when you visit, drive down the road between Great Brington and Upper Harlestone as it gives you a great view of the house.
This is one of the places to visit in Northamptonshire and should be high on your list.
Spend A Day Out At Castle Ashby
Another place everyone must visit is Castle Ashby. It’s the ancestral home of the 7th Marquis of Northampton. This is one of the things to do in Northamptonshire if you love grand buildings.
It’s open pretty much all of the time and is really beautiful. The gardens are huge with lots of places to explore.
The house is set in a 10,000-acre state with 35 acres of extensive gardens. And it has one of the most beautiful greenhouses that I’ve ever seen. You can easily spend all day here and still not see everything.
Everywhere you look there’s something intriguing. Around every corner is an Italian garden, secret butterfly gardens, or an arboretum.
If you want a great day out in Northamptonshire then we highly recommend a trip to Castle Ashby.
Get On A Boat At Stoke Bruerne
I know, putting a canal on the list sounds a bit odd but honestly, it’s beautiful here. It is just a lovely area and there is so much to do and see around the canal. Beleive us this is one of the things to do in Northamptonshire.
Firstly, they have a great pub on the canal with some great views. There is also a canal museum which is a great way to get a feel for the area.
You can do a boat trip and go down the canal. You can walk up and down the canal or you can sit in one of the many tea shops and cafes and just watch the world go by.
And watching boats go through the lock is always a great way to pass the time.
It can get really busy here, particularly on the weekends in the summer, but I find that there’s something to do or look at and a short walk can get you away from the crowds.
This is a great place for a free day out in Northampton.
Walk Around All Saints Church, Brixworth
Another church really worth visiting is All Saints Church in Brixworth. This is the oldest church in Northamptonshire dating back to the early Anglo-Saxon age.
The present church that you see here actually dates from 750 to 850 AD, but it’s understood that the church was predated by a monastery.
It’s not very elaborate inside and sort of basic as churches go. But if you love history and you want to see a really old church, then they don’t get much older than this.
We feel like is one of the places in Northamptonshire that is well worth a visit. This is one of the things to do in Northamptonshire if you like history.
Watch Planes At Sywell Museum
If you love aviation, Sywell Aviation Museum is a great place to be. It’s based at Sywell Aerodrome and documents the history of flying in Northamptonshire, from fairly early days to the present day.
Here you will also find the iconic art deco Aviator Hotel and various other cafes and places to eat. It’s actually a lovely place to sit and watch the planes take off.
It’s a great little place to go and makes a lovely afternoon out.
The museum is generally open every weekend and bank holiday between Easter and September, also by appointment. If you’re not sure if it’s going to be open then just check the website. it’s a voluntary, non-profit making organisation that is preserving the history of Sywell Aerodrome and Northamptonshire’s Aviation Heritage. So if you can, go there and support them.
This is one of the free things to do in Northampton. And if you do visit have a drink in The Aviator Hotel it’s a great art deco-style hotel.
Try On Shoes At The Shoe Museum – One of the top things to do in Northamptonshire.
Now, as you may or may not know, Northamptonshire is famous for shoemaking. It’s the place where Doc Martens are made and the film and musical Kinky Boots is based in Northampton.
The Northampton Museum and Art Gallery contain the largest collection of historical footwear in the world. The whole ground floor of the museum displays 1200 shoes spanning from the ancient ages to the present day. It also contains some of the most iconic shoes of our time, such as Elton John’s boots from the film Tommy.
It’s actually much more fun than it sounds. There is lot to see and do here. They also often have lots of travelling collections of other items. Visiting here is a great rainy day activity and I guarantee you will enjoy it.
And what’s even better is entrance here is free. It’s one of the quirky things to do in Northampton.
Feel Regal Rockingham Castle
Yes, Northamptonshire even has its own castle. Two miles north of Corby is Rockingham Castle.
We have visited the castle many times and we love it; the grounds are vast and interesting and the views are incredible. It might not be what you expect of a castle, as it isn’t as ornate as some, however, you do get a feel for its simplicity and functionality.
Commissioned by William the Conqueror, it is the home to the Western family and is over 950 years old.
The castle is open at various different times and you can go to the castle or the grounds. The castle has been lovingly restored to what it would have been like in the day.
It’s a lovely day out here and we always find it very relaxing and enjoyable. You can also bring picnics and find a beautiful spot on the grounds.
This is one of the things to do in Northamptonshire this summer.
Get All Vintage At Northampton and Lamport Railway
If you like steam engines, Northamptonshire even has a line of vintage railway. Near the villages of Pitsford and Chapel Brampton is the Pitsford and Brampton station.
The station has vintage trains, which take you up and down a couple of miles of track. The children will love it here.
They also have special events here which are worth looking into too. And you might also want to check out the vintage station at Rushden.
This is one of the things to do in Northamptonshire for families.
Spend The Day At Kirby Hall
Of all of the places we visit in Northamptonshire, this is a place we keep coming back and back to. Kirby Hall near Corby is a stately home with a difference, the difference being that most of it is derelict.
It’s a mixture of dereliction and restoration with a lovely garden. There is something quite beautiful about it.
It’s hardly ever busy and there aren’t many amenities here, but it’s a great place to take a picnic and enjoy the setting. It’s just very relaxing and there is something about this place I find absolutely fascinating.
You can really chill and take a day off here. Oh, and they have peacocks that are very friendly. This is one of the things to do in Northamptonshire this summer. If you visit Kirby Hall let us know as we love it.
Go Gin Tasting At Phipps
There are quite a few breweries and distilleries in the Northamptonshire area. The one that we like is Phipps.
It’s actually quite close to us, right in the center of Northampton, and is a brewery and distillery so you get the best of both worlds here. They have so many different gins, which of course means I, Sarah, am in my element!
It’s a small-scale place producing craft beers, gin, and some other spirits. Most of this is actually produced at the brewery bar so you can actually go into the bar and see the distillery in the background.
You can taste all the gins and the beer there and it’s super friendly. It’s actually quite an old-fashioned bar but there is something unassuming and nostalgic about it.
The brewery is open on various days throughout the year and there is a cost to the tours but it is well worth it. If you are looking for a brewery and love good beer or gin this is one of the things to do in Northamptonshire.
Get Historic At Fotheringhay Castle
If you love history, Northamptonshire has a lot. Most famously perhaps it was the place where Mary Queen of Scots was executed. She was executed in 1587 at Fotheringhay Castle which is 3 miles north of Corby in Northamptonshire.
The castle is long gone, but you can go down to the mound and earthworks where the castle once was. Also, take a visit to The Talbot Hotel in nearby Oundle, where they have a wooden staircase from the castle. According to legend, these are the stairs she walked down to her execution and you can see the imprint that her ring made at the top of the stairs.
If you go into the hotel and speak to them, they’ll very happily show you where the stairs are. This is one of the free things to do in Northamptonshire.
Visit Quirky Lyveden New Build – One Of the things to do in Northamptonshire.
I did say Northamptonshire was the County of Spires and Squires and here is another to add to the squire’s list. However, this one is a little different. A visit here is one of the things to do in Northamptonshire that you really must do.
Lyveden New Bield is an unfinished Elizabethan summer house near Aldwincle in North Northamptonshire. It’s a Grade 1 listed building and is classed as a building of exceptional interest.
It’s certainly an odd experience indeed, as you are just looking at the shell of the home, a home never finished. The gardens are among some of the oldest in the county and feature spiral mounts and a moat that never held water.
Sir Thomas Tresham designed and constructed Lyveden as a testament to his Catholic faith. Every element of Lyveden is designed to symbolically convey Tresham’s own spiritual journey as he struggled to reconcile his faith with the changing Elizabethan world.
This is one of the rather quirky things to do in Northamptonshire but well worth a trip.
As you can see when it comes to things to do in Northamptonshire there are so many things to choose from. Whatever you love doing Northamptonshire can deliver.
There are some great historic places in Northamptonshire and some incredible countryside and places to go walking.
We hope this list of things to do in Northamptonshire has helped you make a decision about where to visit next.