Top 10 Things to Do in Northamptonshire
Date 5 October 2022
Getting to know the area in which you are studying in is a very interesting thing to do in your free time. No matter your preferences, whether you like museums, sports, shopping or anything else Northamptonshire has a variety of places to visit.
Sports
The first place I recommend for anyone that enjoys sports is to visit Sixfields’ Stadium, in Sixfields an area in Northampton. The football Stadium hosts football games over the year and is home to Northampton Town Football Club as well as having Northampton Saints nearby which has rugby games.
Culture
If you enjoy visiting museums, I definitely recommend you visit the Northampton Museum and Art Gallery located in the town centre. The museum has a lot of exhibitions throughout the year and I’m sure you will find one that interests you.
Shopping
Shopping in Northampton is also one of the things I definitely recommend. You can visit the Grosvenor shopping centre in town, Weston Favell which is on the outskirt of Northampton. If you want to spend the day shopping, you should definitely visit Rushden lakes which is roughly 20 minutes away from town. Finally, you can experience the shopping market that takes place every morning outside the Grosvenor shopping centre where you can find fresh fruit and vegetables.
Food and Drink
If in your free time you enjoy going out with your friends and trying different bars and restaurants, Northamptonshire has definitely got a few nice places to visit.
I would recommend visiting local restaurants and cafes around town other than big fast food chains. One of my favourite places is Beckworth Emporium, a garden centre in a small village, roughly 10 miles from Northampton.
Entertainment
Northampton also has a lot of opportunities to listen to live performances. The Picturedrome, the Black Prince are two places that have a variety of live music that take place. Live music events are also performed sometimes in Abington Park. If you don’t want to miss out on any of the gigs, I would recommend you join one of the Northampton gig groups on Facebook to always keep updated.
Parks and Gardens
Sometimes being a student can mean you are a bit tight on money that doesn’t mean you can’t go out for the day. Northampton has a lot of nice parks to visit, I definitely recommend Abington Park. The place is huge and even has a few “bird cages” with a variety of birds. You can also enjoy a walk in the woods or around the lakes.
A great escape is also Delapré Abbey found just behind the University of Northampton. Delapré Abbey is a historical place which you can walk around and enjoy the history that the place offers. You can also visit the cafe or walk around the Delapré Lake.
Historical Estates
One of the nicest places to visit in my opinion is Althorp Estate. It is located in the Western part of Northamptonshire, and it is definitely worth a visit. The house is known as Princess Diana’s childhood home. The place is magnificent and offers a special feeling from the minute you get there.
As a student in Northampton, I definitely advise you all to take any possible opportunity to visit different places of Northamptonshire, even if that is visiting the local parks, restaurants or shopping.
Gabriela Theologou is a UON student who likes to make the most of Northamptonshire and all it has to offer.