Anyone from Northampton

[WelshRach33]

Hi we're doing a last minute Airbnb in Northampton after cancelling our holiday to France Two teens, anyone know the area & know what there is to do there? Thank you

Northampton has the highest rate of new Corona virus infections in the country last week (thanks to a 300 person outbreak in a M&S sandwich packing factory)
I'd personally consider switching to another place.

Are the teens sporty?

Oh god no Northampton is not a wise choice. Literally hundreds of cases of Covid.

There's a high chance of local lockdown too

Northampton itself, or nearby? The countryside around Northampton is lovely. I'd spend most of your time exploring that rather than the town itself, especially in view of the current covid rates. Check out www.northamptonshiresurprise.com lots of places of interest.

I can't honestly say it's a great area, what made you stay there?

I live just outside Northampton and never go into it despite it being my closest town 😬. Always to to Milton Keynes for shopping/cinema etc or Oxford for a nicer day out

Lol, I won't add to it. Other than to say, this is going well

I live here and at the moment a lot of places are still closed. I would suggest staying somewhere else if at all possible as it is now looking likely we will be in local lockdown shortly.

If you do decide to come there are some lovely walks around. Salcey forest and stanwick lakes are nice but I think toilets cafe etc are still closed.

Northampton town centre I would avoid as the ships there are rubbish anyway but the main market square is being used as a walk in corona testing site.

Sorry op.

No worries, staying there because it's a friend of a friends Airbnb. Countryside about 10 miles away from the town. Yes they are sporty, I found somewhere called Pitsford water where you can hire mountain bikes, we'll do that one day. I'm not anymore worried about Covid than anywhere else because it's from the factory 🤷‍♀️

OP, just stay well away from Northampton itself and you'll be fine! Pitsford is a good bet, and there are so many lovely walks all over (northamptonshirewalks.co.uk/). Some wonderful country pubs, some of which are open and others not.

Northamptonshire is actually very underrated, mainly because the towns themselves leave a lot to be desired. Apologies if I've offended anyone there. I live in the north of the county and I think it's a hidden gem.

Northants suffers from being a bit of a corridor county, people pass through to get to somewhere else. But as PP note, the countryside is lovely.

The last i saw Pitsford was closed? Maybe its opened again?

There isnt a massive amount to do here.
Althorp house is open in august
Stanwick lakes is nice to walk around
Rushden lakes is also great to walk around shop minigolf and then a walk around the lake
You could go out to the hart of the shires one afternoon. Quaint little shopping village.
Salcey forest is nice
Upton park is massive to walk around now that its extended and you can walk right up to kislingbury
For shopping id pop into MK or Rushden lakes
You could use the time to go to Go apes in MK?

For restaurant eating
We have some awesome places to eat
Humpit is great for hummous and snacks
La teraza tapas bar - awesome tapas
No 50 tea room - great small sandwich place in duston
The hopping hare is brilliant for food
Hastag justin chef
Hops and chops

But yeh covid is ramping up in the town.

Factory shops for shoe companies?

If you drive there are some open air cinemas showing films up to the 27th august at Sywell. (It depends when you are coming?)

If foraging in the bins, I would suggest some of the outlying settlements - the smaller market towns such as Oundle (Waitrose) and Towcester are quite nice. The villages such as Blakesley and Maidford are picturesque and along the A14 in the north of the county. I would tend to avoid Northampton town itself. It isn’t a bit like France.

Milton Keynes is fairly close, there's the snowdome where you can do snowboarding/ski. Indoor skydive, I think there's some sort of inflatable 'total wipeout' style thing going on at Willen Lake at the moment. Indoor trampoline parks.

No beaches but some glorious country parks.

Wouldn't be my first place for a holiday
Look up Adrenaline Alley in Corby, largest indoor skate/skoot/bmx park in europe. You could hire kit before covid, don't know about now though, but I do know you have to pre book.
Rushden lakes for shopping, food, lake, walks
Milton Keynes isn't far away, there's lots to do there

Northampton is a great area. I've lived here all my life. I would suggest country parks and walks due to being on the verge of local lockdown.

Wouldn’t bother. It’s a generic town. Only with covid restrictions verging on lockdown added.

Which side of northampton? The Karting circuit is open, agree lots of outside walking and country parks. Canoeing at Rushden lakes open too

I never knew you could hire bikes at Pitsford, it is a nice ride round the reservoir though. Stanwick Lakes do cycle hire I believe.
I wouldn't know what to suggest for teenagers, lots of the places seem to be very busy too which is worth considering.
There's a few bowling places around in Northampton, Wellingborough and Kettering. Drayton Manor theme park is just over an hour away if you wanted a day out at somewhere like that.

Water assault type things are open at Willen lakes (Milton Keynes) and box end (Bedford way)

Pinnacle climbing centre open (look at social media rather than website)

And yes, bike hire at pitsford or stanick lakes

www.stanwicklakes.org.uk/things-to-do/cycling/