Meet cats big and small, carnivores, bears, birds and reptiles at Hamerton Park Zoo. Handpaint your own pots at Pot en Ciel with mum and dad joining in or knocking back coffee and cake. Ride the Nene Valley Railway and hit the buffers in the Wansford Station Café. Or bounce the day away at Northampton Trampoline Centre.
Hang around in the trees on high-wire crossings at Jungle Parc. Surf or climb at Bodyflight, soak or be soaked at the Aquatic Playground, or shoot for strikes and spares at AMF Bowling. Windsurf or wakeboard at Willen lake, walk the trails at Salcey Forest or meet birds of prey at Icarus Falconry.
Pet the cuties and invade the indoor and outdoor activity areas at Rookery Open Farm. Head to Xscape to skydive indoors. Race the folks at Billing Go Karting, meet animatronic dinosaurs at Gulliver’s, or be wowed by virtual reality at Vertigo VR. Or follow the self-guided Oundle Treasure Trail through the country park and town centre.
Take your bikes down to the trails at Fineshade Woods. Get stuck in to the Clown Coaster, Carousel or Crazy Golf, and meet the ducks on the lake or the pigs, giant continental rabbits, guinea pigs, chickens, ferrets and barn owls in Wicky’s Farmyard. Or immerse yourself in the world of the WW2 codebreakers at Bletchley Park.
Shoot arrows or clay birds on site. Turn the place into a barefoot-yoga retreat. Play volleyball, badminton and table tennis on the cricket field or snooker and pool in the games room. Sing your heart out on a karaoke night with our resident entertainer or admit defeat and bring in pro singer Guido.
Vehicles your thing? Silverstone’s just a few laps away and it’s worth making tracks to Tanks a Lot, with its 100-plus tanks and military vehicles on a 100-acre site. Kayak or paddleboard down the river with Nene Extreme Adventures. Or go up in the world at The Pinnacle Climbing Centre on 200 routes up to 12.5 metres high.
Tackle big-impact water obstacles at Rutland Aqua Park. Find the fabulously maintained fairways at Oundle Golf Club. See Spitfires fill the skies at the Imperial War Museum at Duxford. Fish, sail or spot birds at Rutland Water or Grafham Water. Or watch pro sports at Leicester Tigers rugby or Newmarket and Huntingdon races.
Head back into the past when you discover gorgeous houses and gardens at Burghley House, Apethorpe Hall and Lyveden, an intriguing Elizabethan lodge and moated garden. Take the Oundle Heritage Trail. Or shop the cobbled streets of Stamford, a hidden gem full of boutiques and jewellers.
