Stay at home orders have been lifted for the first time since the announcement of the third national lockdown on January 4 and residents can now meet up with up to six friends or one other household outside.
This means we can start looking forward to warmer days out in the Spring sunshine!
Here are some of their best recommendations so you can start planning your Easter holidays:
1. Brampton Valley Way
This much-loved family friendly 14-mile walking and cycling route is built on the former Northampton to Market Harborough Railway. Home to Northampton & Lamport Railway, which reopens May 23 with a Teddy Bear Weekend, much of the route is suited to off-road and hybrid cycling. When pubs and restaurants reopen, combine your visit to the Brampton Valley Way with lunch at the Hopping Hare or Brampton Halt.
2. Castle Ashby Gardens
Ancestral home of the 7th Marquess of Northampton, the gardens are set in the heart of a 10,000-acre estate and have stayed open throughout the past year. The 35 acres of extensive gardens are a combination of landscaped lawns, an 1872 orangery (closed during April unfortunately) and an impressive Arboretum. The full experience also involves a menagerie with meerkats and marmosets and children’s play area, also open throughout April. Top off your morning or afternoon with a visit to the incredibly well stocked Castle Ashby Deli.
3. Catanger Llamas
Why visit Catanger Llamas this April? Not only is llama trekking an invigorating outdoor activity, but llamas are also naturally two metres long, so everyone is at a safe distance during their visit to the farm. Quirky accommodation is also reopening this spring (April 12) and has previously been described as ‘social distancing heaven’; traditional Gypsy Caravan and Shepherd Hut on two separate locations with their own self-contained facilities. This spring the team will also be welcoming new arrivals; ten crias (baby llamas). They can’t wait to share them with you! When hospitality restrictions are lifted, lunch nearby can be enjoyed at the highly recommended Ten Hands Cafe Bar in Towcester. Equally recommended for dinner is the award-winning Truva Charcoal Grill & Bar in
Towcester. Photo: Northamptonshire Britains Best Surprise
4. Coton Manor Garden
This beautiful 10-acre garden occupies a hillside position extending down from the 17th century manor house. Reopening April 1 with restricted numbers, luxuriant borders delight the plant enthusiast while everyone will enjoy the garden’s charm and special atmosphere. Beyond the garden is a magical five-acre bluebell wood and a wildflower meadow. The Stableyard Cafe and extensive nursery are both open to paying garden visitors in April. The nursery has over a thousand varieties of plants, many of which are unusual and are propagated from the garden. Close by, enjoy lunch or dinner afterwards (when hospitality restrictions are lifted) at the Red Lion, East Haddon.