Heritage Open Days : Saturday 17^th & Sunday 18^th September

Following on from our analysis of the Visitor Survey Results, from which we are aware that a lot of you would like more information about the Hill Fort and the Parks, we will be available on both Saturday 17^th and Sunday 18^th to show people where the fort is (and other notable points of interest such as the Trig. Point and the main railway line tunnel vent) and do our best to answer your questions about the history of the place.

We are delighted to be able to say that our favourite Shire Horse, William, will be back in the Country Park on Saturday 17^th September for this year’s Heritage Open Days.

William’s owner, Robert Clarke of Hartwell Shires, will be again be demonstrating the mane and tail braiding he does for the many Heavy Horse Shoes that he attends around the country, as well as a demonstration of harnessing.

This year, because William also be chain harrowing our Wild Flower Meadow, to help spread the flower seeds, Robert will be walking William through the Country Park from the Play Area Meadow to the Wild Flower Meadow (and back again later), so there will be plenty of opportunity for anyone who wants to ask Robert a question about William, or Shore Horses generally.

For those who have not yet met William, he is now 9 years old and was over 19 hands when he was last measured. That probably makes him the largest horse in the UK.

Litter Pick : Bank Holiday Monday, 29^th August

We are going to be doing a litter pick round Shelfleys Lake on Bank Holiday Monday, 29^th August. If you want to join in and help, please meet us in Ladybridge Car Park at 11am. We’ll provide litter grabs, gloves and bags. It should take less than an hour.

Visitor Survey : Visitors’ Requests

One of the main requests was for more information. To help in this, we have obtained funding for 3 notice boards from Chris Stone of Horts Estate Agency and West Hunsbury Parish Council. Big thankyou to both of them. We are hoping that the 3 boards will be installed in the Country Park before the end of September.

We held a meeting on 19^th August with West Northants Council, idverde and West Hunsbury Parish Council to discuss the items raised by our visitors in our Visitor Survey at the beginning of the year. Notes of the meeting discussions will be made available soon. Further meetings are going to be held, notably in mid-November to inspect drainage, surfacing and access possibilities for the Drovers’ Road and other Park areas.

You can use this link to check the results of the Survey for yourselves now.

Northampton Museum

If you are looking for something to do this summer when it’s raining (because, of course, you will be in the Parks when it’s warm and sunny, won’t you !) and which is free (like our Parks), we can recommend a visit to Northampton Museum in Guildhall Road, where they have a marvellous display relating to the Hill Fort and the history of the Northampton area.

More Astronomy : November

We will be getting John McEvoy back to the Country Park in November, or perhaps early December, when the evenings are dark enough to see the stars and planets, for some more insights into all things universe-related and some more telescope time looking at the moon & planets and, clear skies permitting, more star, constellation and galaxy gazing. John will also be able to update us all on the revolutionary photos of the universe now being provided by the new Webb Telescope.

Green Lane logs

The section of the ancient Drovers’ Road that runs up Hunsbury Hill from Ladybridge Drive to Hunsbury Hill Road is known to us as Green Lane. A couple of large oak trees have been cut down on Green Lane behind Whaddon Close and we are planning to get a decent bench carved out of one of them and, if we can get sufficient funding, will commission a chainsaw artist to sculpt something appropriate into the bench. If there is anyone out there who would like to sponsor this by funding the work, please contact us through our website.

We have also got approval from WNC to plant some bulbs and whip-hedging in the vicinity of the oak logs. This will probably all be done in or about October of this year.

We are looking for new members

We would like to have some fresh recruits in our group. For all of you who enjoy the Parks, please consider joining us. It’s not very onerous and can be fun. More details here.

Other things

In the meantime you can always enjoy our Tree Trail and can buy Northampton Lottery  tickets using our dedicated page at any time. This QR Code will take you straight there :

Be sure to enjoy the Wildflower Meadow and the Bluebell Wood, but with the latter, please do stick to the established paths round the edge of the wood so as not to squash or damage the flowers.

Remember to keep an eye on this website and on our Facebook page for updates.