This half term seems to have been all about Northamptonshire and this review of Irchester Country Park was part of that. Annoyingly this place has been elusive for a while now – I’ve tried to visit three times and for various reasons haven’t made it. Thinking about it, that seems to happen quite a lot!
Oh, and if you’re wondering where else we visited in Northamptonshire over half term it was Lyveden and Stanwick Lakes.
This review of Irchester Country Park is based on our experiences at the time of our visit. Things can change over time, including the facilities available. If you have any specific requirements such as access it’s always best to check with the site directly before visiting. If anything I’ve said in this review is no longer accurate then please do let me know. Thank you.
The main playground – The Quarry Play Area
If you park in the lower playground then you cannot fail to miss the main playground. It’s right next to it, and pretty big! The quarry play area at Irchester Country Park has got loads of equipment in it. There’s things like a tree house, massive slide, wooden train, xylophone, various play frames, giant sandpit with hidden fossils. There’s various permutations of swings as well, plus some other equipment. As a stand-alone playground it would be pretty decent.
The hidden play equipment
The main playground isn’t the only play equipment at Irchester Country Park. It’s not necessarily that easy to find though as it’s hidden in the woods and it’s not actually marked on any of their maps! Which is entirely unhelpful, so I made my own! To find the play equipment follow the orange trail which starts near the high rope course, right next to the playground. It This route will bring you out near the top car park. From here you can either walk back down to the lower car park if you need to, or even continue following the orange route around the Long Meadow if you want to.
I have to confess, the only reason I could find any of this equipment BTW is because of the review of Irchester Country Park by Milton Keynes Kids told me how to get to points 1 and 2. We then found our own way to point 3.
First up is the Ants Nest. It’s a bit like a tree house, but on the ground and covered in giant ants! It was all a bit claustrophobic in there so I didn’t go in but the kids thought it was awesome.
Next up is the eagle’s nest. This one is very cool and much less claustrophobic. It is worth noting that there isn’t really anywhere for grown-ups to sit so you do have a lot of loitering to do. This thing is really big and has got slides, climbing walls and lots of space for role playing.
The dinosaurs
So where are the dinosaurs at Irchester Country Park?! If you follow the orange path round past the education shelter you’ll come to a junction (where the X is on the map above). You might just be able to see some giant dinosaur eggs. Follow the little footpath into the woodland and you’ll find more eggs and this….
Irchester Country Park has got a pre-historic background and if you’re lucky you might even be able to find a fossil in one of the rocks, which is pretty cool.
The woodland (and other stuff)
Even if you’re not there for the playground equipment, it’s a really nice woodland to explore. Nice easy paths to get around even with a pushchair. There’s a couple of funky sculptures dotted around and some information boards about the history of the place. Speaking of which, there’s an interesting viewpoint contraption here! Honestly I was too scared to walk to the end, but the kids are much braver than I am.
Irchester Country Park also has a large meadow for running around in and a narrow gauge railway museum (although we didn’t get to visit it during this review)
Our Irchester Country Park review
Irchester Country Park is really cool and I like the fact that all the play equipment isn’t in just one place. You have to go and hunt for the really good stuff. The woodland itself has got some lovely, easy walks to do. And once you’re done there’s some great picnic spots.
Admission cost
Free
Parking / How to get there
Parking – car parking on-site. £3.20 (up to 4 hours), £5.20 (up to 8 hours), £7.20 (up to 12 hours). Prices correct at the time this review of Irchester Country Park was published. Please check their website for the latest prices.
Address – Irchester Country Park, Gypsy Lane, Little Irchester, Wellingborough. NN29 7DL
Toilets
On-site
Food
Cafe on-site. Picnics allowed.
What else is there to do nearby?
Stanwick Lakes isn’t too far away. There’s also Castle Ashby and Lyveden a little bit further afield.
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Hi, I’m Vicky. My husband and I live in Aylesbury with our three children; a 14 year old son, an 12 year old son and a 6 year old daughter. I (mostly) love spending time together as a family. We visit all kinds of places and we’re quite happy to drive a fair distance for a decent day out. A few years ago I decided to set up Free Time with the Kids as a way to share our experiences of these family days out.
You’ll find the essential information you need to know before your visit that can be surprisingly hard to find out. Where do I park? How much will it cost me to get in? Are there any discounts available? Are there loos? Can I take a picnic or get food? My aim is to be your go-to guide for all your free and cheap family days out across Bucks, Beds, Oxon, Herts & slightly beyond. I really hope you find the reviews helpful. If there’s anywhere that you’d recommend please get in touch contact@freetimewiththekids.com or get in touch via Facebook