Our parkland and walking trails are free for everyone to enjoy all year round. Take a leisurely stroll, explore the natural beauty, or relax with a book under the trees. Our open spaces offer something for everyone, providing the perfect setting for peaceful walks and outdoor activities. Here are a few more ways to make the most of your visit!
Wicksteed Park Lake
In 2013, Wicksteed Park was successful in achieving National Lottery Heritage Funding to support The Wicksteed Charitable Trust’s ambitious £3 million pound Lake Restoration Project to restore it to its former glory as the focal point of the park. The project aimed to restore the character of the lake, reinstate views, enhance habitats for its flora and fauna, and increase access around it. The extensive reed beds help to keep the lakes waters clean and free of pollution, whilst also creating homes and nest sites for a wide range of bird’s insects and amphibians. In summer you will be able to hear warblers singing and see ducks, Coots and Moorhens nesting amongst the reeds. Keep your eyes peeled for the flash of blue as kingfishers hunt the water’s edge.
Gorgeous grounds
Here at Wicksteed Park we encourage families to come together and enjoy a day in the fresh air eating, playing and smiling. Forgot to bring a certain item? Don’t worry, our shops and cafes are sure to prevent you from missing out on quenching your thirst and feeding your hunger!
Family photo opportunities
Taking a stroll around the 147 acres of parkland offers plenty of exciting things to see and do. Visit the life-sized bronze figures – modelled on two young visitors to the park – showing a girl and a boy holding hands and paddling in the lake. There are also sights to be seen within the wider estate (making Wicksteed 281 acres!) Stroll to the Fishing Lake and further afield to South Meadow and Dales Farm Meadows – follow our new trails called Tadpole (shorter route) and Heron (longer route) and all the natural world Wicksteed has to offer. Here you will see a wide range of habitats from stunning wildflower meadows (best seen in June and July) to the wetland site of South Meadow – home to a plethora of species from amphibians to reptiles and wading birds. Keep your eyes peeled for Egrets and your ears tuned to Woodpeckers in the day and bats at night! Family photo opportunities also include our wicker man near Wicky’s Farmyard, a stone stack by the lake and other natural play features, as well as gorgeous park walks and gardens. We also have many fantastic rides and attractions for the family.
Wicksteed Charitable Trust
Wicksteed Park is cared for by the Wicksteed Charitable Trust which maintains the park as a truly unique, freely accessible public space. You can help to preserve the park for future generations by making donations. All money raised is used to help maintain the park and its grounds. Donations can be made by visiting our reception. Car parking charges made whilst visiting the site also supports Wicksteed Charitable Trust in maintaining and preserving Wicksteed Park.
Amphitheatre
Our grassy amphitheatre which is adorned with wildflowers in Summer is very comfy for singing, dancing and general larking about. You can even hire it out for unique events.
Arboretum
Planted in the Seventies, our arboretum is now a lovely quiet and calming place full of fantastic native and non-native trees. And especially on hot days the leafy glades are a wonderful place to sit and read a book – or try to see how many squirrels you can spot shooting up the tree trunks.
Gardens
Our small team of Volunteer gardeners do an excellent job at managing our formal gardens as well as creating new pockets of interest all around the park. We are always on the lookout for more green fingered volunteers to help us out. We are always on the lookout for green fingered volunteers to help us out. If you would like to volunteer at Wicksteed Park, please visit xxx for more details.
Fortified Manor House with a Moat surround
Are you interested in History? Just beyond our arboretum, you can walk to the village of Barton Seagrave through the remains of a medieval fortified Manor House. Here you can see evidence of the once moated manor house. These earthworks were also believed to include carp ponds and what could have been a water garden. Built in the early 1300 hundreds by Sir Nicholas de Seagrave who held the post of Marshall of England (1308-1316). It is Kettering’s only scheduled ancient monument. In the present day, the area now referred to as Castle field is managed for conservation and at certain times of the year you will see sheep grazing the land.
Roundhouse
Restored by our very own team of carpenters, this is our original 1920s roundhouse, which has been neglected for years. It’s now a key part of the lakeside, providing shade when it’s sunny, and shelter from those little summer showers England gets now and then.
Watermeadow
Across the A6 (AKA Barton Road) is another historical gem. Before fertilisers and modern farming techniques, farmers would improve their grazing pastures by flooding the land with river water using specially dug ditches which would allow the nutrient rich water to feed the grass. The water would be let on to the land using a sluice gate system in early Spring just before the flush of new growth. Local volunteers helped restore these canals to create our Water Meadow: a beautiful habitat full of sedges, reeds, wildflowers and numerous species of birds; notably the Cattle Egret. A once uncommon bird species, in recent years has seen its numbers increase in the UK. As its name suggests, the heron like bird utilises the cattle that manage the land by eating the insects that are disturbed whilst the large mammals forage the land. Often the Cattle Egret can be seen taking a piggyback ride on the backs of the cows. Be sure to bring your binoculars to observe the wildlife from the adjacent permissive footpath.
North Meadow
Over the River Ise lies North Meadow: a traditional parkland meadow. Originally designed by the famous Humphry Repton (the last great designer of the classic phase of the English landscape garden) and was once part of the Barton Hall Estate. It is now managed for conservation and for the public take in the ancient Oaks, Limes and Cedar Trees. Accessible from Barton Road is a hard standing path that can take visitors to Ise lodge Estate and for those adrenaline junkies the local skate park is there for all to enjoy.
To create an idyllic circular walk visitors can access either footpath from Barton Road and join the other which is connected by Cheyne Walk to the north.