Visit Castle Ashby, Northamptonshire
Your guide to gardens, dog-friendly walks and country shopping
Tucked into the Northamptonshire countryside between Northampton and Milton Keynes, Castle Ashby is one of the county's loveliest spots for a day out. Whether you're after a stroll through 35 acres of historic gardens, a dog-friendly country walk, or an afternoon browsing independent shops, this corner of Northamptonshire has it covered. Here's our local guide to making the most of a visit.
This guide is put together by the independent retailers at the Castle Ashby Rural Shopping Yard, including The Gun Cupboard Country Store.
Castle Ashby Gardens
At the heart of any visit are the Castle Ashby Gardens — 35 acres of historic gardens set around a 17th-century house, the ancestral home of the Marquess of Northampton. You'll find romantic Italian gardens, an arboretum, glasshouses including the Orangery, and a menagerie home to meerkats, marmosets, pygmy goats and a Falabella pony called Tommy. There's a tearoom serving breakfast, lunch and cake, plus a children's play area, so it's an easy few hours out for the whole family.
The gardens are dog friendly: well-behaved dogs are welcome on leads around the grounds and can go off-lead in the arboretum, though not in the menagerie. They open five days a week, Thursday to Monday, with the tearoom running March to December. Admission applies, so check the latest times and prices on the Castle Ashby Gardens website before you set off.
Dog-Friendly Walks Around Castle Ashby
Castle Ashby is brilliant walking country. The best-known route is the Castle Ashby Circular, a 6.5-mile (10.5km) loop that starts from the free car park behind the Rural Shopping Yard and takes in rolling countryside, woodland, a stretch of the River Nene and a couple of pretty village churches. It's listed as Walk 1 on Northamptonshire Walks and takes around two to three hours at an easy pace, with red kites and herons to spot along the way. It can get muddy in winter, so come prepared with proper boots.
It makes for a proper dog-friendly day out, and you finish right back at the shopping yard for a well-earned coffee.
The Falcon at Castle Ashby
Also on the Castle Ashby estate is The Falcon, a 1594 coaching inn restored as a country wellness retreat. Guests staying on a retreat can enjoy yoga, sound baths, holistic treatments, guided walks and the in-house restaurant. The retreat and its restaurant are for staying guests rather than casual visitors, so it's best to book directly through the Falcon if you'd like to experience it.
What is open to everyone is wild swimming. The Falcon runs supervised open water swimming sessions in a spring-fed lake designed by Capability Brown, just a few minutes away — a 500-metre loop fringed with water lilies and overlooked by Castle Ashby House. Sessions run year-round with lifeguards on hand; you book ahead, and a tow float is required. It's become one of the most popular things to do around Castle Ashby for swimmers from across Northamptonshire.
Floristry Workshops at Castle Ashby
For something more hands-on, Liv Scott Flowers runs regular floristry workshops at the shopping yard — from hand-tied bouquets to seasonal living and dried-flower wreaths, with festive wreath evenings in the run-up to Christmas.
They're small, relaxed sessions with all materials provided, and you take your finished piece home. A lovely way to spend an afternoon, on your own or with friends. Check Liv's website for upcoming dates and to book.
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