oUt & aBoUt : NeNe
Photo by Sue Dobson
Barnwell Country Park
MAKE IT A MARKET DAY Visit Oundle’s Farmers’ Market in the morning of the second Saturday of the month and take the opportunity to explore this lovely town of centuries-old warm stone buildings and independent shops and cafés. Stock up on free-range eggs, hand raised pork pies, locally reared lamb and beef, artisan cheeses, fresh fish from Norfolk, handcrafted bread and patisserie, scrumptious cakes and puddings plus vegetables, flowers, herbs and nursery grown plants. A bite to eat while shopping? Try a slice of the hog roasting on a spit or an Aberdeen Angus beef burger, sizzling speciality sausages or freshly made tabbouleh.
PACK UP A PICNIC Lakes, meadows, woodlands and the Nene riverside make the Ferry Meadows Country Park a great place to be, to walk, cycle, eat out or take part in a multitude of activities from watersports to golf. There’s even a dinky Ferry Meadows Railway. • Ham Lane, PE2 5UU. 01733 234193. Open daily to pedestrians and cyclists at all times. Free. Parking charges apply: vehicle access to 1st October 6.30am to 10pm, 2nd October to end March 2018, 6.30am to 6.30pm. www.neneparktrust.org.uk Barnwell Country Park on the outskirts of Oundle has 37 acres of lakes, riverbank and meadows to explore. Feed the ducks, spot a kingfisher, follow a signposted nature trail, fish for carp and pike on a willow-fringed lake or take part in one of the many events held here. Children love the play area.
As in Oundle, there’s the pleasure of buying direct from the producers at Thrapston’s community-run Farmers’ Market held along the High Street on the first Saturday of the month from 9am to 1pm (except January). From locally produced wines and beers to rare-breed pork and poultry, gluten-free cakes and savouries to honey straight from the bees, the most delicious handmade chutneys and falafels and onion bhajis hot from the pan, there’s much to tempt the tastebuds here.
TAKE THE TOUR Peterborough Cathedral is at the very heart of the city, but many of us have never got further than the grounds. It’s one of Britain’s greatest cathedrals with a fascinating history and what’s more, the one-hour guided tours of the building are now free. The new exhibition in the restored Cathedral Visitor Centre is also free and introduces some of the characters and stories across the cathedral’s 1300-year timeline. Check out Henry VIII’s deed of endowment that changed Peterborough Abbey into a cathedral and the original letter from King James I, written in 1613, requiring the mortal remains of his mother, Mary, Queen of Scots, to be removed to Westminster Abbey.
Photo by Sue Dobson
• Barnwell Country Park, Barnwell Road, PE8 5PB. 0300 126 5931. Open all day, every day. Free. Parking, £3 for up to 12 hours. (Fishing permits include car parking). www.northamptonshireparks.co.uk/barnwell-country-park
The newly opened Becket’s Tearoom in the precincts’ medieval Becket’s Chapel (sit outside for the best view in town) is ideal for a snack, lunch or a proper cream tea. • PE1 1XS. 01733 355316. Open for visiting Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm, Sunday 12 to 3pm. Visitor Centre open Monday to Saturday 10am to 4pm, Sunday 11am to 4pm. Free tours at 11.30am and 2pm, Monday to Saturday (donations invited); check the website for any changes due to services or events. Camera permit £3. www.peterborough-cathedral.org.uk 137