Brand new family-run 'mini' garden centre opens up at 'hidden gem' location in Northampton

Nene Valley Paving, based in Billing Garden Village off the Causeway, has expanded its premises by opening a new garden shop.

Owner James Pearce, 48, says the idea came after the former Billing Garden Centre closed in November due to rising costs.

Mr Pearce said: “We’re a local family business and have been on this site for nearly 20 years. With the garden centre closing, we realised there wasn’t another one in Northampton at the time, so it felt like the right time to do something. It’s small, but it has everything you need. We sell fertilisers, weed killers, craft seed, bamboo canes, plants, shrubs, bedding plants, hardware, compost, stoneware and pots. We have everything from gravel and aggregates to sheds and furniture.

“There’s a lot of excitement about us opening here. There was a clear demand for it. We’re hopeful this will be a great year.”

He added: “We will still be adding more stock over the coming weeks, but feel free to pop down anytime. Everything will come together soon.”

The shop is open seven days a week, and the site offers free parking.

Billing Garden Village, home to several local businesses operating from huts across the site, has a 4.2 out of five-star rating from 850 Google reviews.

One reviewer said: “Definitely a hidden gem in Northamptonshire. Do you want to support local businesses? Buy unusual items and eat at local cafés? If so, this is the place for you.”

Click here to see all the other businesses on site, including coffee shops, butchers, and much more.

Billing Garden Centre, previously run by the charity Shaw Trust, closed its doors permanently in November.

A spokeswoman for Shaw Trust said: “We made the difficult decision to close Great Billing Garden Centre due to rising running costs and a decline in customer numbers. The centre closed on 30 November and will be handed back to the landlord.

“We’d like to thank all the staff at Great Billing Garden Centre for their hard work and dedication over the years, as well as all the customers who have supported us.”

Elsewhere in Northampton, the former Dobbies Garden Centre at Harlestone Heath has reopened as Harlestone Heath Garden Centre, under the ownership of Blue Diamond, who also runs Beckworth Emporium.

British Garden Centres (BGC) – a family-run firm that operates 72 sites around the country – has taken over the other former Dobbies site in Wootton, next to Waitrose on Newport Pagnell Road. Renamed ‘Northampton Garden Centre’, the business will reopen after refurbishment and rebranding on Saturday April 12.