An opening date for a new family-run garden centre in the second former Northampton Dobbies unit has been revealed.

British Garden Centres (BGC) – a family-run firm that has 72 sites around the country – took over the former Dobbies in Wootton, next to Waitrose in Newport Pagnell Road, when it closed at the start of March this year, as part of as wider restructuring plan across the national company.

Renamed ‘Northampton Garden Centre’, the business will reopen – after refurbishment and rebranding – on Saturday April 12.

British Garden Centres said it will "retain the existing team and work with them to refurbish the site, to ensure the centre's future growth and position as a community hub”. The firm confirmed all current jobs in the garden centre and restaurant will be retained and there will be another six to eight jobs available in the garden centre and around 15 in the restaurant.

The new garden centre at the site of the former Dobbies in Wootton will reopen next month.

placeholder image — The new garden centre at the site of the former Dobbies in Wootton will reopen next month.

In good news for families, the much-loved soft play at the site is also set to stay, according to BGC.

Northampton’s other Dobbies, in Harlestone Heath, closed in December 2024. The site has been taken over by Blue Diamond, which runs popular garden centre Beckworth Emporium near Mears Ashby and reopened on Monday (March 24). The site also underwent major refurbishment, including making the cafe bigger. The centre will offer a wide range of products, a large plant area, a newly designed cafe called ‘Rambler’s Rest’, houseplants, artificial flowers, clothing, Pet’s Corner and outdoor garden items. Look around the newly opened garden centre here.