Start the summer holidays with fun-filled activities at Northampton's Delapré Abbey

Kickstart the summer holidays by enjoying a week of fun-filled activities that make the most of the local green space at Delapré Abbey in Northampton

The week of celebrations, 'Love Parks Delapré', commences on Monday, July 19 and ends Sunday, July 25 and aims to showcase all that Delapré Abbey has to offer outdoors all year round.

Activities during the week include dog grooming workshops, a puppy social, photography workshops, fishing lessons, demos and competitions, sightseeing water rides, a nature trail and scavenger hunt, an open studio of the Northampton Society of Model Engineers and tours of Delapré Abbey and the Walled Garden.

Chief Executive, Delapré Abbey Preservation Trust, Richard Clinton, said: “Love Parks Delapré is an opportunity to celebrate all that this wonderful green space in the heart of the town has to offer.

"The park has provided a much needed space to relax over the past year so it’s great that we can all come together to put on these events for the community and to be working with partners and organisations who make Delapre Park a fantastic place to visit."

Love Parks Delapré was organised to run as part of #LoveParksWeek2021, a national campaign launched by Keep Britain Tidy that asks the public to love, respect and protect our local parks.

The week of events was organised by Park Management Committee along with partners Delapré Abbey Preservation Trust, West Northamptonshire Council, Delapré Lake Angling, Northampton Society of Model Engineers and Northampton Water Ski and Wakeboarding Club.

The historic Abbey will be open Sundays through to Thursdays from this week through to the end of August for the school break with chaperoned tours of the house available from 11am to 5pm.

There will additionally be guided tours of the Walled Garden during Love Parks Delapré on Friday, July 23 and Saturday, July 24 for visitors to find out more about the flowers, sculptures, history and perhaps even spot the claimed ghost of a nun.

Delapré Abbey and its surrounding parkland aim to be a hub for the local community to come and enjoy nature and spend time with loved ones. The space proved to be a lifeline for the community during the national lockdowns, offering a place to exercise and get some fresh air whilst being able to socially distance.

The Abbey, earlier this year, announced they will be gifting an annual pass to over 7,500 local families, enabling them to explore inside the house for free. The scheme launched in May any anyone living in an eligible postcode can register by visiting delapreabbey.org/local.Covid measures will be in place throughout the event; the Abbey is part of Visit Britain's Good to Go scheme, meaning people can visit Delapré Abbey safe in the knowledge that they adhere to government and industry Covid-19 guidelines.

Love Parks Delapré forms part of the Abbey's programme of summer fun for families, featuring an Olympics themed outdoor trail, the Not so Civil War re-enactment event and a classic car show in September.

Visitors can also enjoy Bottomless Brunch and Afternoon Tea in the Orangery café and award-winning fine dining at Hibiscus.All activities and events are free apart from tours of the Abbey, which will remain at the standard admission price unless visitors possess an Annual Pass. Please note that tickets for some events must be pre-booked in advance.

To book tickets and for more information visit https://www.delapreabbey.org.