castle ashby

The area you drive into is reasonably large for parking which is next to a good sized cafe which has both inside and outside under cover seating, a small but adequate children's play area and a couple of gift shops. Quite quiet, the car park and children's play area are free but you will need to pay for access to the gardens and house. Not to expensive all around and the gardens are very well kept and maintained. One charming feature is the Meerkat mound which houses a large family of Meerkats together with several other farmyard animals. I haven't been in the house as yet, but I am told it is superb, albeit perhaps not on the same grand scale of some.

This is a huge estate owned by the Marquise of Northampton, Lord Compton, I live in an estate cottage, the estate has beautiful country walks, the Casle Ashby House is situated in the grounds and the gardens can be explored, there is a rural shopping yard, coffee shop and deli, art shop and bespoke funiture shop, and more. Grendon lakes have fishing. All worth a visit. Tourist trap in summer months.

Not as nice as it used to be, but still a fun visit, especially if you enjoyed 'Love in a Cold Climate'

Great place to walk with the dogs - there are areas where the dogs can be off their leads. The quality of food and service in the Cafe is good.

My partner and I visited here after finding it via a search engine. I'm so glad we did. It was well worth the money and without hesitation I would recommend anyone in the area to visit. We were there a good two hours exploring the beautiful gardens and the small animal enclosure (which takes donations). There is also a small amount of produce which can be purchased via an honesty pot within this area. The admission fee was very reasonable (about £5.50) and I was pleasantly surprised that they allowed dogs (on a lead) into the gardens. The next time we're in the area we will revisit this beautiful place.

Castle Ashby house itself is a very grand house, however It's a great shame the house isn't open the public or even part of it. It would have been lovely to view it Some reviewers have mentioned it's a private residence but I don't recall reading that on the website. It would have been a disappointment had we looked forward to viewing it. The gardens were very well maintained, it's a pretty small garden compared to say Harewood House Gardens but then again you have to pay £10 to walk around them. The paths are rubble so a decent pair of sandals or shoes are needed. Castle Ashby Gardens was great as there were fewer people about and you could easily enjoy a private picnic on one of the lawns. The cafe is adjacent to the carpark as are the toilets.The church looked splendid from the outside, can't speak for the inside as we didn't go in. We enjoyed the 'animals' some meerkats,a three or so pigs, ducks, goat & rabbits etc. There aren't many but kids and adults alike seemed to enjoy it there. The gardens may be small but they're delightful and it was a great way to spend 2/3 hours on a Sunday afternoon.Our satnav (Tom-Tom) took us to Northampton for some bizarre reason (8 miles out), once we entered Castle Ashby we found the house & gardens easily and the market stalls easily as there are brown signs clearly marking the way. We'll be visiting again in the summer.

We visited on the first Monday in November when we knew that the café, shops, play area etc would be closed. Apart from a handful of other visitors we had the place to ourselves. Even so late in the year there was plenty to see in the gardens & glasshouses - lovely trees & shrubs, beautiful urns of fuchsias both outdoors and inside a dedicated fuchsia-house, interesting garden buildings including imposing arches, newly-mown lawns.BUT NOT A GARDENER IN SIGHT!! How do they do it? Had they all been spirited away by the Hallowe'en witch we saw in one of the conservatories?

We were a little disappointed we couldn't see the castle but only found out when we got there it is never open to the public. The gardens were, however, beautiful. It was the week of halloween so there were activities for children. We walked much of the extensive grounds and explored the green houses with their exoctic plants. A good break from driving with relaxing walks.

Beautiful Italian gardens and orangery. Although the house is not open to the public, there's plenty to see. There's a little farm which has pigs, ponies, mere cats and some other little animals. There is also a lovely little cafe there too. For the gardeners, they also sell plants. A lovely afternoon out

Living in Northamptonshire and having not previously visited Castle Ashby we took a family outing here one Saturday this Spring (19th April 2014) and was not disappointed by this peaceful and well kept manor house garden. The house dates back to 1574 but was not finished until the 1600's. In particular the old Victorian era Orangery (c.1872) is beautiful with it's central pond, and a gentle walk around the arboretum down by the lake and the old bridge was like something out of a Jane Austin style BBC period drama. There is also an old Church adjoining the grounds.There is a small 'farmyard' area, ideal for small kids, with some rabbits, pigs, goats, chicken, Shetland ponies and meerkats, plus a children's play area, a pretty nice tea room / café area, a gardens gift shop and some nice garden plants for sale at a reasonable price. They also have seasonal events around Easter, Halloween, etc. Car Parking costs £4.00 which includes garden admission in the Winter months. Other times of year entry is £5.50 per adult and children over the age of 10 and OAP's are £5.00 Children aged under 10 are Free.

Had a lovely Sunday afternoon here - breezy Autumn day, but blue sky and sunny. Nice variety here - formal gardens, Orangery, impressive arboretum, lakes and parkland, and parish church. Family-friendly - tables dotted around for picnics, and no stuffy signs telling people to keep off the lawns. Children appreciate the small but interesting farmyard section, with pigs, meerkats, pygmy goats and other animals. Very good facilities - nice food and reasonably priced; new play area for the little ones. Great value at just £4 per vehicle for the autumn/winter season. Our fifth visit over a couple of years and will return again next year for the Spring Definitely one of the best gardens to visit in Northamptonshire. A pity the stately home is not open to the public, but can be admired within its lovely rural setting. Weeping beeches definitely worth a photo or two.

Visited Thursday 9th October. Autumn is a lovely time of year to come here and the only charge is £4 for the car park which is very good value. The gardens are still full of colour and the trees in the Arboretum are changing and losing their leaves, so beautiful. Approx. 3km walk within the garden. Lovely play ground for the children in front of cafe. As always the meerkats and the farm animals are such a treat. Not well advertised so an unexpected surprise for those visiting for the first time. We were delighted to find the Cafe open 10.30 am to 3 pm as the Internet states that it closes from the 30th September. They are keeping it open for October as a trial so please use it. They serve delicious cakes and light meals and the lady who served us was delightful. We felt privileged to be in such a historical, well maintained and beautiful garden. Thank you.

Came here with my mum and sister for my birthday lunch. We had a nice wander round the gardens and mini farm, which was unexpected. The cafe made nice lunches. Shame you have to pay for the car park and then pay for entry though. Gardens were well kept but pretty natural. Nice place to bring a picnic. There is a mini shopping yard attached with nice little shops.

We visited last Wednesday afternoon because the weather forcast was encouraging. We can not believe we have lived in Northampton for over fifty years and not heard about this great garden.Everything is quite superb, The broad even paths and fantastic manicured lawns. Huge trees of every shape and size coupled with smaller unusal bark in many hues.The Oranery with pond and lovely shrubs, trees and flowers reminded us of Kew Gardens in London. The walk down and around the lake was so calming in its serenity.The Courtyard farmyard was a lovely surprise as were the meerkats enjoying the sun.The formal garden section is full of surprises and although late in the season still a delight to slowly wander from section to section. The beautiful Fuchia house is another delight for both eyes and scents.This was a lovely afternoon and for any other locals who have never visited, pick your day and do.

A great garden to visit.So much to see in a very relaxed atmosphere .Very tidy. Well maintained lawns and flower beds.Lots of pots with exciting arrangements dotted about.The Orangery houses a large pond containing lots of gold fish.Delicious food served in the café by very friendly staff.