If you’re staying in one of our cozy self-catering cottages, you’re already in for a treat when it comes to experiencing the beauty of the Northamptonshire countryside. But we know that our guests will also want to make the most of their trip and get out and explore the local area and some of our amazing local attractions. 

Over the coming weeks and months we are going to be sharing a series of blogs looking at some of our favourite places to visit in the local area to give our guests some inspiration for their upcoming holiday with us.  

We recently had the pleasure of welcoming some old friends to stay with us at the Lily Pad and during the week we joined them for a day out to Stoke Bruerne and visited its famous Canal Museum. Despite only being less than an hours drive from the Lily Pad, its a little embarrassing to admit that it was our first time but it quickly became a new favourite! 

Stoke Bruerne is a beautiful little village, nestled alongside the Grand Union Canal, just a short drive from the larger market town of Towcester and offers a lovely tranquil place to find out more about the canals and explore the beautiful countryside.

At the heart of Stoke Bruerne is the Canal Museum, which will definitely be of interest to any history lovers in the family and anyone with an interest in the waterways that helped shape this countries industrial past. The museum gives you a really interesting look at life on the canals, from the early days of horse-drawn barges to the evolution of modern boating. You can find all sorts of displays of traditional canal art, original working boat models, and some really interesting insights into the lives of the families who lived and worked on the waterways. The museum is a really interesting day out for visitors of all ages, and even features a cafe where we had a very tasty lunch!

It’s not all about the museum though… You can also spend a lovely couple of hours taking in the scenery by walking along the towpaths and footpaths, watch the boats navigate the locks and if you’re lucky like my friends were – maybe even get invited aboard a boat and help open one of the locks!

All told it was a really enjoyable day out and one that we think will be a firm favourite for any of our guests with an interest in history, nature or boating. You might also want to explore Foxton Locks which is again only an hour or so drive from the Lily Pad and offers some beautiful view of the Leicestershire countryside just over the border!

You can find out more about the Canal museum at Stoke Bruerne over on their website, but in the meantime – be sure to check back and keep an eye on our social media feeds for more upcoming blogs showcasing more of our favourite Northamptonshire locations!