bigmommasally Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 Can anyone recommend anywhere nice for me to visit near Silverstone whilst OH goes to watch the the world superbikes at the end of July? I'm watching the racing with him on Sunday but don't fancy watching all the qualifying racing etc on the Saturday so I've been give permission to take myself off for the day Trouble is now I don't know what to do! We're staying at Evenley, I could go to Milton keynes shopping but wondered if there was somewhere more interesting, maybe craft centres, animal parks with chickens, or somewhere with different one off shops? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 I was thinking Woburn Safari Park & Abbey but there are some bad reports on how the animals are kept at the moment Bicester Designer Village is not too far away if you have money to throw away Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 Oh my goodness, it's over 12 yrs since I lived near Towcester, but nothing, absolutely nothing, would make me spend a Saturday at Milton Keynes Shopping Centre! Although I was born and bred in the area, my knowledge is out of date, but here goes anyway ..... Bell Plantation on the A5 / A43 roundabout, has a few crafty shops, a garden centre, cafe, chickens ...... Heart of the Shires, just off the A5 north of Weedon (north of Towcester) should satisfy any retail therapy and it's infinitely nicer than MKC! Stoke Bruerne is a pretty little village between the A5 and A508, a few miles from Towcester, with its canal, locks and pubs. The small town of Towcester still has a little charm too. And if it's chickens you want, and nowt but chickens, well I'd better let someone else tell you about that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little cluckers Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 Oh oh.... one of my favourite places nearby is Stowe Landscape Gardens...very beautiful if you fancy a walk around, it's a National Trust property so try their website Can't think of anywhere else for shopping that hasn't been mentioned but I'll keep thinking (I live about 12 miles from Silverstone ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little cluckers Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 (edited) Oh thought of another Bicester shopping village is about 10 miles away from Evenley http://www.bicestervillage.com/en_GB/ Shoppers paradise Edited July 19, 2010 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little cluckers Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 Whoops sorry you already mentioned it Chucky Mama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClaireG Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 Sulgrave Manor is quite nice for a look round ( it's where i got married ) http://www.sulgravemanor.org.uk/ Canons Ashby is nice to http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-canonsashbyhouse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia W Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 Cotswold Chickens is not far away- but you'd need some cardboard boxes in the boot....... Tricia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 Whoops sorry you already mentioned it Chucky Mama Fine, Fine, just ignore me, I don't mind Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigmommasally Posted July 19, 2010 Author Share Posted July 19, 2010 Oooooo I like the look of Heart of the Shires - and it even has a Quilting shop Stowe Landscape gardens looks lovely too - I need to plot it all on a map and see whats feasible to do in a day. I'm looking forward to my away day now, Thanks ever so for all the speedy replies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patsylabrador Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 I agree that canons ashby is lovely. So much history and the guides are so friendly and informative. Have a lovely time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Enjoy the Superbikes too - we went last year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welovemarmite Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 i live in the next village to Evenley!!! Not sure where you are staying, but do eat at the Red lion there, lovely food. Stowe landscape is lovely, there is also evenley wood gardens (they do have a website if you google) which is just outside evenley on the way to mixbury. You could even walk it from evenley. In Brackley there is a wonderful antiques cellar underneath waitrose that is open 11 till 4 i think, great for when its chicking it down with rain. I am not a great fan of bicester, but everyone is different, be warned that there are likely to be long queues to get into the car park. There is a wonderful quilt shop nearby, but it won't be open in a sunday unfortunately, thats at Weedon and is called the bramble patch. I also recommend wakefield estate which is south of towcester on the A5, lovely farm shop and gift shops, pick your own, chickens running around, and a fantastic bead shop. If you like lakeland plastics there is one just south of bicester on the A43 at a big garden centre. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 The wakefield estate is good there is a big manor house not far from Silverstone where you can get facials/massages etc.. but I cant for the life of me remember the name of it I live close to Silverstone but have a wedding and house guests that weekend otherwise you could have dropped in for a cuppa and bit of cake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welovemarmite Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Whittlebury Hall.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deejmum Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 Whittlebury hall is good if you are after a spa day, I feel the need to stand up for Central Milton Keynes though It has every shop imaginable, a great theatre district now. There is a summer festival going on in campbell park, you can wakeboard or walk at willen lake, you can go ski ing on real snow in xscape and they have indooor sky diving and rock wall climbing there too, and if that wasnt enough they now sell chickens at frosts garden centre in wavendon on the outskirts of MK! Woburn is a lovely quaint antiquey village in spite of the safari park etc. Hope you enjoy whatever you choose to do! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 Oh don't get me wrong, Milton Keynes has a lot to offer, it's just Milton Keynes shopping centre that I loathe now. I used to enjoy it there before it expanded a decade or so ago, but not now. I can actually remember in my very first year at Hanslope primary school being told about the exciting new city that was being built nearby and my dad's claim to fame was that he planted lots of those trees around the centre. I bet you're spoilt for choice now bigmommasally! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigmommasally Posted July 23, 2010 Author Share Posted July 23, 2010 I bet you're spoilt for choice now bigmommasally! I am!! Thank you every one for all the suggestions. I still really like the look of Heart of the Shires so I will probably head there first. I'm on the search for shoes, bag and hat for my Mother of the Bride outfit and House of Carillon at Heart of the Shires looks quite promising. I've already put the postcodes for the Stowe Landscape gardens, Evenley Wood Garden and Wakefield Estate in the Sat Nav so after Heart of the Shires I can go to one of those depending on time and weather. Thanks again everyone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deejmum Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 I can actually remember in my very first year at Hanslope primary school being told about the exciting new city that was being built nearby and my dad's claim to fame was that he planted lots of those trees around the centre. Ooh my Grandparents lived in Hanslope!! (slightly off thread there!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 We actually lived at Long Street for a few years, but walked to school in Hanslope each day, about a mile away. One other memory I have is of the school roof burning down. It's a small world isn't it. My other abodes were in Hartwell, Yardley Gobion, Cosgrove, Tiffield and Heathencote in case this jogs anyone elses memory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
