The Racecourse
🏟 Playground & park · Kingsley, Northampton
The Racecourse
A vast 118-acre recreation ground in the heart of Northampton with an adventure playground, zip wire, climbing frames and sports pitches.
🕑 Opening & entry
🌱 The park is open and free to access all year round. · Free · No booking needed
About The Racecourse
The Racecourse is one of Northampton's best-known green spaces, more than 118 acres of recreation ground in the centre of the town with a long tradition as the major open space for sport and events. It is a West Northamptonshire Council major park, free to enter and open all year round. The main draw for families is a large adventure playground, which includes a zip wire, a climbing frame complex and a five-person group swing, with accessible features such as ramps and adaptive swings so that younger and less mobile children can join in. The sheer scale of the open grassland gives plenty of room for informal play, kickabouts and picnics around the play area. Beyond the playground, the park offers basketball courts and space for football and cricket, along with changing rooms, reflecting its history as Northampton's principal sports ground. It is also a popular venue for a weekly parkrun, drawing runners and walkers across the wide open flat paths. The park's central position off Kettering Road makes it an easy green space to reach from the surrounding neighbourhoods. As with all West Northamptonshire parks, barbecues and fires are strictly prohibited. The combination of a well-equipped adventure playground with huge open space and sports facilities makes The Racecourse a flexible spot for a family day out close to the town centre.
⭐ What makes this place special
- Over 118 acres of recreation ground
- Basketball courts
- Space for football and cricket
- Changing rooms
- Parkrun venue
🏞 Facilities
- Free entry
- Accessibility: The play area includes accessible features such as ramps and adaptive swings.
🧒 Ages & play
- Adventure playground
- Zip wire
- Climbing frame complex
- Five-person group swing
- Adaptive swings
📍 Nearby places to play
- Bradlaugh Fields · approx 0.0 miles · Kingsley
- Kingsthorpe Recreation Ground · approx 1.0 miles · Kingsthorpe
- Abington Park · approx 1.2 miles · Abington
Explore more:
❓ Frequently asked questions
Is The Racecourse free to visit?
Yes. It is a West Northamptonshire Council major park, free to enter and open all year round.
What is in the playground?
There is an adventure playground with a zip wire, a climbing frame complex and a five-person group swing, plus accessible features such as ramps and adaptive swings.
Are there toilets and a cafe?
Toilet and cafe provision is not confirmed on the council page, so it is worth planning ahead; the park is close to Kettering Road where there are shops and facilities nearby.
Where is The Racecourse?
It is a large recreation ground off Kettering Road in the Kingsley area, in the centre of Northampton.
What else is there to do?
The park has basketball courts, space for football and cricket, changing rooms and over 118 acres of open space, and it hosts a weekly parkrun.