Bradlaugh Fields
🏟 Playground & park · Kingsley, Northampton
Bradlaugh Fields
A 60-hectare wildlife park in Northampton with a children's play park, a volunteer-run barn cafe, woodland trails and open meadows.
🕑 Opening & entry
🌱 The fields are open and free to access all year round. The volunteer-run barn and cafe open limited hours: Saturday and Sunday mornings 9.30am to 11.30am and Wednesday afternoons 1pm to 3pm. · Free · No booking needed
📍 Location & directions
Address: Kettering Road / Fulford Drive, Northampton, NN2 7NX
Plus Code: 9C4X7479+HC
About Bradlaugh Fields
Bradlaugh Fields is a 60-hectare (around 150-acre) open space in the north of Northampton, named after Charles Bradlaugh, the nineteenth-century radical and MP for the town. After a campaign by local residents against proposed housing, the site was acquired by the council and opened as a wildlife park in 1998, and it remains a free green space managed within West Northamptonshire. For families, there is a dedicated children's play park, and the volunteer-run barn is a popular focal point, with a cafe serving hot and cold drinks and cold snacks, plus activities such as hidden painted stones and a caterpillar trail for children to follow. The wider site is a genuine wildlife park, with woodland and meadow paths, rich wildlife and open green spaces, and it includes quieter child-free top fields that are well liked by dog walkers. There are bike paths across the site, and it is described as wheelchair accessible with an accessible car park and entrance. The barn and cafe keep limited volunteer hours, opening on Saturday and Sunday mornings from 9.30am to 11.30am and Wednesday afternoons from 1pm to 3pm, so it is worth timing a visit if you want refreshments. The combination of a children's play park, nature trails and open countryside makes Bradlaugh Fields a relaxed spot for families who enjoy a mix of play and wildlife. Access points include Kettering Road and a footpath from Aintree Road.
⭐ What makes this place special
- Volunteer-run barn and cafe
- Painted-stone and caterpillar trails
- Woodland and open meadow paths
- Wildlife park with rich wildlife
- Bike paths
- Child-free top fields for dog walking
🏞 Facilities
- Free entry
- Parking: There is a car park at the site, with accessible parking available.
- Café / refreshments
- Accessibility: The site has an accessible car park and entrance and is described as wheelchair accessible.
🧒 Ages & play
- Children's play park
- Play equipment
📍 Nearby places to play
- The Racecourse · approx 0.0 miles · Kingsley
- Kingsthorpe Recreation Ground · approx 1.0 miles · Kingsthorpe
- Abington Park · approx 1.2 miles · Abington
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❓ Frequently asked questions
Is Bradlaugh Fields free?
Yes. It is a free 60-hectare wildlife park and open space in Northampton, with free access all year round.
Is there a playground?
Yes. There is a dedicated children's play park, along with activities such as hidden painted stones and a caterpillar trail near the barn.
Are there toilets and a cafe?
There is a volunteer-run barn with a cafe serving hot and cold drinks and cold snacks, open limited hours: weekend mornings 9.30am to 11.30am and Wednesday afternoons 1pm to 3pm.
Where is Bradlaugh Fields?
It is in the north of Northampton, with access from Kettering Road and other points including a footpath from Aintree Road.
Is there parking?
Yes. There is a car park at the site, with accessible parking, and the site is described as wheelchair accessible.