Planning your visit to Longthorpe Tower Expand How to find us Please visit our Find us page for details of the different ways to get to Longthorpe Tower. Information regarding accessibility of Longthorpe Tower can also be found on the English Heritage website. Parking There is no parking outside the Longthorpe Tower. Visitors are able to use the parking area for St Botolph's Church on Woburn Close. The off-road parking is an uneven surfaced area. There are no designated accessible parking spaces. Longthorpe Tower is 0.2 miles from the parking area. Parking is free for those visiting Longthorpe Tower. Assistance Dogs Assistance dogs are welcome at Longthorpe Tower and a dog-drinking bowl is available. Non-assistance dogs are not permitted at Longthorpe Tower. Wheelchairs, Mobility Scooters and Pushchairs Unfortunately, Longthorpe Tower is not accessible to wheelchairs, mobility scooters and pushchairs due to a flight of stairs being the only entrance into the building. Parklife newsletter and other information Our regular newsletter Parklife is available in standard, large print or audio formats. All are freely available in advance of your visit either electronically or by post. Please contact us with details of your requirements. Detailed information about Longthorpe Tower can also be found on the English Heritage website.
Getting around Longthorpe Tower Expand Longthorpe Tower is a historical building built in the late 13th century and is a stone built Grade 1 listed building. The Approach to Longthorpe Tower Longthorpe Tower is 0.2 miles from the parking area of Botolph Church on Woburn Close. Visitors take a left out of Woburn Close along Thorpe Road on uneven pavement until reaching an uneven, surfaced track to the left. The Tower is further down the track on the right. The entrance to the Tower is through a narrow gateway on the right-hand side of the track. There is no seating available in the outside area where visitors are expected to wait for their tour to begin. Getting in To access the first-floor entrance of Longthorpe Tower, visitors take narrow wooden stairs with handrail to a wide entrance/exit door over a large stone step. There is a landing three quarters of the way up and just before the entrance door. Steps can be slippery after rain. First floor ‘The Painted Room’ On entry, visitors are immediately into the Painted Room. The floor is stone with a heavy duty carpet covering all of the first floor. On the first floor there are three backless benches, a cabinet, a reception desk and gift shelf. Enjoying the paintings Mirrors are available for visitors to use to view the paintings on the ceiling without bending the neck. Passionate volunteers will share their knowledge of the paintings and their time in history. Personal photos can be taken – no flash allowed. Please do not touch the walls in the Painted Room – volunteers will remind you of this. Access to the second floor Access to the second floor is through a low, narrow door with stone step threshold that leads directly to a narrow stone staircase that spirals slightly at the top. The stone steps are of uneven surface, height and width. There is a rope rail along the stone wall to support walking the stairs. There is lighting in the stairwell, but due to lack of natural light it is dimly lit. Small torches are available upon request. Second floor From the stairs, visitors pass through a narrow, low stone doorway with stone step threshold to the second floor. There is stone flooring with rug. The room is well lit. There are two backless wooden benches. To one corner there is a low, narrow opening with stone step that gives access to an unlit former latrine. There are pull up banners with information, lower height interpretation panel with activity and artefacts on display. Medieval music plays on the second floor.
Facilities and services at Longthorpe Tower Expand Toilets There is a small single unisex toilet in a wooden outbuilding with a raised threshold available in emergencies. There are no baby changing facilities. Food & Drink No food and drink is available at Longthorpe Tower.
Things to do at Longthorpe Tower Expand Guided Tour Guided Tours are available at weekends. To enjoy a tour of the Tower, visitors must book an hour’s tour. For details on how to book a tour please visit our Events Page Educational Group Visit Educational groups can book a self-led session or a Guide Leader session between 9-5pm on a Monday to Friday with notice. Self-led sessions: Self-led groups (including: formal education groups (schools, colleges, academies, universities), lifelong learner groups (U3A, WEA), groups with special learning needs) can book a slot of up to 3 hours. A free planning visit for the group lead is available for up to 1 hour. Any additional people will pay the cost of a 1 hour entry with Tour Guide. Guide Leader sessions: Educational groups can select 1, 2 or 3 hour tours for up to 35 people. Payment for these sessions will be invoiced once booking has been finalised. Information about group bookings will soon be available on the website. In the meantime, please contact [email protected] if you would like to know more. Gift Shop There is a small selection of Longthorpe Tower and medieval themed gifts for visitors to purchase on site. The gift shop is located on the first floor and is currently cash only. Volunteer opportunities Nene Park Trust offers a range of volunteer opportunities. Our volunteer pages contain information about current vacancies and the contact details to discuss any specific access requirements.
Feedback on your visit to Longthorpe Tower Expand Nene Park Access Forum Do you have an interest in access at Nene Park? Nene Park Trust holds a twice-yearly access forum to update park users about access improvements and to hear directly from visitors about their experiences of using the Park. We also make contact in between meetings to share information about access related developments including a regular Nene Park Access Forum newsletter. We welcome anyone with an interest or an experience to share. For more details, contact us. Feedback We are always keen to hear visitors’ experiences of the Park to continue to improve our services and you can provide this in a number of ways: Contact us directly Share your feedback with volunteers at Longthorpe Tower Provide feedback online through TripAdvisor Leave a Google Review Join our Access Forum or Volunteers to become more involved in the development of the Park.
Fox Play update: 21 June 2021 Expand On 14 June, the existing Lakeside Play area was closed to the public and the construction site for the new play area was prepared. Harris fencing was erected around the site. Towards the end of that week, the existing play area was demolished and removed. On 21 June, Chair of Trustees Jon Marsden and Chair Designate Jackie Bland visited the site to see progress so far.
Parklife 2021 Expand Click on the links below to read your digital copy of Parklife magazine or listen to audio versions of the articles: Parklife spring 2021 Parklife summer 2021 Parklife autumn 2021 Parklife winter 2021
Planning your visit to the Rural Estate Expand Assistance dogs Assistance dogs are welcome throughout the Park. Please be aware that the Rural Estate includes land for grazing livestock. In line with The Countryside Code our Rural Estate Park Code message to dog walkers is: Please be vigilant when crossing fields where livestock are present by giving them a wide berth. Dogs should be kept on a lead but released if chased. Please ensure you shut all gates behind you. To find out where livestock may be present in Nene Park please contact us ahead of your visit. Getting here Please visit our Find us page for details of the different ways to get to the Rural Estate Parking There is limited parking connected to The Rural Estate. The car park at Splash Lane in the village of Castor has a very uneven compacted stone surface and is prone to flooding. The access road to the car park is a very uneven narrow track with ditches either side. There are no designated accessible parking bays. Ferry Meadows acts as a gateway to the Rural Estate at its eastern end using the Nene Way path. The nearest car park to this access point at Ferry Meadows is the coach car park, which is one of the permanent tarmac car parks with accessible parking bays. Parking charges apply all day, every day. Please visit our Parking page for details of charges. Please be aware that there is a height restriction barrier of 2.1 metres at the entrance and alligator teeth across the exit of Lakeside Road at Ferry Meadows. Oversized vehicles displaying a blue badge are permitted access to Ferry Meadows. For details of how to arrange access please visit our Parking pages or contact us in advance of your visit. Park Code For information on how to enjoy this area of Nene Park, please see our Rural Estate Park Code. We also have a text only version of the Rural Estate Park Code. Nene Park Newsletter - Parklife Our regular newsletter Parklife is available in standard, large print or audio formats. All are freely available in advance of your visit either electronically or by post. Please contact us with details of your requirements.
Getting around the Rural Estate Expand Path gradients and surfaces The Rural Estate is a large rural landscape and the paths are generally grass or mud tracks, which are often uneven, and in parts are narrow, situated alongside the river or dikes and prone to flooding. The path network is made up of Public Footpaths, Bridleways and Permissive Routes linking Nene Park land with the surrounding countryside and villages. Structures such as footbridges, gates, stiles, steps, locks / weirs and railway tracks feature in the Rural Estate path network. There are a few steep sections along the pathways within the Rural Estate notably on the Nene Way north of the River Nene following Long Meadow at Ferry Meadows, and west of Castor Mill. The bridge at Ailsworth Back Dike near Water Newton also has a steep gradient. The walk along the road from Milton Ferry Bridge to Castor also features a significant gradient along with the railway crossing point on Mill Lane. There are two sets of steps at Wansford to access the Nene Valley Railway Station from Nene Park and a set of steps at Lynch Wood that take visitors down to the river. Download a map of the Rural Estate here. For more details of the accessibility of any particular path or area of the Rural Estate please contact us. Seating There are two simple wooden benches in Station Master's Garden. There is a wooden picnic table provided by Castor Parish Council at Splash Lane Car Park. Information Download a map of the Rural Estate here. Ranger assistance Whilst the Rural Estate is patrolled periodically by Nene Park Trust staff and volunteers, there is not a regular staff presence in this area. However, if you require assistance while exploring this area our Rangers are contactable via 07860 308081 from 08:00 – 18:30 March – September and 08:00 – 16:00 October – February. Please note our Ranger team is not available on Christmas Day or Boxing Day.
Facilities and Services on the Rural Estate Expand Food & drink Station Master's Garden is the perfect place for a picnic on the Rural Estate. See 'Things to do on the Rural Estate' section of this page for more details on Station Master's Garden. When picnicking in the Rural Estate please remember to take all your litter home with you. BBQ’s and fires are not permitted anywhere in the Rural Estate. The villages of Ailsworth and Castor are home to cafés and pubs and the Nene Valley Railway station at Wansford has a café. For more information visit our Where to eat pages. Events Nene Park hosts many events throughout the year covering a range of activities, interests and ages. The events pages contain information about the broad accessibility of an event, which organisation is running the event and the contact details if you have any special requirements or queries regarding the accessibility of a particular event. Bringing a companion/carer You can bring a companion or carer in for free to help you enjoy a Nene Park Trust event or activity that has an admission charge. Please note that not all events and activities at Nene Park are operated by Nene Park Trust. Enquiries about arrangements for companions/carers should be directed to the specific event/activity organiser. If you require a companion/carer to access a Nene Park Trust event please contact the Education and Activities team to discuss any additional access requirements and arrange booking. If you require a companion/carer to access a course or activity with Nene Park Trust at Nene Outdoors activity centre please contact Nene Outdoors to discuss any additional access requirements and arrange booking. While carer(s) will be allowed entry to the event/activity with you free of charge, they must at all times be in a caring role that is providing support and assistance. It is not acceptable for carers to be participating independently and if this is the case, that person will not be allowed entry as a carer and will be expected to pay in full. Volunteer opportunities Nene Park Trust offers a range of volunteer opportunities. Our volunteer pages contain information about current vacancies and the contact details to discuss any specific access requirements.
Things to do on the Rural Estate Expand Station Master's Garden Station Master's Garden is a small area of land south/ west of Ailsworth, located on the edge of the Nene Valley Railway at the bottom of Station Road. On the west side lies this triangular shaped green space, dotted with apple trees, lime trees, holly and birch. We are creating a community orchard and wildlife haven with a carpet of wildflower colour dotted with varieties of old English apple trees, native spring flowering bulbs and naturalised areas. We are also introducing log piles of various styles and shapes, bird boxes, bug houses. It is an uneven site and has a shallow slope from north to south consisting of long meadow grass into which paths and a picnic lawn are mown through. Public access is through a gap in the hedge next to a field gate. Two basic wooden benches have been installed for visitors to enjoy this quiet area. Download a map of the Rural Estate here to see the location of Station Master's Garden. Fishing Fishing rights in The Rural Estate are operated by Peterborough and District Angling Association with day tickets and annual membership available. For further details and contact information visit our fishing page. Horse riding There are horse routes throughout the Park which are marked on posts with blue horse shoe signs. For further details about riding in Nene Park and contact information visit our Ride a horse page Nene Valley Railway The Nene Valley Railway is one of the best known standard gauge steam preservation railways in the country and home to that very special engine, Thomas. The railway runs between Wansford and Peterborough with two stations in Nene Park at Ferry Meadows (Overton) and Orton Mere. Wansford station is situated just outside the eastern boundary of The Rural Estate with access via a bridge and steps from the station to the footpaths in this area. For further details and contact information visit our Nene Valley Railway page
Feedback on your visit to the Rural Estate Expand Nene Park Access Forum Do you have an interest in access at Nene Park? Nene Park Trust holds a twice-yearly access forum to update park users about access improvements and to hear directly from visitors about their experiences of using the Park. We also make contact in between meetings to share information about access related developments including a regular Nene Park Access Forum newsletter. We welcome anyone with an interest or an experience to share. For more details, contact us. Feedback We are always keen to hear visitors’ experiences of the Park to continue to improve our services and you can provide this in a number of ways: Contact us directly Share you feedback with staff at the Ferry Meadows Visitor Centre Provide feedback online through TripAdvisor Join our Access Forum or Volunteers to become more involved in the development of the Park.
Parklife 2020 Expand Click on the links below to download your digital copy of Parklife magazine: Parklife Spring 2020 Parklife Summer 2020 Parklife Autumn 2020 Parklife Winter 2020
How does the car park system at Orton Meadows work? Expand As you enter Orton Meadows, drive up to the entry barriers and you will be issued with a ticket. The barrier will then rise. When you are ready to leave, enter your ticket at the payment machine and pay the appropriate charge. The machine accepts card, coins or contactless payment. For customers Nene Golf and Pitch & Putt, FREE parking is in place provided you present your ticket at that business before you leave. You have an additional 30 minutes to return to your vehicle and exit the car park. When you approach the exit barrier, enter your ticket and it will rise automatically provided you have paid the correct tariff or had your ticket validated.
How does the car park system at Ferry Meadows work? Expand Cameras record your vehicle registration number when you enter the Park. No tickets are issued.You don't need to do anything until you are ready to leave. When you are ready to leave, go to one of the payment machines in the main car parks (or pay online from your phone - here). Enter your full registration number into the payment machine - or on the online payment system. Pay the amount shown on the screen. Where there are two payment machines located next to each other, one will accept cards and coins (with change given) and also have the facility for contactless payment; the other machine will be card only. Your payment is complete. You have an additional 30 minutes to return to your vehicle and exit the Park. When you approach the exit barrier, the camera will recognise your registration number, know that you have paid and the barrier will rise automatically.
Planning your visit to Orton Mere and Woodston Reach Expand Assistance dogs Assistance dogs are welcome throughout the Park. Mobility scooters Mobility scooters are welcome on all surfaced paths throughout the Park. How to find us Please visit our Find us page for details of the different ways to get to Orton Mere and Woodston Reach. Parking Accessible parking bays are available at Orton Mere in the main car park and near the model boat powerboat landing stage on Osier Lake alongside the access road. A second overflow car park alongside the Nene Valley Railway station at Orton Mere is opened on occasions. There are no designated accessible bays in this area and there is a gradient from the parking area to the main path. Parking charges apply all day, every day. Please visit our Parking at Orton Mere and Woodston Reach page for details of charges and membership options. There are solar powered payment machines located in the main car park only but charges apply to all parking areas. Payment can be made at the machine by card only and the machines are ticketless. You can also pay on the parking app. All instructions are on the payment machines in the car park. Park Code For information on how to enjoy this area of Nene Park, please see our Park Code. We also have a text only version. Parklife newsletter Our regular newsletter Parklife is available in standard, large print or audio formats. All are freely available in advance of your visit either electronically or by post. Please contact us with details of your requirements.
Planning your visit to Thorpe Meadows Expand Please visit our Find us page for details of the different ways to get to Thorpe Meadows. Parking Accessible parking bays are available in the car park. There is a drop kerb with a slight lip from the car park in this area for access to the path network. Please be aware there is a 2.1 metre height barrier across the entrance to the car park. Parking charges apply all day, every day. Please visit our Parking at Thorpe Meadows page for details of charges and membership options. There are solar powered pay and display payment machines in the car park. Payment can be made by card only at the machine or with the parking app. All instructions are on the payment machines in the car park. Assistance dogs Assistance dogs are welcome throughout the Park. Mobility scooters Mobility scooters are welcome on all surfaced paths throughout the Park. Park Code For information on how to enjoy this area of Nene Park, please see our Park Code. We also have a text only version. Parklife newsletter Our regular newsletter Parklife is available in standard, large print or audio formats. All are freely available in advance of your visit either electronically or by post. Please contact us with details of your requirements.
What are the parking charges at Orton Meadows? Expand Tariff band Current tariff Up to 10 mins Free Up to 1 hour £2.20 Up to 2 hours £3.20 Up to 3 hours £4.80 Up to 4 hours £5.80 Over 4 hours £6.80 Free ticket validations for customers of Orton Meadows Golf and Pitch & Putt. Charges apply 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Can I apply for parking membership for Orton Meadows? Expand No. There is no parking membership which covers parking at Orton Meadows. Nene Park Trust offers three Annual Parking Memberships: Ferry Meadows - £93 per year Ferry Meadows Plus (including the car parks at Ferry Meadows, Orton Mere and Thorpe Meadows) - £108 per year Orton Mere & Thorpe Meadows only - £50 per year To find out more about the annual parking memberships please visit our parking membership page.
Parking charges at Ferry Meadows Expand Charges apply to all vehicles, all day, every day. The car park is monitored by Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), managed by Saba UK. Tariff band Current tariff Up to 1 hour £2.20 Up to 2 hours £3.20 Up to 3 hours £4.80 Up to 4 hours £5.80 Up to 8 hours £6.80 Over 8 hours £7.40 Grace period 20 minutes
I am a Blue Badge holder. What are the parking arrangements for me at Orton Meadows? Expand The standard charges apply to Blue Badge holders. The car park has designated Blue Badge spaces. Please ensure your badge is displayed at all times. After paying, all visitors have an additional 30 minutes to exit the Park.
Annual parking membership Expand Annual membership is available at Ferry Meadows only and is £93 for the year from the 1st February 2024. Members are automatically recognised by the system and do not need to enter details into the payment machines. For just £93 per year (or £48 for members of Peterborough and District Angling Association) you'll receive... A year of parking that equates to just under £1.78 per week 10% discount on retail purchases from the Visitor Centre 10% discount on retail purchases from Nene Outdoors 10% discount on Pay and Play activities at Nene Outdoors Convenience - parking machine not required at the end of your stay Income generated from parking membership contributes to future plans to develop the Park and provide great facilities for our visitors to enjoy. We also offer a Parking Membership that includes parking at Thorpe Meadows and Orton Mere too. This is called the Ferry Meadows PLUS Membership. To find out more and to apply for either of these annual parking memberships please visit our Parking Membership page.
Getting around Thorpe Meadows Expand Path gradients and surfaces Thorpe Meadows is a natural landscape and paths are made up of various surfaces which may be uneven in places. The main pathway alongside the edge of the rowing lake at Thorpe Meadows is tarmac and relatively flat. The rest of the pathways are uneven limestone and compacted stone surfaces with grass paths mown alongside the river and between some of the sculptures on the south side of the rowing lake. There is a particularly steep section on the north west corner of the horse route and at the narrow red footbridge on the path that takes visitors from Thorpe Meadows in The Boardwalks Nature Reserve and towards the City Centre. Please note this footbridge is currently closed. The nearby Orton Mere and Woodston Reach can be accessed by crossing the Nene Valley Railway and the footbridge over the lock. Please note there is a short ramp with self closing gates to access the railway crossing and a steep section on the path into Thorpe Meadows after the lock on the North side of the River. The path network are shared routes for pedestrians and cyclists, and in some circumstances horse riders. Please refer to the Thorpe Meadows map showing more detail of the path network including steep and unsurfaced sections or contact us. Seating There are a number of benches located along the north path of the rowing lake. They are set back from the main path with hard surfaced bases. A couple of picnic tables are located in the grass area between Orton Mere and Thorpe Meadows on the opposite side of the path to the river moorings. Information A Thorpe Meadows map is available at the car park. Ranger assistance Whilst Thorpe Meadows is patrolled periodically by Nene Park Trust staff and volunteers, there is not a regular staff presence in this area. However, if you require assistance while exploring this area our Rangers are contactable via 07860 308081 from 08:00 – 18:30 March – September and 08:00 – 16:00 October – February. Please note our Ranger team is not available on Christmas Day or Boxing Day.
Where are the pay stations? Expand Discovery Den (near the Visitor Centre) Main car park Coach car park Lakeside car park Overflow car park Note: you can now pay for your parking online via our online payment system. Just click here to pay online.