Wicksteed Park, Kettering Review
DISCLOSURE – THIS EXPERIENCE WAS GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST/S FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW.
Reviewed by Mel Randle
This weekend I took a trip down memory lane when we spent the day at Wicksteed Park in Kettering. Recognised as one of the first ‘theme parks’ in the UK, this Grade II listed heritage park offers a fabulous day out for everyone, whether it be a walk, a picnic and play in the park or for the more adventurous, a choice of approximately 25 rides.
The park has been open for over 100years and therefore holds memories for many generations. My parents have spoken about when they went there as children, I went as a child and I have taken my own daughter when she was small. It has been 9 years since we have been, so I went with fresh eyes and was excited to see what they offer now, as the park went through financial difficulties back in covid times and was taken over by a charitable trust to save it due to its historical value.
We went as a family of four – myself, my husband, my daughter (10) and our four-legged friend Gizmo. The park is super dog friendly. They are welcome all over except the children’s play park. There is 200 acres to enjoy including lakes, garden and woodland, and there is an abundance of wildlife to see, so do be mindful of this when taking your dog so as not to disturb their habitat. The park, including the huge children’s play park, is free to enter. Payable items are car parking, rides and food and drink. All monies generated from these help the charitable trust maintain the park and keep it open for future generations, so even if you are just going for a lovely walk, I urge you to buy an ice-cream or coffee in support (I personally recommend the fries!)
The park itself opens everyday however the rides only operate on weekends and school holidays. We arrived at 10.30am when the rides opened. There is ample parking costing up to £7.50 for the day. Rides cost £3.50 each or you can buy a wristband for unlimited rides throughout the day. Wristbands cost £22 each but there are family deals and discounts available. Check out the website for details! We definitely got our money’s worth out of ours. There was very little queuing so we went on everything we wanted, often multiple times. Having the dog with us, we took it in turns to go on with my daughter and for the most part she was tall enough to go on by herself. I will stress, this is NOT Alton Towers. If you are looking for big fast thrill seeking rides, this is not for you. These rides are accessible to pretty much everyone over 0.9m (with lots for the younger ones too). This is the perfect day out for fun with all the family!
One of the highlights for us was the train that runs around the park and lake every 15-20 mins. It’s a circular route that starts and ends in the same place, but it’s a chance to sit and relax and look out to see everything the park offers. Being a warm day we also loved the Rocky River Falls and the Water Chute. The Water Chute has been open 100 years this year! Designed by Charles Wicksteed in 1926, it works exactly the same today – sat in a wooden boat, you are dropped down a chute into the river and then pulled back up on a rope. I sat in front of a man telling his young son how he had ridden in it as a child and it was just a delight to hear.
If you haven’t been before, the ride areas can look a bit tired, but believe me they hold a lot of history. Old rides are making way for new rides and it’s work in progress which is why your support is so important. There is a heritage trail with information boards dotted around the park which have some great photos of how the park looked at different times during the last 100 years. We went on a day when they hold their monthly Car Boot Sale. There are lots of different events held throughout the year and the venue can be hired for weddings and parties. There is also a soft play barn for visitors aged 8 and under. Check out the website for details of everything the park has to offer.
All in all a super fun day was had by everyone. It is very rare to have places like this that offer an affordable day out that can be enjoyed by the whole family therefore we must ensure that we support it and help preserve it. I hope that one day my daughter will be taking her children on the Water Chute and talk about the time she went on it as a child…..
Rating: 5/5
For opening hours, information on all events and to purchase ride tickets and wristbands, visit https://wicksteedpark.org/