Sywell Country Park — Attraction in Mears Ashby

A lovely part of the park to begin your walk with dogs and children alike (but no cycling allowed). It has a small café and outdoor play area with a bit of water play, and a tiny indoor play area in a separate unit next door. You can also find the toilets here beside the café in another, separate unit. There's a second, larger play area below ground-level with beach sand on the opposite side to the café. It would normally have a hand-pump for the trills, but was removed some time ago and hasn't been replaced (funding issues presumably). Be aware that no dogs are allowed into the actual play area. There's an amphibian area for wildlife next to it (quiet at this time of year) and a butterfly garden next to that (equally quiet, but cared for), a third play area in the small woodland Brock Wood (no dogs allowed) with a longer slide and small tunnels for children to crawl through by the upper car parking area, and the very windy reservoir at the top where you can walk or cycle around the lake or buy day-fishing cards as the water contains several types of fish (can be purchased from a small building by the lower parking area's entrance/exit). Some have had barbecues in the area between the upper and lower car parking, and is frequently used for picnics in summer. This whole area excluding the reservoir is small, so don't expect too much when arriving. For what it is, it's good. The lower car parking area always gets busier than the top. At the time of writing, the lower car parking machines only takes cash, as the only card reading machine is currently faulty and only takes cash (the black one opposite the café). The blue one by the bigger play area is cash only. The upper car parking area machine takes cards as well as coins, and is in working order. The day fee right now...

Up unril recently this was a beautiful place, peaceful and packed full of wildlife. Good wheelchair access and plenty of places to sit, benches and picnic tables dotted around the park. Shops and a cafe in the lower area are good but very expensive. Lots for kids to do in the lower area too. They allow swimming in summer season at certain times. There was a lot of dog mess in the grass area near the causeway when I was last here but that is irresponsibledog owners.

Unfortunately evey time we have been in the past 2 months there has been a large group of 10-15 men lighting huge bonfires by the reeds and picnic benches, playing loud music, smoking weed and hookah pipes. They leave damage and litter behind, broken glass and scorched ground. They are very rude and intimidating, making comments at people unril they move and they can take over the bench. They were there every night at one point, and were there morning till late at night, some sleeping on rugs. They take up the disabled spaces, all the benches near the causeway and don't purchase parking tickets. We saw some squatting and going to the toilet in a bush by the path. They were diving into the lake and scaring the swans. Very dangerous as the water was only just above freezing in March. The wardens say they can't do anything even though they are breaking the park rules. Very disappointed and our families will not be back or renewing our annual passes, we want to enjoy the nature reserve and the wildlife, and these people are stopping that and causing...

This was our first visit to Sywell Country Park and on a busy Saturday, we were lucky to find a parking place in the bottom car park when someone was just leaving.

Everything is well laid out here, with good maps, a cafe and kiosk with outdoor and indoor seating, two children's play areas and a Visitor Centre.

The parking is pay & display, though we have a North Northamptonshire Parking Pass which covers four Country Parks and is fair value at just over £50. Check the website if you're interested. Surprisingly, there's no information about this on the various parking signs.

There's a good, mostly hard surface path all the way round the reservoir which is about 3 miles long. It's a bit open for a blowy or rainy day but good walking in a mix of habitats with some great views over the reservoir and surrounding countryside.

Having been a long term conservation volunteer myself down here in Bedfordshire, I was delighted to see a working party in action at the top end. A very good sign!

This is a well managed Country Park with some good management in evidence, hedge-laying and planting, tree protection and bark mulching as well as some dead-hedge barriers to protect specific habitats. There are good information boards on the way round.

Thanks to the Rangers and Volunteer crews for some good work done here. We'll be back again but probably during the week when it is quieter....