Cripps Recreation Centre

The Cripps Recreation Centre sits on the outskirts of Northampton and serves as the town's main sports hub - think indoor courts, swimming facilities, and the kind of place where locals actually spend their time rather than tourists. It's functional, well-run, and genuinely useful if you're staying at one of the nearby holiday parks and your kids need to burn off energy on a rainy afternoon.

What you get here depends entirely on what you want to do. There's swimming, badminton, table tennis, and various gym facilities. The leisure pool area is decent enough for families - nothing fancy, but it does the job. If you're travelling with older kids who actually want to play sports rather than just look at scenery, this beats sitting in a caravan wishing you'd brought more entertainment.

The centre works best as a backup plan rather than a main attraction. You're staying at Billing Aquadrome or one of the other parks dotted around the area - most within a couple of miles - and the weather turns. This is where you come. Admission costs aren't extortionate, but check ahead as opening times and pricing do shift. Allow two to three hours maximum; longer than that and you'll have exhausted what's on offer.

Honestly, if your holiday is built around outdoor activities and exploring the local countryside, you probably won't need it. But if you're looking for something structured on a wet day and you've got children who'd rather play badminton than visit another country house, it's worth knowing it's there.