Northants' popular country parks close but some smaller parks still remain open

Some of the county’s most popular parks have been closed due to the coronavirus emergency.

Northamptonshire county council closed the gates to its country parks at Brxiworth, Fermyn Woods, Barnwell and Sywell country parks yesterday (March 23) and a number of town and parish councils have also been closing their facilities

It is understood the gates will be closed and cars will not be allowed to enter, although in some cases walkers and cyclists are still allowed.

The move is taking away green spaces which have been attracting the hoards over the past few days during the coronavirus crisis. Last night (March 23) prime minister Boris Johnson addressed the nation and told everyone to stay indoors and to only go out once a day for exercise. He said police would have the power to fine people and disperse anyone in groups.

There has been a different approach taken by different local authorities and organisations which run parks, as well as a mixed bag of updates so far on the local authority websites.

Corby Council announced the closure of East Carlton Country Park yesterday on facebook but has not updated its dedicated coronavirus page on its website.

Kettering Council said: “Any update on KBC services, including park closures, will be on our website, which is checked/updated as the situation demands.” Currently there no details of park closures on its website.

Northampton Borough Council will be keeping all its parks open.Anna King, cabinet member for community engagement and safety at Northampton Borough Council, which looks after the borough's parks, urged people to be considerate.

“We’re advising residents to stay at home and follow government advice because it's absolutely vital in limiting the spread of the coronavirus," she said.

“At the same time, we understand that it is important to get some much-needed outside time.

"If people choose to go to parks, they should do this responsibly and follow the social distancing rule – keep at least two metres apart.

“We’ve cancelled or postponed all events for April and May, the aviary in Abington Park, toilets and trade points have been closed across all our parks.

“We are all in this together, although there are a lot of temptations out there, we absolutely must adjust to this new reality as we all play our part in stopping the spread of the virus.”

Daventry district council said: “We have closed Daventry Country Park, Borough Hill, Cracks Hill near Crick, New Street Recreation Ground and all public play areas in Daventry.”

Wellingborough Council said the information would be updated on its website today.

East Nothants council is not responsible for running the parks across its district. Stanwick Lakes, which is run by the Rockingham Forest Trust is closed.

However Tywell Hills and Dales run by the Landmark Trust will remain open. A statement on its website says this is due to the charity wanting to help people with their mental wellbeing during the crisis.