Festivals and new ale to celebrate Ferry Meadows' 40th birthday

Matthew Bradbury, chief executive for Nene Park Trust, which manages Ferry Meadows, said: “We know how much Ferry Meadows Country Park means to the people who visit and work here, so we wanted to celebrate this landmark anniversary with a series of events to thank everyone for their support over these 40 years.”

To kickstart the celebrations the Ferry Meadows Cultural Festival takes place on Saturday, June 30 and Sunday, July 1. This will be a festival of food, fun and culture where the community can come together and get involved over the course of the two days.

Activities include a main stage on Coney Meadow with choirs, orchestras and theatre groups to provide entertainment throughout the weekend, as well as a teddy bears picnic, a pedal-powered cinema, an interactive music workshop hosted by Beat This CIC, children’s craft activities and heritage guided walks.

The second celebratory weekend, the Ferry Meadows Activity Weekend, will then take place on Saturday, September 1 and Sunday, September 2 with full information to be revealed in the coming weeks.

Ferry Meadows, in Ham Lane, off Oundle Road, also has a free ‘40 things to do at Ferry Meadows’ booklet available from the Visitor Centre and both cafes in the park.

These activities include taking a swan pedalo ride on Gunwade Lake, building a home for an animal and going on a bug hunt, with a special certificate awarded to those who complete all 40.

Further information on the summer’s events will be available on the brand new Nene Park website (www.nenepark.org.uk) and the trust’s social media channels.