A pretty market town, just an hour from Cambridge and 20 minutes from Peterborough, has narrow streets with stable doors and independent shops in honey-hued cottages
It’s easy to feel as though you’ve stepped into another era when wandering past the honey-coloured cottages and through narrow lanes lined with traditional store facades of a charming town near Cambridgeshire.
Nestled along the River Nene, just an hour from Cambridge and a few miles from Peterborough with a PE8 postcode, is the historic market town of Oundle. Many might know it for having the third-largest boarding school in England, after Eton College and Millfield School, but what really sets the town apart is its idyllic scenery, which has even drawn attention from film productions.
There are quaint, narrow streets lined with a vast collection of well-preserved Georgian manors, Grade II listed cottages and old stable doors that once welcomed horse-drawn carriages. Amongst its beautiful honey-stone architecture are independent retailers whose shopfronts are frozen in time, with traditional signs hung above their sash windows and arched entrances with elegant pillars.
Some notable highlights include the children’s store Bumble and Twig, The Rounded House, which sells an array of elegant gifts and homeware, Milestones Florist Ltd, Stu Pots for every type of kitchen supply, and the jewellery shop Harpurs Of Oundle. It’s an elegant scene of boutiques to explore along its old-fashioned streets that remain wonderfully quiet, even on the weekend.
Locally referred to as a ‘posh area of Northamptonshire’, Oundle is home to several charity shops where it’s not uncommon to uncover a designer or vintage piece of clothing at a bargain price. There’s even an Oxfam shop dedicated to selling second-hand books and music, which is packed from floor to ceiling.
Adding to its quintessential scenes are the handful of cosy coffee shops, from The Lemon Tree, The Coffee Tavern, and The Greedy Piglet, that serve up a hearty full English breakfast and their renowned ‘Piggy’ milkshakes, sure to be loved by kids or those with a sweet tooth.
Additionally, there’s a selection of pubs in the town, including the retro Rose & Crown and the traditional The Ship Inn, as well as restaurants such as Mediterranean, Dexters, and Italian Salerno’s.
One local favourite, just outside the town centre, is the waterside restaurant Tap and Kitchen, serving a selection of locally crafted beers and a tasty menu, either in its trendy restaurant or on its terrace overlooking the river. It’s fittingly located next door to Nene Valley Brewery, where visitors can pick up their favourite beers, sours or stouts, all locally made.
It’s hard not to notice the presence of the prestigious Oundle School when exploring the town, with its buildings dotted around the compact town, and it undoubtedly played a part in putting Oundle on the map. That, alongside its use as a filming location for the hit Netflix series The Crown, with its picturesque and frozen-in-time setting, making it easy to depict the 1990s and bygone years.
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