On Location: Overstone Lakes

There are many big names synonymous with English history and heritage; London, York, Cambridge and Oxford for example. However, it is the treasures in the heart of England that offer the real adventure but they often fly under the radar, just like the village of Sywell in Northamptonshire. If you are looking for a site of historical interest without the over-commercialised “tourist traps” of the history book cities, you need look no further. Overstone Lakes is a holiday park that serves as the perfect base for holidaymakers with inquisitive minds and a penchant for history; incidentally it is also a prime location for a fishing holiday.

A record in the Doomsday Book refers to the parish of Snewelle (now Sywell) as having a population of 100 souls in the year 1086AD. The village has undergone quite a change since the Doomsday days but it has retained all its historical English charm; the medieval elements in the church, the links to the Treshams and the War of the Roses and the village’s association with Queen Elizabeth I all add to Sywell’s allure. Despite the village’s age, many of the buildings date from the 19th century due to a series of land sales and fires that left the village in disarray until Lord and Lady Overstone intervened and rebuilt Sywell, creating the village as it still stands today.

Modern Sywell offers plenty of activities for its visitors with it Aerodrome (active from 1928) and Aviation Museum which hosts events such as the bi-annual air show and Music In Flight which is an air show set to the classical soundtrack of a live orchestra playing. The village’s other main feature is its Country Park which has been developed around a former drinking water reservoir and offers meadow and lakeside walks, a small exotic arboretum and a small selection of Edwardian buildings. The reservoir also offers excellent tench fishing as well as its scenic splendour.

The holiday park itself has plenty of onsite facilities to keep you entertained with a Lakeside Club, a heated outdoor swimming pool, coarse fishing, onsite security personnel, a 9-hole putting golf course, a shop and a hairdresser. The homes all have access to full underground services, individual security alarms and year-round residential staff onsite.

Overstone Lakes: Your Ideal Retreat for History and Dining

Whether you are looking to rediscover the country’s past or hoping to catch a bite, or ten, Overstone Lakes Holiday Park by Sywell is the perfect home away from home for you.