Northampton may be known as the shoe capital of Britain but you don’t need to be well-heeled to have a good time there.
On the edge of town, Billing Aquadrome offers budget-priced family fun in a surprisingly tranquil landscape filled with lakes, rivers and a marina.
And my family’s weekend break was certainly one full of contrasts.
One moment we were feeding the geese, ducks and swans swimming past our caravan’s decking; the next we were being covered in foam as summer beats were pumped out.
One moment we were stroking the resident alpacas; the next we were watching a Pink tribute act then screaming at a giant screen as England reached the World Cup semi-final.
Another moment we were gently floating across a lake on paddleboards; the next we were splashing down slides into the water and clambering across inflatable obstacles.
Well, that last one was just the kids to be honest

The 235-acre Billing Aquadrome may be about as far from the seaside as it’s possible to get, but that doesn’t stop its young guests from having fun. And it’s a winner whatever the weather.
There’s so much to do: Besides the alpaca encounters, little ones can enjoy loads of arts and crafts activities, learn survival skills, go on mini beast safaris, hear tales of wonder or let off steam on the playgrounds.
All ages will enjoy the free indoor swimming pool with slide (book early to avoid disappointment), the disc golf (free), the crazy golf (£10 for four), and the busy schedule of all-included entertainment staged at the outdoor amphitheatre.
If you go, don’t miss the weekly ‘Summer Cyclone’, featuring super long slip ‘n’ slides, the aforementioned foam party, an ‘I’m A Celebrity’-style obstacle course and water balloon fights.
While most daytime activities incur a (reasonable) charge, this was completely free.
One of Billing’s 11 lakes is host to all manner of floating fun, such as kayaking, canoeing and paddleboarding (generous two-hour sessions for £20). Our kids also loved the strength-sapping aqua assault course (£20).

Despite being fully booked, there was plenty of room in the pool to actually swim, perhaps because we were in the last hour-long session of the day. The pool also has a splash area for pre-schoolers.
Fortunately, staff did not enforce the curious ‘no playing’ sign! 
While you can choose to feed or spend quality time with the resident alpacas, perhaps the best value for money is having an afternoon tea with them. Yes, really (£22 adults, £16 kids)!
Other activities include a zip line, shuffleboard, laser tag, interactive darts, axe throwing and a climbing wall. There’s also a popular pump track, which is free to use. My boy hired a BMX for £10 for 45 mins.
We stayed in a comfortable, spacious and luxurious ‘platinum’ two-bed caravan (sleeps six) with super-fast wifi and a hot tub (though that didn’t get much use during the heatwave). 
It was in a lovely waterside spot (which can be said of most of the caravans), making lounging on the outdoor furniture an absolute joy. Next time, we’ll take some wildfowl food.

Meals are served at The Venue, which has outdoor tables overlooking a marina. The tables are also next to a playground and the amphitheatre, so the kids can head off while the grown-ups finish their drinks.
Billing is dog-friendly and offers dedicated accommodation, plus walking trails and even an agility course.
Sadly, we only had 48 hours at this vast holiday park, which was only enough time to scratch the surface of all it offers whilst at the same time trying to enjoy its tranquil setting. We had a shoe-per time!

Travel facts

All summer holidays at Billing Aquadrome are £150 off currently – min three-night stay. They cost from £299 from July 24 (three-night break in a bronze three-bed caravan, inc discount). A platinum two-bed caravan costs from £629 (inc discount) for three nights from July 24. For more information go to meadowbay.com/billingaquadrome

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