Aston Clinton Park - a great day out with the kids
With the Easter holidays still in full swing we are all on the lookout for fun stuff to do with the kids. I’ve spent the last week up in Leighton Buzzard, staying at mum’s and helping out with my nieces and nephews. We are spoilt for choice when it comes to outdoor activities in Leighton Buzzard, including the wonderful Stockgrove and Rushmere Parks. But sometimes it’s fun to go a little further afield, and Aston Clinton Park is a really great option. I’ve already made three trips there this week, twice with the kids, and once to chat to Nick and Phil, respectively the owner and manager of the fab Your Café in the Park. I wanted to find out more about the role that the café and all the facilities in and around the park play in the local community.
I really enjoyed hearing from Nick and Phil about how they have helped transform Aston Clinton Park. They first opened the café in 2015, with the vision of providing a focal point for the community - somewhere for local people to meet and enjoy good quality coffee and food. At the time the building was little more than a community hall - very different from the modern building of today, which was rebuilt and re-opened in 2021. It’s a great place to gather, eat and drink, with super-friendly staff, decent breakfast and lunch menus and of course plenty of ice cream. They host functions, fitness and dance classes, and there is a soft play for the under-fives.
Nick tells me that from the outset they have paid a percentage of revenue from the café went back via the Parish Council, into projects and facilities at the Park. This has made such a difference. A tatty playground was all that existed when they first opened. It’s now top-notch with a wide variety of climbing frames, swings and slides. My nieces and nephews particularly love the skate park - they have fun going up and down the ramps on their scooters and it’s ideal for roller-skating too. The grounds also boast a multi-use games area (MUGA) where the local football team play and train. Just a short walk from these facilities there is a lovely picnic area with a stream and pool for kids to paddle and skim stones. This is such a lovely spot in the spring and summer, perfect for dog walking too.
All in all Aston Clinton Park is a great attraction and well worth a visit if you’re in the area or on the lookout for somewhere to take the kids. It’s an impressive set of facilities and understandably draws people in from surrounding areas such as Leighton Buzzard, Tring, Berkhamsted and Aylesbury. We’ve certainly enjoyed hanging out there and will keep coming back. Here are a few pics from recent visits 😊
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