Great Oxendon

Great Oxendon is not a destination with rows of hotels, but what it lacks in numbers it makes up for in character. The George, a boutique hotel and restaurant right in the village on the Harborough Road, is the standout option, with just four individually named bedrooms above a well-regarded restaurant and bar — book ahead, as rooms are limited. For a wider range of choice, Market Harborough is only a couple of miles away and has a good selection of hotels, inns and guest houses to suit most budgets, from chain hotels on the ring road to characterful coaching inns in the town centre.

Staying in or near Great Oxendon puts you within easy striking distance of Foxton Locks, Kelmarsh Hall, Rockingham Castle and the Brampton Valley Way, while the A508, A14 and M1 keep you well connected for exploring further into Northamptonshire, Leicestershire and Rutland. It suits visitors looking for a peaceful rural base with a good pub on the doorstep, rather than a lively town-centre stay — those wanting more nightlife or a bigger choice of restaurants are better placed basing themselves in Market Harborough itself and treating Great Oxendon as a lunch or dinner stop.

Because options are so limited, it is worth booking well in advance, particularly if you want one of The George's rooms at a weekend, when the restaurant and any events on-site can mean rooms sell out early.

Great Oxendon itself is small, but it sits within easy reach of some of the best-known attractions on the Leicestershire/Northamptonshire border.

• Brampton Valley Way — a traffic-free trail along a disused railway line, running right past the village through cuttings, embankments and a former tunnel, ideal for walking or cycling.
• Foxton Locks — around six miles away, this dramatic staircase of ten locks on the Grand Union Canal is one of the most photographed spots on England's inland waterways, with a pub and boat trips at the top.
• Kelmarsh Hall and Gardens — a Grade I listed Palladian house a few miles south, with formal gardens, parkland walks and a busy events calendar.
• Market Harborough — the nearest town, about two miles off, with its timber-framed Old Grammar School, independent shops and a small museum covering local history.
• Rockingham Castle — a former royal castle with gardens and Elizabethan interiors, a scenic drive north through Rutland-edge countryside.

The George at Great Oxendon is the obvious focal point, serving everything from a Friday fish and chips menu to Sunday lunch and a more formal à la carte. For more choice, Market Harborough's high street has a good spread of independent cafes, pubs and restaurants just a couple of miles down the road.

There is no legal wild camping in England without the landowner's permission, and that applies just as much to the quiet farmland around Great Oxendon as anywhere else, so any pitch needs to be booked through a proper site or arranged directly with a farmer or landowner. The village itself has no campsite, but its position among the gently rolling fields of the Leicestershire/Northamptonshire border means there are small rural campsites and glamping sites scattered within a short drive, typically on working farms rather than large commercial parks, so expect a peaceful, low-key experience rather than extensive facilities.

The terrain here is gentle rather than dramatic — rolling arable land, hedgerows and the odd wooded valley, crossed by the old railway line now known as the Brampton Valley Way — which makes it comfortable walking and cycling country but not one for serious hill terrain. That makes it a good match for family camping trips or short breaks built around gentle outdoor activity rather than strenuous hiking. The Brampton Valley Way itself runs close to the village and is worth building a stay around, whether on foot or by bike, linking through to Market Harborough in one direction and towards Northampton in the other.

Late spring through early autumn is the best window for camping here, when the farmland tracks are drier underfoot and the long evenings suit an after-dinner walk along the old railway cutting. Given the fairly open, exposed nature of much of the surrounding countryside, a well-pitched tent and decent weatherproofing are worth the effort outside the height of summer. For those who prefer a roof over their heads without giving up the rural setting, glamping options such as shepherd's huts or pods on nearby farms offer a good middle ground, and are usually more readily available than traditional pitches in this part of the county. As with any small village destination, booking ahead is sensible, since capacity nearby is modest and fills up at weekends and during the summer months.