Hollowell Sailing Club

The reservoir at Hollowell is a proper water sports destination just a few miles south of Northampton, where the sailing club runs things with the kind of quiet efficiency you'd expect from a place focused on actual sailing rather than spectacle. It's a working club, so you won't find arcades or fairground energy here - what you get instead is a stretch of water where serious sailors come to race and leisure sailors come to potter about on the water.

If you're staying at one of the nearby caravan sites - Covert Farm is closest at three miles out - and you're the type who actually sails, this is worth knowing about. Membership rules apply for active participation, but the setting itself is pleasant enough for a walk round the water's edge, especially if you're between activities and need somewhere to kill an hour. Families purely after entertainment will find it a bit thin on the ground; there's no café culture or viewing facilities designed with spectators in mind.

The real draw here is being on or near the water itself. It's the kind of spot that rewards people who actually want to engage with sailing rather than just look at boats. If you're based at Lakeview Glamping or Steepleton Lodge nearby and you sail, you've got convenient access to proper facilities. Otherwise, it's more of a pleasant detour than a planned destination - nice enough for a wander, but you wouldn't drive across the county for it.