Towcester Library

Monday morning coffee runs take on a different flavour when your local library doubles as the town's social hub. Towcester Library sits right in the heart of this market town, a proper community space that's seen generations of locals through homework crises and rainy afternoon reading sessions. The building itself won't win architectural prizes, but step inside and you'll find a surprisingly well-stocked collection alongside the usual computer terminals and study spaces.

Families staying at nearby sites like Hamilton Fields or Silverstone Farm will find this a godsend on drizzly days. Kids can burn through their holiday reading while parents catch up on emails using the free WiFi. The children's section is decent enough, though don't expect anything revolutionary - just solid basics done well.

Open seven days a week, including Sunday afternoons, it's particularly handy when you're camping at one of the Silverstone area sites and need somewhere warm and dry. The staff are helpful without being overbearing, and parking in Towcester town centre is straightforward enough. Allow an hour at most unless you're a serious bookworm. It's hardly a tourist destination, but as a practical pit stop during a Northamptonshire camping trip, it does the job perfectly well.