
Pocket Parks
In the early 1980’s, Northamptonshire County Council lead the way in promoting the modern-day Pocket Park concept in the UK. Pocket Parks are small areas of countryside that are looked after by local communities for conservation and quiet recreation. They are places where everyone can explore and enjoy the pleasures of the countryside and wildlife.
Warmington has two Pocket Parks, both established in 1997. We were the first village to set up two Pocket Parks simultaneously, and the first to have an orchard. Big Green Pocket Park is located on the eastern side of the village while the other is a small orchard in Eaglethorpe.

Big Green Pocket Park
Big Green was once part of Warmington’s Great Green, one of several village-edge commons that were enclosed about 1800. The Pocket Park was created on derelict land owned by East Northants Council and was later transferred to the ownership of Warmington Parish Council. Apart from a brief period when the site was used for allotments, the site was previously unused for many years.
Children attending the village school at the time helped develop a meadow area with a butterfly garden, bog garden / pond, thriving hedgerows and even a living willow igloo. Over time, the Pocket Park has been used as an outdoor classroom and a place for imaginative play.