Northampton is a large
market townMarket town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
and
local government districtNon-metropolitan districts, or colloquially shire districts, are a type of local government district in England. As originally created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a so-called "two-tier" arrangement...
in the
East MidlandsThe East Midlands is one of the regions of England and consists of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. It encompasses the combined area of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire and most of Lincolnshire, although people often speak of...
region of England. It is about north-west of London and around south-east of
BirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands county of England. Birmingham is the second-most populous British city, with a population of 1,006,500 ....
, and lies on the
River NeneThe River Nene is a river in the east of England that rises from three sources in the county of Northamptonshire. The tidal river forms the border between Cambridgeshire and Norfolk for about . It is the ninth longest river in England, and the twelfth longest in the United Kingdom. From the source...
. It is the
county townA county town is the 'capital' of a county in Republic of Ireland or the United Kingdom. County towns are usually the location of administrative or judicial functions, or established over time as the de facto main town of a county. The concept of a county town eventually became detached from its...
of
NorthamptonshireNorthamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census...
.
The district's population is
200,100 and the town population is 189,474, making Northampton the 21st-largest settlement in England, and the UK's 3rd-largest town without official
city statusCity status in the United Kingdom is granted by the British monarch to a select group of communities. The holding of city status gives a settlement no special rights other than that of calling itself a "city". Nonetheless, this appellation carries its own prestige and, consequently, competitions...
, after
ReadingReading is a large town in England, located at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London...
and
DudleyDudley is a large town in the West Midlands, England, with a population of 194,919. Since 1974 it has been the administrative centre of the wider Metropolitan Borough of Dudley; the original County Borough had undergone a lesser expansion in 1966...
. Northampton is the most populous
districtThe districts of England are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government. As the structure of local government in England is not uniform, there are currently four principle types of district level subdivision. They are London boroughs, metropolitan...
in England that is not a
unitary authorityA unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
, a status it failed to obtain in the
1990s local government reformThe structure of local government in the United Kingdom underwent large changes in the 1990s. The system of two-tier local government introduced in the 1970s by the Local Government Act 1972 and the Local Government Act 1973 was abolished in Scotland and Wales on April 1, 1996, and replaced with...
. Northampton's population has increased greatly since the 1960s, largely due to planned expansion under the New Towns Commission in the early 1960s.
Economy
Northampton was a major centre of
shoeA shoe is an item of footwear evolved at first to protect the human foot and later, additionally, as an item of decoration in itself. The foot contains more bones than any other single part of the body, and has evolved over hundreds of thousands of years in relation to vastly varied terrain and...
making and other
leatherLeather is a material created through the tanning of hides and skins of animals, primarily cattlehide. The tanning process converts the putrescible skin into a durable and versatile material....
industries, although only specialist shoemaking companies such as
Church'sChurch’s is a high-end English footwear manufacturer founded in 1873 by three brothers.Over time, the little family business grew into a corporation currently employing nearly 700 people....
and Trickers, formerly located in nearby
Earls BartonEarls Barton is a large village in Eastern Northamptonshire - it has a population of about 5,353 people.The village is famous for:*its Saxon church - which is one of the most famous remaining examples of its type in the country - another example being at nearby Brixworth.*its shoe-making...
, survive. A large number of old shoe factories remain, mostly now converted to offices or accommodation, some of which are surrounded by terraced houses built for factory workers. Northampton's main private-sector employers are now in distribution and finance rather than manufacturing, and include
Avon ProductsAvon Products, Inc. is a US cosmetics, perfume and toy seller with markets in over 140 countries across the world and sales of $9.9 billion worldwide as of 2007....
,
BarclaycardBarclaycard is a global credit provider owned by Barclays plc in the UK. The Barclaycard was the first credit card introduced in the UK, coming into service in 1966. It enjoyed a monopoly until the introduction of the Access card in 1972.Barclaycard later became part of the VISA network. Nowadays,...
,
Blacks Leisure GroupBlacks Leisure Group plc of Northampton, UK owns British outdoor retailers Blacks, Millets and Free Spirit. It is based at Swan Valley, Northampton. It employs 1804 people. The chief executive is Neil Gillis.-Millets:...
,
Nationwide Building SocietyNationwide Building Society is a British building society, that is, as of 2009, the largest in the world. It has its headquarters in Swindon, England, and maintains a significant administration centre in Northampton. It is the only UK building society to clear its own cheques...
,
PanasonicPanasonic is an international brand name for Japanese electric products manufacturer Panasonic Corporation Under this brand the company sells plasma and LCD display panels, DVD recorders and players, Blu-ray Disc players, camcorders, telephones, vacuum cleaners, microwave ovens, shavers,...
,
Travis PerkinsTravis Perkins plc is a British builders merchant based in Northampton. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...
, Coca Cola, Schweppes,
National GridNational Grid plc is an international, London-based utilities company which also operates in other countries, principally its wholly owned subsidiary in the United States. The company adopted its current name in July 2005 when shareholders agreed the change from National Grid Transco plc...
,
Texas InstrumentsTexas Instruments , widely known as TI, is an American company based in Dallas, Texas, United States, renowned for developing and commercializing semiconductor and computer technology. TI is the No. 4 manufacturer of semiconductors worldwide after Intel, Samsung and Toshiba, and is the top supplier...
and
CarlsbergThe Carlsberg Group is a Danish brewing company founded in 1847 by J. C. Jacobsen after the name of his son Carl. The headquarters are in Copenhagen, Denmark...
. The
University of NorthamptonThe University of Northampton is a university in Northampton, Northamptonshire, UK.Formerly known as Nene College of Higher Education and then University College Northampton the University received full university status in 2005, though it had to convince the Privy Council that a Royal Decree...
is also a major employer.
Early history
Remains found here date from the
Iron AgeIn archaeology, the Iron Age is the prehistoric period in any area during which cutting tools and weapons were mainly made of iron or steel. The adoption of this material coincided with other changes in society, including differing agricultural practices, religious beliefs and artistic styles.The...
. Farming settlement probably began around the 7th century. In the 8th century it was an administrative centre for the kingdom of
MerciaMercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands...
. The pre-Norman town was known as Hamtun and was only ca.60 acres.
Medieval
The town became significant in the 11th century, when the
NormansThe Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France. They descended from Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of mostly Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
built town walls and a large castle under the stewardship of the Norman earl, Simon de Senlis. The original defence line of the walls is preserved in today's street pattern (Bridge St, The Drapery, Bearward St and Scarletwell Street). The town grew rapidly after the
NormansThe Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France. They descended from Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of mostly Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
arrived, and beyond the early defences. By the time of the
Domesday BookThe Domesday Book is the record of the great survey of England completed in 1086, executed for William I of England, or William the Conqueror...
, the town had a population of about 1500 residents, living in 300 houses.
The town and its castle were important in the early 12th century and the King often held Court in the town. During his famous fall out with
Henry IIHenry II, called Curtmantle ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France...
,
Thomas BecketThomas Becket was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 to his death. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by both the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion...
at one time escaped from
Northampton CastleNorthampton Castle was built under the stewardship of Simon de Senlis, the first Earl of Northampton, in 1084. It took several years to complete, as there is no mention of it in the Domesday Book, a great survey of England completed in 1086....
through the unguarded Northern gate to flee the country,
Northampton had a large
JewThe Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
ish population in the 13th century, centred around Gold Street. In 1277 300 Jews were executed, allegedly for clipping the King's coin, and the Jews of Northampton were driven out of the town.
The town was originally controlled by officials acting for the King who collected taxes and upheld the law. In 1189
King Richard IRichard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death in 1199.He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Ireland, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes and Overlord of Brittany at various times during the same period...
gave the town its first charter. In 1215
King JohnJohn , King of England, reigned from 6 April 1199 until his death. He acceded to the throne as the younger brother of King Richard I, who died without issue...
authorised the appointment of William Tilly as the town's first Mayor and ordered that:
'twelve of the better and more discreet residents of the town join him as a council to assist him' . In 1176 the
Assize of NorthamptonThe Assize of Northampton, largely based on the Assize of Clarendon of 1166, is among a series of measures taken by King Henry II of England that solidified the rights of the knightly tenants and made all possession of land subject to and guaranteed by royal law.The assize is believed to have been...
laid down new powers for dealing with law breakers.
A
universityThe University of Northampton was a university in existence in Northampton from 1261 to 1265.The University was established by Royal Charter in 1261. It was the third university established in England after the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge...
was established in 1261 by scholars from
CambridgeThe University of Cambridge , located in the City of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom, is the second oldest university in the English-speaking world and the fourth oldest in Europe...
. It briefly flourished, but was dissolved by
Henry IIIHenry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for fifty-six years from 1216 to his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
in 1265 apparently as it posed a threat to
OxfordThe University of Oxford , located in the UK city of Oxford, is the oldest surviving university in the English-speaking world and is regarded as one of the world's leading academic institutions. Although the exact date of foundation remains unclear, there is evidence of teaching there as far back...
.
The first
Battle of NorthamptonThe Battle of Northampton was a battle in the Second Barons' War.In April 1264 an encounter took place, as part of the Baron's War wherein Henry III of England besieged Simon de Montfort's supporters who were holed in at Northampton Castle...
took place at the site of Northampton Castle in 1264 - when the forces of Henry III overran the supporters of
Simon de MontfortSimon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester , was a French-English nobleman, notable as the principal leader of the baronial opposition to King Henry III of England. After the rebellion of 1263 and 1264, de Montfort became de facto ruler of England and called the first directly elected parliament in...
. In 1460, a second
Battle of NorthamptonThe Battle of Northampton was a battle in the Wars of the Roses, which took place on 10 July, 1460.-Background:The Yorkist cause seemed finished after the previous disaster at Ludford Bridge. Some of the Yorkist commanders, Warwick, Salisbury and York's son Edward, Earl of March reached Calais on 2...
took place in the grounds of
Delapre AbbeyDelapré Abbey , or more properly, the Convent of St Mary De La Pré, was founded about the year 1145 in the meadows of the River Nene to the south of Northampton as a Cluniac nunnery....
- and was a decisive battle of the
Wars of the RosesThe Wars of the Roses were a series of dynastic civil wars between supporters of the rival houses of Lancaster and York, for the throne of England. They are generally accepted to have been fought in several spasmodic episodes between 1455 and 1487...
, and King
Henry VIHenry VI was King of England 1422–1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and King of France from 1422 to 1453. Until 1437, his realms were governed by regents. Contemporaneously, he was described as a peaceful and pious man, not suited for the harsh nature of the struggles facing him...
was captured in the town by the
YorkistsThe House of York was a branch of the English royal House of Plantagenet, three of whom became English kings in the late 15th century. The House of York was descended in the paternal line from Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, the fourth surviving son of Edward III, but also represented Edward's...
.
In May 1328 the Treaty of Northampton was signed - being a peace treaty between the English and the Scots in which Edward III recognised the authority of Robert the Bruce as King of Scotland and betrothed Bruce's still infant son to the king's sister Joanna.
A large
network of medieval tunnelsNorthampton is a large market town and a local government district in central England upon the River Nene, and the county town of Northamptonshire; its history goes back many centuries with much of the present town's development taking place during medieval times.-Underground:Today underneath the...
remains under the centre around All Saints church.
Civil War to 1900
Northampton supported the
Parliamentarian"Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they were the supporters of Oliver Cromwell against King Charles I. Cromwell rose to prominence as a Member of Parliament and Parliamentary soldier, and eventually...
s during the
English Civil WarThe English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists. The first and second civil wars pitted the supporters of King Charles I against the supporters of the Long Parliament, while the third war saw fighting between supporters of...
. For this reason the town walls and castle were later torn down on the orders of King
Charles IICharles II was the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father King Charles I was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War. The English Parliament did not proclaim Charles II king at this time. Instead they passed a statute making such a...
as punishment. The railway station in Northampton stands on the site of the former castle, and used to be called "Northampton Castle Station".
The town was destroyed by fire in both 1516 and 1675 (for the latter see
Great Fire of NorthamptonThe Great Fire of Northampton occurred in 1675 in the town of Northampton in Northamptonshire, England. The blaze was caused by sparks from an open fire in St. Mary’s Street near Northampton castle, and devastated the town centre, destroying about 600 buildings including All Saints church, in 6 hours...
), and was rebuilt as a spacious and well-planned town. In the 18th century Northampton became a major centre of
footwearFootwear consists of garments worn on the feet, for protection against the environment, and adornment. Socks and other hosiery are usually worn between the feet and the footwear, less often with sandals and flip flops...
and
leatherLeather is a material created through the tanning of hides and skins of animals, primarily cattlehide. The tanning process converts the putrescible skin into a durable and versatile material....
manufacture. The prosperity of the town was greatly aided by demand for footwear caused by the
Napoleonic WarsThe Napoleonic Wars were a series of conflicts declared against Napoleon's French Empire and changing sets of European allies by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionized European armies and played...
of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. In his 18th century "Tour through the Whole Island of Great Britain",
Daniel DefoeDaniel Defoe , born Daniel Foe, was an English writer, journalist, and pamphleteer, who gained enduring fame for his novel Robinson Crusoe. Defoe is notable for being one of the earliest proponents of the novel, as he helped to popularise the form in Britain, and is even referred to by some as one...
described Northampton as, "...the handsomest town in all this part of England."
Northampton's growth was accelerated in the 19th century, first by the
Grand Union CanalThe Grand Union Canal in England is part of the British canal system. Its main line connects London and Birmingham, stretching for 220 km with 166 locks...
, which reached the town in 1815 and later the coming of the railways. The first railway to be built into Northampton was a branch from the main
London-Birmingham lineThe London and Birmingham Railway was an early railway company in the United Kingdom from 1833 to 1846 when it became part of the London and North Western Railway ....
at
BlisworthBlisworth is a village and civil parish in the South Northamptonshire district of Northamptonshire, England. The West Coast Main Line, from London Euston to Manchester and Scotland, runs alongside the village partly hidden and partly on an embankment...
to
PeterboroughPeterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of as of June 2006. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. The Town Hall is north of London at Charing Cross...
through Northampton which opened in 1845. This was followed by lines to
Market HarboroughMarket Harborough is a market town in Leicestershire, England and in the district of Harborough. It has a population of 20,785 and is the administrative headquarters of Harborough District Council. Although it is in Leicestershire, its surrounding villages which form its natural hinterland are half...
(1859) and
BedfordBedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town of Kempston...
(1872). The
Northampton loopThe Northampton loop is a railway line serving the town of Northampton deviating from the main West Coast Main Line.The Northampton loop leaves the direct London-Birmingham line at Hanslope Junction, but continues to run alongside it until the two lines separate at Roade, and then runs north east...
of the
West Coast Main LineThe West Coast Main Line is a busy mixed-traffic railway route in the United Kingdom. It provides fast, long-distance Intercity passenger services between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and southern Scotland....
was built in the late 1870s. After 1850 the town grew beyond the old town walls. In 1800 the population was round 7,000 and was 87,000 a century later. In the 19th century Northampton acquired a reputation for political radicalism when radical non-conformist
Charles BradlaughCharles Bradlaugh was a political activist and one of the most famous English atheists of the 19th century. He founded the National Secular Society in 1866.-Early life:...
was elected as the town's
MPA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a parliament. In many countries the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a unique title, such as senate, and thus also have unique titles for its members, such as senators. Members of...
.
20th Century
Growth after 1900 slowed until the 1960s. The shoe industry declined and other employment was slow to arrive. In the 1920s and 30s, council houses were built in the east of the town at Headlands; north at St Davids; and south in Far Cotton. The Borough boundary, first extended in 1900, expanded again in 1932. The population grew to 100,000 by 1961 and 130,000 by 1971. Northampton was designated a New Town in 1968, and the Northampton Development Corporation (NDC) was set up to almost double the size of the town, with a population target of 230,000 by 1981, rising to 260,000 in later years. In 1959 the
M1 motorwayThe M1 is a major north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
was opened nearby. Growth was slower than planned. The 1960s and 70s saw the town centre change with development of a new bus station, the Grosvenor Shopping Centre, flats and hotels. By 1981 the population was 156,000. When NDC wound up after 20 years, another 40,000 residents and 20,000 houses had been added. The borough boundaries changed in 1974 with the abolition of Northampton
county boroughCounty borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. The Local Government Act 1972 abolished them in England and Wales, but they are still used in the Republic of Ireland and Northern...
and its reconstitution as a
non-metropolitan districtNon-metropolitan districts, or colloquially shire districts, are a type of local government district in England. As originally created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a so-called "two-tier" arrangement...
also covering areas outside the former borough boundaries but inside the designated New Town.
Music in the 20th century
In the 1960s The Deco was an
ABCABC Cinemas was a cinema chain in the United Kingdom. A wholly owned subsidiary of Associated British Picture Corporation , it operated between the 1930s and the late 1960s...
cinema.
The BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960 who became one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands in the history of popular music...
appeared there twice on stage in 1963, on Wednesday, 27 March as part of the
Tommy RoeFor the English footballer of the same name see Tommy Roe Tommy Roe is an American pop music singer-songwriter....
/
Chris MontezChris Montez , is a Mexican American singer.-Early life:...
Tour. Montez commented "Who are these guys The Beatles? I try to keep up with the British scene, but I don't know their work". The Beatles were back on Wednesday, 6 November, in their own right and on their own tour.
Late 20th century
Northampton's population increased greatly from the 1960s, with planned expansion under the New Towns Commission. The rail link and busy
M1 motorwayThe M1 is a major north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
to London helped the growth as a commuter town for London. Northampton's housing expansion was east with the 1970s eastern district estates built mainly for the London overflow population and more recently, in the west at Upton and south near M1 junction 15 at
Grange ParkGrange Park is a large residential housing estate on the edge of the Borough of Northampton but outside the Borough boundary. Some residents refer to its status as a "village", although in reality it is an extension to the Northampton urban area. It is south of Northampton town centre, in the...
, initially of 1,500 houses actually in
South Northants CouncilSouth Northamptonshire is a local government district in Northamptonshire, England. Its council is based in Towcester.The district is rural and sparsely populated with just over 80,000 people in 2000. The largest town in the district is Brackley, which has a population of 13,000, followed by...
area.
21st Century
Another major expansion is planned, with the population projected to increase to 300,000 by 2018. Northampton asked, unsuccessfully, for
city statusCity status in the United Kingdom is granted by the British monarch to a select group of communities. The holding of city status gives a settlement no special rights other than that of calling itself a "city". Nonetheless, this appellation carries its own prestige and, consequently, competitions...
as a part of the 'millennium cities' scheme. The
University of NorthamptonThe University of Northampton is a university in Northampton, Northamptonshire, UK.Formerly known as Nene College of Higher Education and then University College Northampton the University received full university status in 2005, though it had to convince the Privy Council that a Royal Decree...
was established in 2005 after several years as a University College and previously Nene College.
In 2006 Northampton became a government expansion zone with new growth by West Northamptonshire Development Corporation (WNDC), an unelected
quangoQuango or qango is an acronym used notably in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and elsewhere to label colloquially an organisation to which government has devolved power...
. The initial target is 37,000 new homes. Expansion began in 2007 at Upton and St Crispins.
Some expansion will be on brownfield sites such as Ransome Road,
Far CottonFar Cotton, many years ago a village in its own right, is a district of the English county town of Northampton.Far Cotton is due south of the town centre, beyond Cotton End - hence the 'Far', and south of the River Nene...
, an inner suburb, and in existing borough boundaries. WNDC will also oversee the redevelopment of Northampton into a primary regional centre to service the expanded population, and comparable to UK cities such as
CoventryCoventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham with a population of 300,848...
,
LeicesterLeicester is a city and unitary authority area in the East Midlands of England. It is the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
and
NottinghamNottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire, England and is one of only eight members of the English Core Cities Group....
with a population of approximately 300,000 by 2018-2021.
Government and politics
Northampton is administered by both Northampton Borough Council, run from May 2007 for the first time by the
Liberal DemocratsThe Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems or just Liberals, are a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by a merger of the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party; the two parties had been in alliance for seven years, from shortly after the formation of...
, and also Northamptonshire County Council. From 2005 the latter has been controlled by the
Conservative PartyThe Conservative and Unionist Party, more commonly known as the Conservatives, the Conservative Party, or Tory Party is a conservative political party in the United Kingdom...
. The Borough Council runs services such as housing, waste collection and smaller planning items in the Borough. The County Council looks after social services, education and libraries in the whole county. Since April 2006 major planning decisions such as large housing schemes and new roads have been the responsibility of
West Northamptonshire Development CorporationThe West Northamptonshire Development Corporation is an Urban Development Corporation set up to cover parts of Northamptonshire in England, by the United Kingdom government in 2004/2005. It covers three distinct areas in west Northamptonshire - the borough of Northampton, and the towns of Daventry...
(WNDC), an appointed body.
Northampton is represented in
ParliamentThe Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories. It alone has parliamentary sovereignty, conferring upon it ultimate power over all other political bodies in the UK and its territories...
by two MPs:
- Brian Binley
Brian Arthur Roland Binley is a British Conservative politician, and the Member of Parliament for Northampton South.-Early life:...
, ConservativeThe Conservative and Unionist Party, more commonly known as the Conservatives, the Conservative Party, or Tory Party is a conservative political party in the United Kingdom...
, (Northampton SouthNorthampton South is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was created before the election of February 1974 when the old constituency of Northampton was split into Northampton North and Northampton South.-Boundary review:Following their...
)
- Sally Keeble
Sally Curtis Keeble is a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom.She has been Member of Parliament for Northampton North since the 1997 general election...
, LabourThe Labour Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century, it has been seen since 1920 as the principal party of the Left in England, Scotland and Wales, but not Northern Ireland, where it has only recently begun to organise again...
(Northampton NorthNorthampton North is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
)
Both of these constituency boundaries change significantly from the next General Election after 2005 with the creation of a new constituency,
South NorthamptonshireSouth Northamptonshire was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832-1918, then 1950-1974. It elected two Members of Parliament by the bloc vote system of election from 1832, until the representation was reduced in 1885 to one member elected by the...
, which takes a large part of the south of Northampton borough.
Transport
Northampton is near junctions 15, 15a and 16 of the
M1The M1 is a major north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
London to
North YorkshireNorth Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county, located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county in that region and also partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest ceremonial...
motorwayThe OECD has defined a motorway as:Motorways are identical to freeways as a road type, and comparable to the United States's Interstate Highways as a classification....
. The A45 and A43 can be accessed by a partially completed
ring roadRing road is another term for beltway. It may also refer to:* Ring Road * Ring Road * Ring Road * Ring road of Iceland* Ring Road * "Ring Road", a song by the electronic band, Underworld....
. The A14 is close by to the north.
Northampton railway stationNorthampton railway station is the railway station that serves Northampton and parts of the south of Northamptonshire in England. Other parts of South Northamptonshire are better served by Kings Sutton, Banbury and Milton Keynes stations....
is on the
Northampton LoopThe Northampton loop is a railway line serving the town of Northampton deviating from the main West Coast Main Line.The Northampton loop leaves the direct London-Birmingham line at Hanslope Junction, but continues to run alongside it until the two lines separate at Roade, and then runs north east...
of the
West Coast Main LineThe West Coast Main Line is a busy mixed-traffic railway route in the United Kingdom. It provides fast, long-distance Intercity passenger services between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and southern Scotland....
, and has regular services to London and
BirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands county of England. Birmingham is the second-most populous British city, with a population of 1,006,500 ....
provided by
London MidlandLondon Midland is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Legally named London and Birmingham Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, and has operated the West Midlands Franchise since 11 November 2007....
.
Virgin TrainsVirgin Trains is a train operating company in the United Kingdom, which currently provides services from London Euston to the West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland, and from Birmingham New Street to North West England and Scotland, on the West Coast Main Line...
also provide some services to London and the north, with a small number of
PendolinoPendolino is an Italian family of tilting trains used in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia, Finland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, China and shortly in Romania, Ukraine and Russian Federation...
s running each day.
Sywell AerodromeSywell Aerodrome is the local aerodrome serving Northampton, Wellingborough and Kettering as it is situated midway between these towns. The airport is located northeast of Northampton and was originally opened in 1928 on the edge of Sywell village....
is the nearest airfield but only has a grass runway. A concrete runway for jet aircraft is due to open mid 2009. For international links, East Midlands Airport and Luton Airport are quickly accessible by the
M1The M1 is a major north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
; Birmingham International Airport via the
M1The M1 is a major north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
/
M6The M6 motorway is the longest motorway in the United Kingdom. It runs from junction 19 of the M1 in Catthorpe near Rugby in central England, passes between Coventry and Nuneaton, through Birmingham, Walsall and Stafford and near the major cities of Wolverhampton and Stoke-on-Trent...
and also by train.
In the town, buses are operated by Stagecoach Northants,
First NorthamptonNorthampton Transport Limited doing business as First in Northampton, is one of the bus companies serving the towns of Northampton and Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, England.-History:...
and
MK MetroMK Metro is the main bus operator in Milton Keynes in the English county of Buckinghamshire. In February 2006, it was purchased by Arriva Shires & Essex, but the vehicles will not receive any sort of Arriva corporate branding. Most times Arriva purchases bus companies, the vehicles are repainted as...
(
ArrivaArriva plc is a British-based international public transport operator, headquartered in Sunderland, Tyne & Wear. It has bus and/or rail operations in Denmark, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the United Kingdom...
) from the
Greyfriars bus stationGreyfrairs bus station serves the town of Northampton, Northamptonshire, England. The bus station is owned and managed by Northampton Borough Council....
. Stagecoach provide travel to outlying villages and towns during the day.
National ExpressNational Express is the brand under which the majority of long distance bus and coach services in Great Britain are marketed, and also the company that manages this network and operates some of the services...
cover routes between major towns. There are good local links to
DaventryDaventry is a market town in Northamptonshire, England, with a population of 22,367 . The town is also the administrative centre of the larger Daventry district, which has a population of 71,838. The town is 124 km north-northwest of London, 22.4 km west of Northampton and 16.4 km...
,
WellingboroughWellingborough is a town in Northamptonshire, England situated some eleven miles from the county town of Northampton and eight miles south of Kettering. It dates from the 6th century and is mentioned in the Domesday Book under the name of Wendelburie, and was granted a royal market charter in 1201....
,
OxfordOxford is a city, and the county town of Oxfordshire, in South East England. The city has a population of just under 165,000, with 151,000 living within the district boundary. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through Oxford and meet south of the city centre...
,
RushdenRushden is a town and a civil parish in the county of Northamptonshire, England .The parish of Rushden covers an area of some 3777 acres and is part of the district of East Northamptonshire. The population of Rushden was recorded as 25,849 at the time of the 2001 census, and in 2009 was estimated...
,
KetteringKettering is a town in the north of Northamptonshire, England. It is the main town within the Borough of Kettering.Kettering is on the River Ise, a tributary of the Nene and is twinned with Lahnstein, Germany and Kettering, Ohio, in the United States....
,
CorbyCorby is a borough of Northamptonshire, and an industrial town located 13 km north of Kettering in the East Midlands of England. The borough had a population of 53,174 at the 2001 Census; the town on its own accounted for 49,222 of this figure. Corby is in a triangle formed by Leicester,...
and
Market HarboroughMarket Harborough is a market town in Leicestershire, England and in the district of Harborough. It has a population of 20,785 and is the administrative headquarters of Harborough District Council. Although it is in Leicestershire, its surrounding villages which form its natural hinterland are half...
.
Northampton is the terminus of an arm of the
Grand Union CanalThe Grand Union Canal in England is part of the British canal system. Its main line connects London and Birmingham, stretching for 220 km with 166 locks...
. The arm connects to the
River NeneThe River Nene is a river in the east of England that rises from three sources in the county of Northamptonshire. The tidal river forms the border between Cambridgeshire and Norfolk for about . It is the ninth longest river in England, and the twelfth longest in the United Kingdom. From the source...
and from that to the
River Great OuseThe River Great Ouse is a river in the east of England. It is long which makes it the major navigable river in East Anglia, and the fourth-longest river in the United Kingdom. The name Ouse is from the Celtic or pre-Celtic *Udso-s, and probably means simply "water"...
and the
North SeaThe North Sea is a marginal, epeiric sea on the European continental shelf. The Dover Strait and the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Sea in the north connect it to the Atlantic Ocean. It is more than long and wide, with an area of around...
. No longer used for freight, the waterway is now popular with anglers and
narrowboatA narrowboat or narrow boat is a boat of a distinctive design, made to fit the narrow canals of England and Wales.In the context of British Inland Waterways, "narrow boat" refers to the original working boats built in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries for carrying goods on the narrow canals...
ers. Principal outlying villages on the canal include
GaytonGayton is a rural village from Northampton town centre in South Northamptonshire. It is situated on a hill close to the larger villages of Bugbrooke, Milton Malsor and Blisworth, with a linked public footpath network. -History:...
,
BlisworthBlisworth is a village and civil parish in the South Northamptonshire district of Northamptonshire, England. The West Coast Main Line, from London Euston to Manchester and Scotland, runs alongside the village partly hidden and partly on an embankment...
,
BraunstonBraunston is a village and civil parish in the county of Northamptonshire, England. It has a population of 1,675 . Braunston is situated just off the A45 main road and lies between the towns of Rugby and Daventry....
and
Stoke BruerneStoke Bruerne is a small village in south Northamptonshire, England about north of Milton Keynes and south of Northampton.-History:There has been a settlement here for many years and the village is mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086 as "Stoche" meaning "an outlying farmstead or hamlet"...
.
Northampton had a horse-drawn
tramwayTramway may refer to:* Tramway , a lightly laid railway for uses such as logging or mining * A system of trams * Aerial tramway...
which opened in 1881. The system was extended in stages and taken over by the council in 1897 and named Northampton Corporation Tramways. It was electrified in 1904, but closed in 1934 mainly as a result of competition from motor
busA bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. A bus seats a maximum of 8 to 300 passengers...
es which were introduced in 1929. Two of the original tram shelters are preserved: one at the Racecourse park and another in Kingsthorpe opposite the Cock Hotel.
Education
Until 2004 the county operated a three-tier system involving lower, middle and upper schools. In 2001 the move to a two-tier system began, aiming at improving educational standards. A complete list of primary and
secondary schoolSecondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of compulsory schooling, known as secondary education, takes place. It follows on from elementary or primary education....
s in the town and surrounding area is available on the County Council website.
Secondary schools
Northampton School for BoysNorthampton School for Boys is a secondary school in Northampton, England.- History :The school was originally founded in 1541 by mayor Thomas Chipsey, as the town's free boys grammar school. In 1557, the school moved to St. Gregory's church, which was adapted for its use. The School remained on...
became the top performing comprehensive school in the country in 2007.
For a complete list see the NCC site.
Independent schools
Independent government reports on all schools can be obtained from the Ofsted website.
- Great Houghton
Great Houghton is the largest of the two Houghton's . It is located within the eastern district of Northampton just off the A428 Bedford Road....
(co-educational, 1–13)
- Maidwell Hall for boys aged 8–13
- Northampton High School
Northampton High School is a private selective non-boarding school for girls in Hardingstone, Northampton, England.- Location :The school is about from Northampton town centre along the Newport Pagnell road which separates the school from Wootton.- History :The school was founded in 1878 by a...
, girls 2-18
- Northamptonshire Grammar School
Northamptonshire Grammar School, established 1989, is a mixed, 3-18 Independent Grammar School in Pitsford, Northamptonshire. It is the best day school in Northamptonshire, judged on exam results. Going from a 47 pupil school, with 4 buildings, it has expanded...
(co-educational, 3-18)
- Overstone Park School
Overstone Park School is an independent co-educational day school near Northampton, England, for pupils aged 3 months to 18 years.-School:The school was established in 1983 by husband and wife Corville Oliver Brown and Marion Faith Brown. Mrs. Brown is now the Principal of the school, while Mr....
(co-educational, 2–18)
- Quinton House School
Quinton House School is a profit-making coeducational independent school located in the village of Upton, near Northampton in Northamptonshire, England. The school is owned and operated by the Cognita Group...
(co-educational, 2-18)
- St Peter's Independent School(co-educational, 5-18)
- Spratton Hall School, co-educational, 4–13
Leisure
Formal parks include:
Abington ParkAbington Park, in the Abington district of Northampton, has lakes, aviaries, and a museum, as well as trees and grassy open spaces.The hangings of the first witches in 1612 were believed to have taken place at crossroads in Abington Park....
; The Racecourse, home in summer to the
Balloon FestivalThe Northampton Balloon Festival is an annual event held in the English town of Northampton.The original festival was held in the Racecourse park and managed by the Borough Council, and took place over a Friday, Saturday and Sunday in mid-August...
and originally used for horse-racing until 1904 and also used as a cricket ground between 1844-1885;
Delapre ParkDelapré Abbey , or more properly, the Convent of St Mary De La Pré, was founded about the year 1145 in the meadows of the River Nene to the south of Northampton as a Cluniac nunnery....
;
BradlaughCharles Bradlaugh was a political activist and one of the most famous English atheists of the 19th century. He founded the National Secular Society in 1866.-Early life:...
Fields; Becket's Park, named after
Thomas BecketThomas Becket was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 to his death. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by both the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion...
as are nearby Becket's Well and Thomas á Becket pub. There is a
parkHunsbury Hill is an Iron Age hill fort two miles south-west of the centre of the town of Northampton in the county of Northamptonshire.It is probable that defences were built at Hunsbury Hill between the 7th and 4th centuries BC. The deep ditch excavated has survived to the present day...
around an
Iron AgeIn archaeology, the Iron Age is the prehistoric period in any area during which cutting tools and weapons were mainly made of iron or steel. The adoption of this material coincided with other changes in society, including differing agricultural practices, religious beliefs and artistic styles.The...
fort in West Hunsbury.
Billing AquadromeBilling Aquadrome is a leisure park in Little Billing, in the eastern distirct of Northampton, England. Facilities within the 235 acre park, which is based around various mature gravel pits, include a caravan site, marina and funfair...
leisure park is on the eastern outskirts with a caravan site, marina, funfair, bar, riverside restaurant and converted water mill with original workings. Other smaller ones are Thorntons Park and Victoria Park.
The main
shopping centreA shopping mall, shopping centre or shopping center is a building or multiple buildings consisting of a complex of shops representing leading merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a convenient parking area – a modern,...
is the Grosvenor Centre built in the 1970s. The town has one of Britain's largest
market squareThe market square is a feature of many European and colonial towns. It is an open area where market stalls are traditionally set out for trading, commonly on one particular day of the week known as market day.A typical English market square consists of a square or rectangular area, or sometimes...
s, dating from 1235. Outside the centre the
Weston FavellWeston Favell is a village and district of Northampton in the English county of Northamptonshire. During the Industrial Revolution and 20th Century, it was more or less absorbed by the expansion of Northampton itself. The village environs retain a distinct feel, yet are now entirely surrounded by...
Centre built in the 1970s is in the eastern district together with various out of town retail and leisure parks.
Contemporary culture
The
DerngateDerngate is a part of Northampton, England, with a theatre complex of the same name. It refers to one of the old walled town's gates which was located there.-Town:...
and
RoyalThe Royal Theatre is a 19th century theatre in Northampton, England. The Grade II listed building was opened in 1884 and designed by C. J. Phipps...
theatres are in Guildhall Road, opposite Northampton Museum and Art Gallery. They were renovated and reopened in 2006, at a cost of £15 million.
The Deco is a 900-seat theatre/conference centre based on the Grade-II listed former Cannon Cinema, in Abington Square used mainly by the voluntary and charitable sector. It was restored by the
Jesus ArmyThe Jesus Army is the identity that the Jesus Fellowship Church uses in its outreach and street-based work. It is a neocharismatic evangelical Christian movement based in the United Kingdom, that is part of the British New Church Movement....
as part of their Jesus Centre project.
Northampton Museum and Art Gallery has a world-class collection of historical footwear, and also Italian art, glass and ceramics, plus visiting exhibitions and local history. There is also a smaller historical museum in a former mansion within Abington Park.
The old Fishmarket, opposite the market square, was renovated by the NAC (
Arts Collective). As
The Fishmarket Gallery it has three art gallery spaces, retail units, a cafe, and an arts studio and is host to exhibitions by leading artists and live music, community events and workshops.
An independent contemporary arts gallery is
The Sanctuary, funded by the Arts Council, with eight studios. There is also the
Avenue Gallery at the Avenue campus of Northampton University. Northamptonshire runs an annual county-wide
Open Studios event in which artists' studios are open to the public.
The university is spending £3m on its Portfolio Innovation Centre, and by early 2009 it will house up to 45 creative freelancers, digital media developers, and designers.
Two commercial
cinemasA movie theater, movie theatre, picture theatre, film theater or cinema is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
are also in the town:
VueVue is a cinema company in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. The company was formed in May 2003 when SBC International Cinemas bought Warner Village Cinemas. There are now 62 Vue cinemas, with 607 screens totaling 134,413 seats, which includes the rebranded flagship Warner Village Cinema in...
(formerly UCI) at
Sol CentralSol Central is a leisure complex in Northampton, England that contains a cinema, health club, casino and restaurants among other facilities. It was constructed in 2002 to replace the Barclaycard head office building previously sited there before relocating to the nearby Brackmills industrial...
,
CineworldCineworld Cinemas Ltd, a subsidiary of Cineworld Group Plc, which is majority owned by private equity funds managed by the The Blackstone Group, is a cinema chain operating 75 cinemas in the UK and Ireland—73 in mainland Britain, one in Jersey , and one in the Republic of Ireland...
(formerly
UGCUGC is the second largest cinema operator in Europe with, as of August 2005, 49 sites and 553 screens across four countries:* France: 37 cinemas, 357 screens* Spain: 5 cinemas, 88 screens* Belgium: 3 cinemas, 43 screens* Italy: 3 cinemas, 52 screens...
, Virgin Cinema and MGM) at
SixfieldsSixfields in Northampton, Northamptonshire was a Landfill until a few years ago, when it was converted into a leisure area to accommodate the new Sixfields Stadium for Northampton Town Football Club....
. There is also the subsidised
Forum Cinema at
Lings ForumLings Forum is a leisure centre located in the suburbs of Northampton. It is annexed to Weston Favell Shopping Centre and Northampton Academy. The forum has a gym, swimming-pool, sporting arena and, until late 2006, a one screen cinema....
, whose film programme is widely varied and includes art-house and non-mainstream films.
Many local music venues provide events. One venue is The Roadmender, which used to be run and funded by the council and later brought by The
Purplehaus group. It is host to mainstream touring bands and one off gigs.
Sport
The town is home to
PremiershipThe English Premiership is a professional league competition for rugby union football clubs in the top division of the English rugby system. There are, at present, twelve clubs in the Premiership...
Rugby unionRugby union is a full contact team sport, a form of football which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. It is played with an oval-shaped ball, outdoors on a level field, usually with a grass surface, 100 m...
club
Northampton SaintsNorthampton Saints are a professional English rugby union club from Northampton, England. Northampton play in green, black and gold colours. They play their home games at Franklin's Gardens which has a capacity of 13,600....
, who play at Franklin's Gardens in the St James area. "The Saints" had their greatest moment when it won the
Heineken CupThe European Rugby Cup is an annual rugby union competition involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from six International Rugby Board nations in Europe: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. Romania competed in the first year of the competition only...
in 2000 at
TwickenhamTwickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000...
, beating
MunsterMunster Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union club based in Munster, that competes in the Magners League and Heineken Cup....
9-8. There are also a number of "Junior" rugby clubs in the area, the most successful of these at producing young players is Northampton Old Scouts RFC who have produced
Ben CohenBen Cohen MBE , is an England rugby union international.Cohen spent the bulk of his professional career with Northampton Saints, although he now plays for Sale Sharks in the Guinness Premiership competition in England...
and Steve Thompson amongst others.
League TwoFootball League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
footballAssociation football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players using a spherical ball...
club
Northampton TownNorthampton Town Football Club is a football club based in Northampton. The nickname of the club is The Cobblers. In the 2008-09 season they played in Football League One, the third level of English football, after promotion in 2005-06, but were relegated to Football League Two on the final day of...
, known as "The Cobblers" from the town's shoemaking background, are based at
Sixfields StadiumSixfields Stadium was finished in 1994 and was built a 7,653 all seater sports stadium in Northampton, England. It has been the home ground of Northampton Town Football Club following their move from the County Ground....
. Established in 1897, in their centenary season of 1997 they reached Wembley through the play-offs and beat Swansea City 1-0 with an injury time winning free kick from John Frain. It was the first club to set up a trust for supporters to work with the club as many have done. There is an athletics track adjacent to the ground. There are also three non-league clubs in the
United Counties Football LeagueThe United Counties Football League is an English football league covering Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire, as well as parts of Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire. It has a total of four divisions, two for first teams and two for reserve teams...
: Northampton Spencer;
Northampton Sileby RangersNorthampton Sileby Rangers F.C. is a football club based in Northampton, England. They currently play in Division One of theUnited Counties League.-History:...
; and Northampton Old Northamptonian Chenecks.
Northamptonshire County Cricket ClubNorthamptonshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Northamptonshire...
, known in limited overs cricket as "The Steelbacks", play at the
County GroundThe County Cricket Ground, is a cricket venue on Wantage Road in the Abington area of Northampton, England. It is home to Northamptonshire County Cricket Club....
, in the Abington area.
Nene Whitewater Centre provides an artificial
whitewaterWhitewater is formed in a rapid, when a river's gradient increases enough to disturb its laminar flow and create turbulence, i.e. form a bubbly, or aerated and unstable current; the frothy water appears white...
course for
canoeA canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes usually are pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over .In its human-powered form, the canoe is propelled by the use of...
s,
kayakA kayak is a small human-powered boat. It typically has a covered deck, and a cockpit covered by a spraydeck also known as a skirt. The kayak was used by the native Ainu, Aleut and Eskimo hunters in sub-Arctic regions of northeastern Asia, North America and Greenland. It historically was, and...
s and
raftA raft is any structure, with a flat top, that floats on water. It is the most basic of boat design, characterized by the absence of a hull. Instead, rafts are kept afloat using any combination of buoyant materials such as wood, sealed barrels, or inflated air chambers.-Rafts built by...
s.
Northampton Swimming Club trained the young
OlympicThe Olympic Games are a major international event of summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes compete in a wide variety of events. The Games are currently held every two years, with Summer and Winter Olympic Games alternating. Originally, the ancient Olympic Games were held in...
swimmer Caitlin McClatchey.
CollingtreeCollingtree is a village within the Borough of Northampton and a civil parish in Northamptonshire, England.- Location and context :The village is about from Northampton town centre, close to the A45 trunk road which heads east to Wellingborough and Peterborough...
Golf Club hosted the British Masters in 1995.
Northampton International Raceway near Brafield is a leading venue for stock-car racing and hosts the European Championships every July. Speedway racing has been staged at Brafield in the 1950s and again in the 1960s. In the 1950s the team was know as The Flying Foxes and in the 1960s they were known as The Badgers.
Speedway was also staged at the greyhound stadium in Northampton in the pioneer days of the late 1920s.
Notable buildings
- Northampton's oldest standing building, the Church of The Holy Sepulchre
The Holy Sepulchre is a Norman round church in Northampton, England.Simon de Senlis, Earl of Northampton, was responsible for making Northampton, England, a Norman stronghold by building a castle and a town wall...
, is one of the largest and best-preserved round churches in England. It was built in 1100 on the orders of the first Earl of NorthamptonEarl of Northampton is a title that has been created five times.-Earls in for the Honour of Huntingdon, first Creation :*Waltheof *Maud, Countess of Huntingdon** m. Simon I de Senlis** m...
, Simon de SenlisMarquess of Northampton is a title that has been created twice. The title was created for the first time in the Peerage of England in 1547 in favour of William Parr, brother of Catherine Parr, the sixth and last wife of King Henry VIII. The title was forfeited in 1554 after the accession of Queen...
, who had just returned from the first Crusade. It is based on a plan of the original Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
- The current All Saints' Church
Simon de Senlis' church of All Hallows, Northampton, England, lasted with medieval alterations until disaster struck the town on 20 September 1675. Most of the old town was destroyed by fire, not unlike the Great Fire of London in 1666 . The fire began in St...
was built on the site of a great Norman church, All Hallows, which was almost completely destroyed by the Fire of Northampton in 1675. All that remained was the medieval tower and the fine vaulted crypt, but by 1680 All SaintsSimon de Senlis' church of All Hallows, Northampton, England, lasted with medieval alterations until disaster struck the town on 20 September 1675. Most of the old town was destroyed by fire, not unlike the Great Fire of London in 1666 . The fire began in St...
had been rebuilt, with the help of donations from all over England, including 1,000 tons of timber from King Charles IICharles II was the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father King Charles I was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War. The English Parliament did not proclaim Charles II king at this time. Instead they passed a statute making such a...
, whose statue can be seen above the porticoA portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
. Famously, the poet John ClareJohn Clare was an English poet, born the son of a farm labourer who came to be known for his representations of the English countryside...
liked to sit beneath the portico of the church.
- The Guildhall
The Northampton Guildhall is a building which stands on St Giles' Square in Northampton, England. It was built to the design of Edward William Godwin between 1861 and 1864 in neo-gothic style. As well as housing Northampton Borough Council, it is also used for a variety of civic purposes, such as...
in Northampton (see picture at top) was constructed mostly in the 1860s in Victorian Gothic architecture, and extended in the 1990s. It is built on the site of the old town hall.
- 78 Derngate
78 Derngate is a Grade II* listed Georgian house in the Derngate area of Northampton, England, originally built in the 1820's. It's noted for its interior, which was extensively remodelled in 1916 and 1917 by noted architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh for businessman Wenman Joseph Bassett-Lowke.The...
contains an interior designed by Charles Rennie MackintoshCharles Rennie Mackintosh was a Scottish architect, designer, and watercolourist. He was a designer in the Arts and Crafts movement and also the main exponent of Art Nouveau in the United Kingdom...
for Wenman Joseph Bassett-Lowke and is the only major domestic commission outside Scotland. It is open to the public.
- The tall Express Lift Tower
The National Lift Tower is a lift testing tower built by the Express Lift Company off the Weedon Road in Northampton, England...
is a dominant feature in the area. Terry WoganSir Michael Terence "Terry" Wogan KBE DL is a veteran Irish radio and television broadcaster and comedian, who has worked for the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom for most of his career. With a regular 8 million listeners, he is the most listened to radio broadcaster of any...
conducted a radio phone-in during the 1980s to come up with a name for it: "Northampton Lighthouse" was suggested as Northampton is one of the furthest places from the sea. It is also known as the "Cobblers' Needle". It was built to facilitate the testing of new lifts at the Express Lifts factory. It is visible from most of the town, but is now redundant. The tower has however been listed as being of architectural importance in the town.
- Northampton Castle (now only remaining as a rebuilt postern gate in a wall outside the railway station and the hill on which it stood) was for many years one of the country's most important castles. The country's parliament sat here many times and Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 to his death. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by both the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion...
was imprisoned here until he escaped.
- The Carlsberg
The Carlsberg Group is a Danish brewing company founded in 1847 by J. C. Jacobsen after the name of his son Carl. The headquarters are in Copenhagen, Denmark...
UK brewery is located in the town.
- Delapre Abbey
Delapré Abbey , or more properly, the Convent of St Mary De La Pré, was founded about the year 1145 in the meadows of the River Nene to the south of Northampton as a Cluniac nunnery....
– former Cluniac nunnery, founded by Simon de SenlisMarquess of Northampton is a title that has been created twice. The title was created for the first time in the Peerage of England in 1547 in favour of William Parr, brother of Catherine Parr, the sixth and last wife of King Henry VIII. The title was forfeited in 1554 after the accession of Queen...
- later the County Records Office and site of the second Battle of NorthamptonThe Battle of Northampton was a battle in the Wars of the Roses, which took place on 10 July, 1460.-Background:The Yorkist cause seemed finished after the previous disaster at Ludford Bridge. Some of the Yorkist commanders, Warwick, Salisbury and York's son Edward, Earl of March reached Calais on 2...
.
- Queen Eleanor
Eleanor of Castile was the first queen consort of Edward I of England.-Birth:Eleanor was born in Castile, Spain, daughter of Saint Ferdinand, King of Castile and Leon and his second wife, Jeanne, Countess of Ponthieu. Her Castilian name, Leonor, became Alienor or Alianor in England, and Eleanor in...
's body rested here on its way to London – and the nearby Eleanor crossThe Eleanor crosses were 12 originally wooden, but later lavishly decorated stone, monuments, of which three survive intact, in a line down part of the east of England. King Edward I had the crosses erected between 1291 and 1294 in memory of his wife Eleanor of Castile, marking the nightly...
at Hardingstone commemorates this. The Cross is also referred to in Daniel DefoeDaniel Defoe , born Daniel Foe, was an English writer, journalist, and pamphleteer, who gained enduring fame for his novel Robinson Crusoe. Defoe is notable for being one of the earliest proponents of the novel, as he helped to popularise the form in Britain, and is even referred to by some as one...
's a "Tour through the whole island of Great Britain" where he describes the Great Fire of Northampton, "...a townsman being at Queen's Croos upon a hill on the south side of the town, about two miles off, saw the fire at one end of the town then newly begun, and that before he could get to the town it was burning at the remotest end, opposite where he first saw it."
- Greyfriars Bus Station, built in the 1970s to replace the old Derngate station, was featured on Channel 4
Channel 4 is a UK public-service television broadcaster which began working on November 2, 1982. Although commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station owned now and operated by the Channel Four Television...
's Demolition programme and, cited as the ugliest transport station in the UK, was suggested worthy of demolition.
- Northampton & County Club, established in 1873, was the old county hospital before becoming a private members' club; the cellars are medieval.
Other notable church buildings include: St Edmunds, closed 1978 and demolished 2007 with the bells now in
Wellington Cathedralthumb|View of the chancelThe Wellington Cathedral of St Paul is the cathedral church of the Anglican Diocese of Wellington and the seat of its bishop of Wellington....
, New Zealand; St Giles; St Matthew's, built 1893
http://www.jwaller.co.uk/stmatthews;
Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate & St Thomas of CanterburyNorthampton Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Northampton, England. It is the seat of the Diocese of Northampton which covers the counties of Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and that part of Berkshire that lies to the north of the River Thames.- History :The origins of the...
, the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Northampton and seat of the
Bishop of NorthamptonThe Bishop of Northampton heads the Catholic Northampton Diocese, a suffragan see of the Province of Westminster, England.The see is in the town of Northampton where the Bishop's cathedral or seat is located in the Cathedral Church of Our Lady and Saint Thomas of Canterbury.The current bishop is...
.
Related towns
Twin Towns
MarburgMarburg is a city in Hesse, Germany, on the River Lahn. It is the main town of the Marburg-Biedenkopf district. Its population is 78,701, and its geographical position is .- Founding and early history :...
, in Hessen, Germany; 75,000 inhabitants. Has links with the
brothers GrimmThe Brothers Grimm , Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm , were German academics who were best known for publishing collections of folk tales and fairy tales and for their work in linguistics, relating to how the sounds in words shift over time .They are among the best known story...
and one of the oldest universities in Germany;
PoitiersPoitiers is a city on the Clain river in west central France. It is a commune and the capital of the Vienne département and of the Poitou-Charentes région...
,
VienneVienne is a département of France, named after the river Vienne.- Viennese History :Vienne is one of the original 83 departments, established on March 4, 1790 during the French Revolution...
, south-west France 100,000 inhabitants.
US towns with the same name in several east coast states include:
MarylandMaryland is a state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia to the south and west, Pennsylvania to the north, and Delaware to the east. It is comparable in size to the European country of Belgium. According to the U.S...
,
MassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. Most of its population of...
, New York ,
North CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties...
,
PennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , often colloquially referred to as PA by natives and Northeasterners, is a state located in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States...
and
VirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" because it is the birthplace of eight U.S. presidents. The geography and climate of the state are shaped by the Blue...
.
Notable residents
Modern
- Alan Moore
Alan Oswald Moore is an English writer known for work in comics, including the acclaimed comic book series Watchmen, V for Vendetta and From Hell...
, writer of V for VendettaV for Vendetta is a ten-issue comic-book series written by Alan Moore and illustrated mostly by David Lloyd, set in a dystopian future United Kingdom imagined from the 1980s about the 1990s...
, WatchmenWatchmen is a twelve-issue comic book limited series created by writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons, and colorist John Higgins. The series was published by DC Comics during 1986 and 1987, and has been subsequently reprinted into a collected graphic novel...
, and The League of Extraordinary GentlemenThe League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is a comic book series written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Kevin O'Neill, published beginning in 1999. The series spans two six-issue limited series and a graphic novel from the America's Best Comics imprint of Wildstorm/DC, and a third miniseries...
, is a lifelong resident. His novel Voice of the FireVoice of the Fire is the first novel from Alan Moore, acclaimed comic book writer. The twelve-chapter tome was initially published in the United Kingdom circa 1996. The narratives take place around Moore's hometown of Northampton, England during the month of November, and span several millennia —...
is a fictionalised history of the town.
- The modern architect Will Alsop
Will Alsop is a British architect based in London. He is responsible for several distinctive and controversial modernist buildings, most in the United Kingdom. Alsop's buildings are usually distinguished by their use of bright colour and unusual forms...
was born, raised, and studied for his Foundation degreeThe Foundation Degree is a vocational qualification introduced by the government of the United Kingdom in September 2001, which is available in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
in the town. Designed North Greenwich tube stationNorth Greenwich is a station on London Underground's Jubilee Line, opened in 1999.Despite its name, North Greenwich is not in the area historically known as North Greenwich, on the Isle of Dogs, north of the river; an entirely different North Greenwich railway station used to be there, between 1872...
on the London UndergroundThe London Underground, Underground or Tube is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and neighbouring areas of Essex, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire in the UK. The first section opened in 1863, and was the first underground railway system in the world, and, starting in...
Jubilee LineThe Jubilee line is a line on the London Underground , in the United Kingdom. It was built in two major sections - initially to Charing Cross in Central London, and later extended in 1999 to Stratford in East London. The later stations are notable for their larger size and safety features...
extension.
- Actresses: Judy Carne
Judy Carne is an actress best remembered for the phrase "Sock it to me!" on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. This phrase was actually first used at the end of Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels' Devil with a Blue Dress, released in the winter of 1966-1967...
, born Joyce Botterill on 27 April 1939 in the town. Best remembered for her phrase "Sock it to me!" on Laugh-In. Joan HicksonJoan Hickson OBE was an English actress of theatre, film and television, who achieved fame in her old age playing Agatha Christie's Miss Marple in the television series Miss Marple.- Biography :...
, who played Miss MarpleJane Marple, usually referred to as Miss Marple, is a fictional character appearing in twelve of Agatha Christie's crime novels. Miss Marple is an elderly spinster who acts as an amateur detective, and lives in the village of St. Mary Mead. She is one of the most famous of Christie's characters and...
, comes from KingsthorpeKingsthorpe was once a Northamptonshire village but is now a suburb to the north-west of the major town of Northampton, England. The River Nene flows through the area to the west....
. Birds of a FeatherBirds of a Feather is a British sitcom that aired on BBC One from 1989 to 1998. Starring Pauline Quirke, Linda Robson and Lesley Joseph, it was created by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, who also wrote some of the episodes along with many other writers....
actress Lesley JosephLesley Joseph is an English actress and occasional broadcaster of radio and television.-Life and career:Joseph was born in Northampton. She is best known for starring in the BBC sitcom Birds of a Feather from 1989 - 1998, where she played Dorien Green, the busty next-door neighbour of the main...
grew up in the town. Nanette Newman-Early life and career:Born in Northampton, England, she was educated at Sternhold College, the Italia Conti Academy stage school and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, London....
, actress and author, was born here.
- Comedian Alan Carr
Alan Carr is an English stand-up comedian and media personality, known for his deliberately camp demeanour and self-deprecating humour.-Personal life:...
attended what is now Weston Favell School. Host of Channel 4's "Sunday Night Project". His father Graham CarrWilliam Graham Carr is an English former professional footballer and football club manager.-Playing career:...
managed Northampton FC.
- Journalist and broadcasters Andrew Collins grew up in the town and wrote about it in his memoir "Where Did It All Go Right?"; Former BBC radio presenter Anna Murby is from the county; Jo Whiley
Johanne "Jo" Whiley is a British radio DJ on BBC Radio 1, and a television presenter. She is married to Steve Morton and has four children.-Early life and education:...
, a BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the BBC which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock or interviews. It is aimed...
- Actor Robert Llewellyn
Robert Llewellyn is an English actor, presenter, and writer. He is best known for his roles as presenter of Scrapheap Challenge, and as the android Kryten in the hit sitcom Red Dwarf.-Career:...
(Kryten from Red DwarfRed Dwarf is a British television situation comedy franchise, primarily comprising eight series of a television sitcom that ran on BBC Two between 1988 and 1999 and gained a cult following. It was created by, and the first six series were written by, Rob Grant and Doug Naylor...
) was born here and lived at 47 Booth Rise until the age of 13 (source: Anglian TV's Celebrity Going Home: Robert Llewellyn (2004))
- The late Delia Derbyshire
Delia Ann Derbyshire was an English musician and composer of electronic music and musique concrète. She is best known for her electronic realisation of Ron Grainer's theme music to the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and for her work with the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.-Early...
, who produced the original Doctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a mysterious alien time-traveller known as "the Doctor" who travels in his space and time-ship, the TARDIS, which normally appears from the exterior to be a blue 1950s police box...
theme tune, spent her final years in the town.
- James Morrison
James Morrison is a BRIT Award-winning English singer–songwriter and guitarist from Rugby, Warwickshire. In 2006, his debut single "You Give Me Something" became a hit in Europe, Australia, and Japan, peaking in the top five in the UK and New Zealand. His debut album, Undiscovered, debuted at the...
singer/songwriter lived in the town for 18 months and went to Kingsthorpe Middle School
- Myrea Pettit
Myrea Pettit is a British fantasy and fairy artist and illustrator born in Northampton. She studied with famed Swedish illustrator Ann Mari Sjogren painting flowers, butterflies and fairies like Tinkerbell from Peter Pan....
, fantasy artist of fairies, flowers and butterflies learned her craft in NorthamptonshireNorthamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census...
.
- Derek Redmond
Derek Anthony Redmond is a retired British athlete. During his career, he held the British record for the 400 metres sprint, and won gold medals in the 4x400 metres relay at the World Championships, European Championships and Commonwealth Games.However his career was blighted by a series of...
, Olympic runner, was born and raised here. He attended RoadeRoade is a village in Northamptonshire, England and in the area of the South Northamptonshire District Council where it is in the two-member Blisworth and Roade ward.-Location:Roade straddles the busy Northampton to Milton Keynes A508, ca...
Comprehensive School, now Roade Sports College, where the sports hall is named after him.
- Professional wrestler Norman Smiley
Norman Smiley is a British professional wrestler best known for his appearances in World Championship Wrestling. He is currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment as a trainer for Florida Championship Wrestling.-Career:...
was born here.
- Matt Smith
Matthew Robert Smith is an English stage and television actor. An aspiring youth footballer, Smith became an actor after a back injury. His first performance was in Murder in the Cathedral as part of the National Youth Theatre...
, actor, who will play the eleventh DoctorThe Eleventh Doctor is the announced eleventh incarnation of the fictional character known as the Doctor, who will appear on screen in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who beginning in 2010...
in Doctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a mysterious alien time-traveller known as "the Doctor" who travels in his space and time-ship, the TARDIS, which normally appears from the exterior to be a blue 1950s police box...
and will be the youngest actor in the role, went to Northampton School for BoysNorthampton School for Boys is a secondary school in Northampton, England.- History :The school was originally founded in 1541 by mayor Thomas Chipsey, as the town's free boys grammar school. In 1557, the school moved to St. Gregory's church, which was adapted for its use. The School remained on...
.
- Nearby is Althorp
Althorp is a country estate and stately home in Northamptonshire, England, located roughly north-west of the county town Northampton. It has been the ancestral home of the Spencer family since the early 16th century and is currently owned by Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer...
, the country estate of Earl SpencerEarl Spencer is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain that was created on 1 November 1765, along with the title Viscount Althorp, of Althorp in the County of Northamptonshire, for John Spencer, 1st Viscount Spencer, a great-grandson of the 1st Duke of Marlborough...
where Diana, Princess of WalesDiana, Princess of Wales, was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales. Their sons, Princes William and Harry, are second and third in line to the thrones of the United Kingdom and fifteen other Commonwealth Realms.A public figure from the announcement of her engagement to Prince Charles, Diana...
is buried. Charles Spencer, the current and 9th Earl SpencerCharles Edward Maurice Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, DL is the second and only surviving son of John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer and the Honourable Frances Roche , daughter of the 4th Baron Fermoy...
(b.1964) is her brother. In 1989, the Prince and Princess of Wales, Charles & Diana, made an official visit to Northampton and Diana was made an Honorary Freeman of the Borough. The Royal Pioneer CorpsThe Royal Pioneer Corps was a British Army combatant corps used for light engineering tasks.The Royal Pioneer Corps was raised on 17 October 1939 as the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps. It was renamed the Pioneer Corps on 22 November 1940...
from the former Simpson Barracks, which were located at WoottonWootton, Northamptonshire is a village about south of Northampton town centre and now part of the Northampton Borough Council area.The village is separated from Hardingstone by the Newport Pagnell Road the B526, formerly part of the A50 road...
in the south of the town, stood guard of honour on the day. There is a bronze plaque in her memory on the outside of the Guildhall extension.
- TV presenter Michael Underwood
Michael Paul Underwood is a British television presenter who famously won a six week CBBC presenting contract on Gaby Roslin's BBC television show Whatever You Want. He had previously made it to the last four in interviews for the Blue Peter vacancy subsequently filled by Simon Thomas...
lives in the town and attended what is now Weston Favell School.
- Marc Warren
Marc Warren is an English actor, probably best known for his British television role as Danny Blue in Hustle and Elton Pope in the 2006 Doctor Who series episode "Love & Monsters".-Career:...
, who played Danny Blue in the BBC's Hustle series, was born in KingsthorpeKingsthorpe was once a Northamptonshire village but is now a suburb to the north-west of the major town of Northampton, England. The River Nene flows through the area to the west....
.
- Marcia Matilda Falkender, Baroness Falkender
Marcia Matilda Falkender, Baroness Falkender CBE , formerly Marcia Williams, previously Marcia Field, is a British Labour politician, being first the private secretary for, and then the political secretary and head of political office to, Harold Wilson...
, formerly Marcia Williams and private secretary to Prime MinisterA prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. The position is usually held by, but need not always be held by, a politician. In many systems, the prime minister selects and can dismiss other members of the cabinet, and...
Harold WilsonJames Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, PC was a British Labour Party politician; one of the most prominent British politicians of the latter half of the 20th century, he served two terms as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, firstly from 1964 to 1970, and again from 1974...
was educated at Northampton High SchoolNorthampton High School is a private selective non-boarding school for girls in Hardingstone, Northampton, England.- Location :The school is about from Northampton town centre along the Newport Pagnell road which separates the school from Wootton.- History :The school was founded in 1878 by a...
for girls.
- Stuart Pearson Wright
Stuart Pearson Wright is an award winning English artist who works mainly in paint. He was educated at Slade School of Fine Art, University College of London , where he graduated with honours, receiving a B.A. in Fine Art...
, award winning artist, was born here in 1975.
- Graeme Swann
Graeme Peter Swann is an English cricketer. He is a hard-hitting right-handed batsman and a right-arm offbreak Bowling all-rounder. After debuting for his home team Northamptonshire in 1997, he moved to Nottinghamshire in 2005...
was born in Northampton and played for Northamptonshire County Cricket ClubNorthamptonshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Northamptonshire...
from 1998-2004 before moving to Nottinghamshire County Cricket ClubNottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Nottinghamshire. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
. Swann currently plays in both the England TestTest cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. It is generally considered the ultimate test of playing ability in the sport.The name "Test" may have arisen from the idea that the matches are a "test of strength and competency" between the sides involved...
and One Day International teams.
Historical
- Scientist Francis Crick
Francis Harry Compton Crick OM FRS , was a British molecular biologist, physicist, and neuroscientist, and most noted for being one of two co-discoverers of the structure of the DNA molecule in 1953, together with James D. Watson. He, James D...
, born in the town in 1916, along with James D. WatsonJames Dewey Watson, born April 6, 1928, in Chicago, Illinois, is an American molecular biologist, best known as one of the two co-discoverers of the structure of DNA, with Francis Crick in 1953...
discovered the structure of DNADeoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms and some viruses. The main role of DNA molecules is the long-term storage of information...
, and went on to win a Nobel PrizeThe Nobel Prize is a Sweden-based international monetary prize. The award was established by the 1895 will and estate of Swedish chemist and inventor Alfred Nobel. It was first awarded in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Peace in 1901...
. In December 2005, a public sculpture called Discovery by Lucy Glendinning was erected in Abington Street as a memorial to CrickFrancis Harry Compton Crick OM FRS , was a British molecular biologist, physicist, and neuroscientist, and most noted for being one of two co-discoverers of the structure of the DNA molecule in 1953, together with James D. Watson. He, James D...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/northamptonshire/4522024.stm.
- Walter Tull
Walter Daniel John Tull was the first black/mixed race officer in the British Army, and the second black/mixed race player in the top division of the Football League.-Biography:...
, Northampton Town FC player who became Britain's first black army officer during the First World War.
- Composers: William Alwyn
William Alwyn, CBE, born William Alwyn Smith was an English composer, conductor, and music teacher.-Life and Music:...
, Sir Malcolm ArnoldSir Malcolm Henry Arnold, CBE was an English composer and symphonist.Malcolm Arnold began his career playing trumpet professionally, but by age thirty his life was devoted to composition. He was bracketed with Benjamin Britten and William Walton as one of the most sought-after composers in Britain...
and Edmund RubbraEdmund Rubbra was a British composer. He composed both instrumental and vocal works for soloists, chamber groups and full choruses and orchestras. He was highly respected by fellow musicians and was at the peak of his public popularity in the mid-20th century. The most famous of his works are his...
were born here.
- Elizabeth Bowen
Elizabeth Dorothea Cole Bowen, CBE was an Anglo-Irish novelist and short story writer.-Life:Elixabeth Bowen was born in Dublin and later brought to Bowen’s Court in County Cork where she spent her summers. When her father became mentally ill in 1907, she and her mother moved to England, eventually...
, 20th century Anglo-Irish writer, lived here after her marriage.
- Charles Bradlaugh
Charles Bradlaugh was a political activist and one of the most famous English atheists of the 19th century. He founded the National Secular Society in 1866.-Early life:...
was the famous radical MP and member for the town.
- Anne Bradstreet
Anne Bradstreet was an English-American writer, the first notable American poet, and the first woman to be published in Colonial America. Her work was very influential to Puritans in her time.-Biography:...
(1612-1672)- a puritan poet later based in MassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. Most of its population of...
.
- Alban Butler
Alban Butler , English Roman Catholic priest and hagiographer, was born at Appletree, Northamptonshire....
(1710-1773) - the author of Lives of the saints
- John Clare
John Clare was an English poet, born the son of a farm labourer who came to be known for his representations of the English countryside...
, the poet, was detained in Northampton County Lunatic Asylum, now St Andrew's Hospital, and remained until his death in 1864.
- Errol Flynn
Errol Leslie Flynn was an Australian film actor, known for his romantic swashbuckler roles in Hollywood films and his flamboyant lifestyle.-Background and early life:...
acted in the Northampton Repertory Theatre between 1933 and 1934.
- James Harrington (1611-1677), philosopher and author of "Oceana
The Commonwealth of Oceana, published 1656, is a composition of political philosophy written by the English politician and essayist, James Harrington . When first attempted to be published, it was officially censored by Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell...
", was born at nearby Upton HallUpton, Northamptonshire, England is a civil parish north-east of Kislingbury village and south-west of Dallington. It is within the West Hunsbury Ward of Northampton Borough Council and Northamptonshire County Council....
.
- Jerome K. Jerome
Jerome Klapka Jerome was an English writer and humorist, best known for the humorous travelogue Three Men in a Boat....
, author of Three Men in a BoatThree Men in a Boat , published in 1889, is a humorous account by Jerome K. Jerome of a boating holiday on the Thames between Kingston and Oxford....
and other works, died here in 1927.
- Spencer Perceval
Spencer Perceval, KC was a British statesman and Prime Minister. He is the only British Prime Minister to have been assassinated. He is the only Solicitor General or Attorney General, and one of very few lawyers, to have been Prime Minister.The younger son of a minor nobleman, Perceval was...
was a local MP and Prime Minister. He was shot in the House of CommonsThe House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 646 members, who are known as "Members...
by assassin John BellinghamJohn Bellingham was the assassin of British Prime Minister Spencer Perceval. This murder was the only successful attempt on the life of a British Prime Minister...
in 1812.
- Victorian cricketer and pioneer missionary Charles ("C.T.") Studd
Charles Thomas Studd was born 2 December 1860, Spratton, Northamptonshire, England, and died 16 July 1931, Ibambi, Belgian Congo.In 1888 he married Priscilla Stewart, and their marriage produced four daughters and two sons, who died in infancy.Studd is remembered both as a cricketer and missionary...
who played in the first AshesThe Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of international cricket's most celebrated rivalries and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Since cricket is a summer game, the venues being in...
test, was born at SprattonSpratton is a village in the English county of Northamptonshire. The local government authority is Daventry District Council, whose headquarters are in Lodge road, Daventry, Northamptonshire. Spratton is 7.1 miles north of Northampton, 6.5 miles from Long Buckby and 11.4 miles from Daventry...
.
Musical
- Bauhaus (band)
Bauhaus were an English rock band formed in Northampton in 1978. The group consisted of Peter Murphy , Daniel Ash , Kevin Haskins and David J . The band was originally Bauhaus 1919 before they dropped the numerical portion within a year of formation...
- VV Brown
Vanessa Brown , known as VV Brown, is a British recording artist, songwriter and producer signed to Universal's Island Records in the United Kingdom and to EMI's Capitol Records in the United States...
, artist-songwriter-producer
- Rebecca Hunter
Rebecca Hunter, sometimes credited as Becky Hunter , is a British actress and singer.Hunter has a diploma in acting from LAMDA . She is best known for playing Melanie Costello on the five soap opera Family Affairs between 2003 and 2005...
singer from pop group allSTARS*
- James Chapman
Maps is the recording name used by Northampton-based musician James Chapman. Influences on Chapman are Spiritualized, whom "he loves", Galaxie 500, My Bloody Valentine, Mogwai and Low. He has claimed in an interview to reply to every MySpace message he receives personally.- Start Something :In...
, Northampton-based Mercury-nominated musician
- Faye Tozer
Faye Louise Tozer is a theatre actress and singer who first gained fame as a member of the pop group Steps.-Music:Steps were a pop group that achieved a series of charted singles between 1997 and 2001...
, singer from pop group Steps
- Pat Fish
Pat Fish is an English musician best known for his work as a member of the band The Jazz Butcher. - Early career :...
, leader of the Jazz ButcherThe Jazz Butcher, also known as The Jazz Butcher Conspiracy and The Jazz Butcher And His Sikkorskis From Hell, are a British musical group founded by Pat Fish. Their oeuvre is blackly humorous with such topics as Thomas Pynchon's The Crying of Lot 49, an unrequited crush on Shirley Maclaine, and an...
.
Media
Newspapers The
Northampton Chronicle & EchoThe Northampton Chronicle & Echo is a local newspaper serving Northampton and the surrounding towns and villages, with editions from Monday to Saturday. It has a circulation of 19,000 and is owned by Johnston Press....
is the town's only paid-for newspaper. It is published Monday to Saturday each week and has a daily circulation of approximately 21,000 copies. Newspapers issued free of charge, but with a town circulation only, are
The Mercury (Thursday) and
Northants on Sunday, both from the publishers of the
Chronicle & Echo, and the Herald and Post (Thursday). These free papers tend to be mostly advertising media with limited news coverage.
The Mercury is one of the oldest newspapers still in circulation, being first published in 1720. It is the fifth-oldest such newspaper in the UK and the tenth-oldest such in the world.
Radio Three stations are based in the town, two of which broadcast county-wide.
BBC Radio NorthamptonBBC Radio Northampton is the BBC Local Radio service for the English county of Northamptonshire. It broadcasts from its studios in Broadcasting House, Northampton on 104.2 and 103.6 FM. The station also has two studios in Daventry and Corby...
broadcasts news, topical items and some music, switching to a regional network after 7pm. A commercial station, Heart 96.6 (formerly Northants 96), broadcasts mostly popular music. A community radio station,
Inspiration FMInspiration FM is a community radio station in the United Kingdom.Inspiration FM will be a community led and managed radio service, providing access, information, entertainment and training...
was awarded a 5 year licence on 24 July 2008 and will soon be broadcasting in Northampton.
Regional TV news is broadcast on the BBC East (terrestrial and satellite) with a main programme, BBC Look East, and on
ITVITV is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters, set up under the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC. ITV is the oldest commercial television network in the UK...
's
Anglia NewsAnglia Television is the ITV franchise holder for the East Anglia franchise region. Although Anglia Television takes its name from East Anglia, its transmission coverage extends beyond the generally accepted boundaries of that region. The station is based at Anglia House in Norwich, with regional...
. From 1999-2004, Northants TV (NTV) on cable and later terrestrial showed local ads, sport, and limited local activities.
Film and TV
Northampton was the town location in the
BBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation, usually referred to by its abbreviation as the "BBC", is the longest established and largest broadcaster in the world...
's
Keeping Up AppearancesKeeping Up Appearances is a British sitcom starring Patricia Routledge as eccentric, social-climbing snob Hyacinth Bucket. Created and written by Roy Clarke, it aired on BBC1 from 1990 to 1995 — spanning five seasons and 44 episodes — four of which are Christmas specials.In 2004 the show came 12th...
from 1990-1995. Parts of the 2005 film
Kinky BootsKinky Boots is a Golden Globe Award-nominated British-American comedy film written by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth, about a traditional Northampton shoemaker, based in Earls Barton, who turns to producing fetishism footwear in order to save the failing family business and the jobs of his workers...
were made in Northampton and featured shots of the statue outside the Grosvenor Centre in the Town Centre and inside RE Tricker's shoe factory in St. Michaels Road representing the original factory, in
Earls BartonEarls Barton is a large village in Eastern Northamptonshire - it has a population of about 5,353 people.The village is famous for:*its Saxon church - which is one of the most famous remaining examples of its type in the country - another example being at nearby Brixworth.*its shoe-making...
.
Geography
Northampton's closest towns are
WellingboroughWellingborough is a town in Northamptonshire, England situated some eleven miles from the county town of Northampton and eight miles south of Kettering. It dates from the 6th century and is mentioned in the Domesday Book under the name of Wendelburie, and was granted a royal market charter in 1201....
,
DaventryDaventry is a market town in Northamptonshire, England, with a population of 22,367 . The town is also the administrative centre of the larger Daventry district, which has a population of 71,838. The town is 124 km north-northwest of London, 22.4 km west of Northampton and 16.4 km...
and
TowcesterTowcester , the Roman town of Lactodorum, is a small town in south Northamptonshire, England. The English name is derived from the Latin for "Camp on the Tove". -Location:...
External links