Raunds is a small
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...
in rural
NorthamptonshireNorthamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census...
,
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It has a population of 8,275 (2001 census), is a
civil parishIn England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and in some places the lowest tier of local government, below districts and counties. A civil parish can alternatively be known as a town, village, neighbourhood or community by resolution of its parish council; and in a limited number of...
, and is part of the
East NorthamptonshireEast Northamptonshire is a local government district in Northamptonshire, England. Its council is based in Thrapston and Rushden, which is the largest town in the area...
district.
Geography
Raunds is situated 15 miles north-east of
NorthamptonNorthampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. It is about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, and lies on the River Nene...
. The town is on the southern edge of the
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...
valley and surrounded by arable farming land.
Raunds is close to
Stanwick Lakes; a country park developed from gravel pits and managed by the
Rockingham Forest Trust. This park is internationally recognised for its birdlife and can be reached on foot from Raunds along Meadows Lane bridleway.
Raunds has two day nurseries (Raunds Rainbow Nursery School and Raunds Day Nursery), an infant school (Park Infants), two primary schools (Windmill and
St Peter's Junior School) and one secondary school (Manor School and Sports College). Manor school has had a new all-weather, floodlit, sports pitch installed, costing half a million pounds.
History
In the mid-1980s, during sand excavations in the Nene valley, the remains of a Roman villa were discovered. Excavation of the area, near
Stanwick, NorthamptonshireStanwick is a village and civil parish in rural Northamptonshire, England. It is located approximately 15 miles to the north-east of Northampton and is the largest village in the East Northamptonshire district.- History:...
, was delayed by several years while
archaeologistsArchaeology or archeology is the science that studies human cultures through the recovery, documentation, analysis, and interpretation of material culture and environmental data, including architecture, artifacts, biofacts, and landscapes...
studied the remains. In 2003
Channel 4Channel 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
Time TeamTime Team is a British television series shown on Channel 4 since 1994. Presented by actor Tony Robinson, a team of specialists carry out an archaeological dig in three days, with Robinson explaining the process in layman’s terms....
excavated a garden and found remains of a
Anglo-SaxonAnglo-Saxons is the term usually used to describe the invading Germanic tribes in the south and east of Great Britain from the early 5th century AD, and their creation of the English nation, to the Norman conquest of 1066...
cemetery .
St Peter's Church, believed to have been built in the 15th century, has the second tallest spire in
NorthamptonshireNorthamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census...
at 202 feet (61.5m). The church stands on the site of a
SaxonAnglo-Saxons is the term usually used to describe the invading Germanic tribes in the south and east of Great Britain from the early 5th century AD, and their creation of the English nation, to the Norman conquest of 1066...
place of worship. During the 15th century patronage of the church changed from St Mary to
St PeterSimon Peter , Pétros “Rock”, Kephas in Hellenized Aramaic) was a leader of the early Christian Church, who features prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. Peter was the son of John, and was from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee...
. The church features a rare 'left-handed fiddler' decoration above the western entrance. A tombchest dedicated to John Wales, vicar from 1447 to 1496, proves the building has been in use for more than 550 years.
Raunds played a role in the boot and shoe industry until its decline in the 1950s and 60s. In 1905, a dispute arose about wages to be paid to army bootmakers, which culminated in a march to London in May that year. Several factories remained into the early 1990s but most are now closed. Several buildings were demolished and housing estates were added. There is little industry in the town, but on the outskirts there are some industrial sites.
Raunds once held the record for the highest temperature in Britain at (set in 1911). This record stood until 1990.
Road
Raunds is adjacent to the A45 and close to the A14. Access to 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...
and A1 is close and the A14 runs into 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...
. Consequently the area attracts distribution companies, and there are many warehouses.
Bus
Bus services are not great, although Raunds does have some. The X46 links the town with Wellingborough and Northampton, running half-hourly. There are intermittent routes to
HuntingdonHuntingdon is a market town in the county of Cambridgeshire in East Anglia, England. The town was chartered by King John in 1205. It was formerly the county town of Huntingdonshire, and is currently the seat of the Huntingdonshire district council...
and a local service termed the 'Raunds Rover'.
Rail
Connections are provided by
East Midlands TrainsEast Midlands Trains is a train operating company operating in the United Kingdom. Based in Derby, it provides train services in the East Midlands and surrounding areas, chiefly in the counties of Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire...
from
WellingboroughWellingborough railway station serves the town of Wellingborough in Northamptonshire, England. It lies on the Midland Main Line, it is from London St. Pancras. East Midlands Trains operate the station and run all of its services using modern Meridian trains.The station is to the east of the town...
, and
KetteringKettering railway station is to the south-west of the Kettering town centre in Northamptonshire, England. It lies on the Midland Main Line, 115 km north of London St...
. There was a Raunds railway station, on the cross-country
Midland RailwayThe Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
between Kettering and Cambridge, 1½ miles from the town. This closed in 1959. It was also planned that the Wellingborough-Higham Ferrers branch would continue to Raunds, but landowners prevented it.
Waterways
Stanwick Lakes are within walking or cycling distance of Raunds, and river ways connect to the Nene Valley river section. By boat,
OundleOundle is an ancient market town on the River Nene in Northamptonshire, England, with a population of 5,345 or 5,674 . It is 80 miles north of London and 12 miles southwest of Peterborough.-History:...
can be reached in a day. The Nene Valley river section connects to the Middle Level Navigation System, making it possible to reach
CambridgeThe city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. It is also at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen....
and
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...
. The nearest marina is Willy Watt's in
Ringstead, NorthamptonshireRingstead is a small village situated in Northamptonshire, England and is located approximately 15 miles north-east of Northampton in the Nene Valley. The River Nene runs directly past the village in a series of locks. During the 1980s, major sand and gravel excavations took place all around...
.
Trade
There are many small businesses and many people commute to larger centres for work (see section on Road transport). Raunds is home to the manufacturing plant of RPC Containers, a
HotpointThe Hotpoint Electric Heating Company is a British brand of home appliance and dental supply makers which was recently acquired by Italian competitor Indesit and merged with its Ariston brand into Hotpoint-Ariston. In North America hotpoint is the "value" brand of GE...
distribution centre, and depots for
Robert Wiseman DairiesRobert Wiseman Dairies plc is a large Scottish milk supplier and distributor. They are now one of the largest dairy businesses in Great Britain with seven major dairies . Robert Wiseman Dairies also distribute cream and orange juice...
and Avery Dennison.
Raunds Co-operative SocietyRaunds Co-operative Society Limited was a consumer co-operative society based in Raunds, Northamptonshire, founded in 1891.The society operated a large supermarket and a department store in Raunds, and as of 2007 held of farmland at Northdale Farm, farming wheat and oilseed rape...
ran a supermarket and department store and had 4,000 members until 2007 when it merged with the larger
Midlands Co-operative SocietyThe Midlands Co-operative Society Limited is a regional consumer co-operative in the United Kingdom. It is a registered Industrial and Provident Society, a member of the Co-operative Union Ltd., the Co-operative Retail Trading Group, the Co-operative Travel Trading Group and a corporate member of...
. The shops still operate.
A market is held on Fridays in the square. Regular stalls include butchers, plant stockists and confectioners. Local organisations and clubs can also set up a stall.
Culture
Raunds holds an annual music festival in May:
Raunds Music Festival Website.
Raunds Music and Drama Society (MADS) hold several stage performances throughout the year.
The town holds a Christmas festival in the square. Continental markets are held annually to celebrate neighbouring countries.
Woodbine Working Mens Club and Conservative Club have offered community and recreational facilities from their current sites since 1901 and 1902 respectively.
Football
Raunds Town FC are at Kiln Park and play in the United Counties Football League. As well as the first team, they also have reserve, women's and youth teams.
Raunds Tigers FC focus on junior soccer and have several youth teams.
Cricket
Raunds Town Cricket Club have a ground in Marshalls Road. The team plays in the Northamptonshire League.
Mayors of Raunds
In 2005, the Raunds Town Council decided to (instead of having a chairman of the council) pick a mayor. Holders have been:
- 2005-2006: Lisa Costello
- 2006-2007: Dudley Hughes
- 2007-2008: Michelle Goring
- 2008-2009: Peter Wathen
Nearby settlements
RingsteadRingstead is a small village situated in Northamptonshire, England and is located approximately 15 miles north-east of Northampton in the Nene Valley. The River Nene runs directly past the village in a series of locks. During the 1980s, major sand and gravel excavations took place all around...
,
KeystonKeyston – in Huntingdonshire , England – is a village near Molesworth west of Huntingdon.The village lies at the western end of Huntingdonshire and the parish's western border coincides with the county boundary with Northamptonshire...
,
StanwickStanwick is a village and civil parish in rural Northamptonshire, England. It is located approximately 15 miles to the north-east of Northampton and is the largest village in the East Northamptonshire district.- History:...
,
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...
,
Higham FerrersHigham Ferrers is a market town in east Northamptonshire, England, adjacent to Rushden to the south. It has an estimated population of 7,204. The de Ferrers family were former Lords of the Manor...
,
ThrapstonThrapston is a small town in Northamptonshire, England. It is the headquarters of the East Northamptonshire district, and in 2001 had a population of 4,855. By 2006, this was estimated to be over 5,700....
,
HargraveHargrave is a small village situated in rural Northamptonshire, England. Hargrave is located approximately 15 miles north-east of Northampton and is adjacent to the Northamptonshire / Cambridgeshire border....
,
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....
,
IrthlingboroughIrthlingborough, originally called Artleborough , is a small town on the River Nene in Northamptonshire, England with a population of around 9,000 people. It is the smallest town in England to have possessed a league association football team, Rushden & Diamonds F.C..-Landmarks:The parish , St...
,
ChelvestonChelveston is a small village in Northamptonshire, England and is part of the East Northamptonshire district. To the south is the hamlet of Caldecott with which it shares a civil parish.Nearby is the former airfield of RAF Chelveston...
.
External links