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Northampton

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This article is about the town in England. For other uses, seeNorthampton (disambiguation).

Northampton(/nɔːrˈθæmptən/ⓘnor-THAMP-tən) is a town andcivil parish[2]in theWest Northamptonshireunitary authority area[3]ofNorthamptonshire,England. It is the county town of Northamptonshire and the administrative centre of theunitary authorityofWest Northamptonshire.The town is situated on theRiver Nene,60 miles (97 km) north-west ofLondonand 50 miles (80 km) south-east ofBirmingham.Northampton is one of the largest towns in England;[4]the population of its overall urban area was recorded as 249,093 in the2021 census.[1]

Northampton
Town and civil parish
Northampton is located in Northamptonshire
Northampton
Northampton
Location withinNorthamptonshire
Population249,093 (2021 census)[1]
Civil parish
  • Northampton
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Areas of the town
List
Post townNORTHAMPTON
Postcode districtNN1—NN7
Dialling code01604
PoliceNorthamptonshire
FireNorthamptonshire
AmbulanceEast Midlands
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Northamptonshire
52°13′49″N0°53′38″W/ 52.2303748°N 0.8937527°W/52.2303748; -0.8937527

Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates to theBronze Age,RomansandAnglo-Saxons.In theMiddle Ages,the town rose to national significance with the establishment ofNorthampton Castle,an occasional royal residence which regularly hosted theParliament of England.Medieval Northampton had many churches, monasteries and theUniversity of Northampton,all enclosed by the town walls. It was granted atown charterbyRichard Iin 1189 and a mayor was appointed byKing Johnin 1215. The town was also the site of two medieval battles, in1264and1460.

The town largely supported the ParliamentaryRoundheadsduring theEnglish Civil War,which promptedCharles IIto order the destruction of the town walls and most of the castle. TheGreat Fire of Northamptonin 1675 also destroyed much of the historic town. Northampton was soon rebuilt and grew rapidly with the industrial development of the 18th century. The town continued to expand with the arrival of theGrand Union Canaland the railways in the 19th century, becoming a centre for footwear and leather manufacture.

Growth was limited following the World Wars until it was designated aNew Townin 1968, accelerating development which has continued into the 21st century. Northampton unsuccessfully applied forcity statusfour times; in 1992, 2000, 2002 and 2022.[5]

History

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Etymology

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The earliest reference to Northampton in writing occurred in 914 under the nameHam tune.[6]The prefix "North" was added later to distinguish it from other towns called Hampton, most prominentlySouthampton.[7]TheDomesday Book(1086) records the town asNorthantone,which evolved intoNorhamptoneby the 13th century and laterNorthamptonby the 17th century.[6][8]

Ancient

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Earthworks atHunsbury Hill,which was a settlement during theIron Age

Present-day Northampton is the latest in a series of settlements that began in theBronze Age.Remains found in the Briar Hill district show evidence of aNeolithicencampment within a large circular earthwork where local farmers assembled for tribal ceremonies and seasonal events from approximately 3500 BC to 2000 BC.[9][10]

During theBritish Iron Age,people typically lived in protectedhill forts.Present-dayHunsbury Hillis an example of this settlement; a circular ditch and a bank faced with a wall of timber and enclosing an area of 160 acres (65 ha) which dates to around 400 BC.[11]In theRoman period,a small rural settlement is thought to have existed in the present-day district ofDuston;remains ofRomanpotterywere found there.[12]

Following aDanishinvasion, the central area of the town was turned into a stronghold called aburhprobably by the Anglo-Saxons. By the time of thePeace of Wedmorein 878 the Burgh was in possession of the Danes and became the base for one of the Danish armies.[13]A ditch was dug around the settlement and it was fortified with earthramparts.[14]Having conqueredMercia,the Danes turned the settlement into a centre for military and administrative purposes, which was part of theDanelaw.The Danish army of Northampton however submitted toEdward the Elder,Saxon King ofWessex(who controlled the southern and western part of the English Kingdom of Mercia) in 921[13]

In the 9th centuryRegenhere of Northampton,[15][16]anEast AnglianSaintwith localisedveneration,was buried in Northampton. By 918, Northampton had anearland an army dependent upon it, whose territory extended to theRiver Welland.[6]

Edward the Elder turned Northampton into the centre of one of the new shires, and it prospered as a river port and trading centre.[6]In 940, it resisted the invading forces of Danish opposition inNorthumbriawhen the Mercians successfully defended the town in a siege byKing Olaf of York,[17]but was burnt in 1010 by a Danish army, and again in 1065 by therebellious northern earlsEdwinandMorcar.Despite this, theDomesday BookrecordsNorthantoneas possessing 316 houses with a population of 2000 people, ranking betweenWarwickandLeicesterin size.[6][7]

Medieval

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Northampton Castlewas a royal residence and held theParliament of England,but was eventually demolished for arailway station.Apostern,rebuilt into a wall by the station, is all that remains.

With theNorman Conquestof England in 1066, the town rose to national significance: its geographical location in the centre of England made Northampton a valuable strategical point for government and as a convenient meeting place for political, social, ecclesiastical and military events.[6][18]

Northampton Castleis thought to have been built bySimon de Senlis,who became the firstEarl of Northampton,circa 1084.[6]It was originally an earth and timberstockadedconstruction which was later rebuilt in stone.[19]The castle became an occasional royal residence from the reign of KingHenry Iin 1130 until that of KingRichard II.[18]King Johnregularly stayed at the castle and movedThe Treasurythere in 1205. Some 32Parliamentswere held there.[20]The last Parliament at Northampton was held in 1380. Significant events in the castle's history include the trial ofThomas Becketin 1164, the publication of theAssize of Northamptonin 1176, the declaration of peace with Scotland in theTreaty of Edinburgh–Northampton,the passage of theStatute of Northamptonin 1328 and the imposition ofpoll taxin 1380. Royal tournaments and feasts were also held at the castle.[6][19]

Simon de Senlisis also thought to have built the medieval town walls, which enclosed about 245 acres (99 ha) and had four maingates.Though demolished now, the circular pattern of the main roads surrounding the town centre marks the original position of the walls.[19]de Senlis founded theCluniacPriory of St Andrew'sin the area of Semilong, and builtThe Church of the Holy Sepulchre– one of four remaininground churchesin England – and All Hallows' Church on the current site ofAll Saints' Church.[6][19]His son,Simon II de Senlis,builtSt Peter's Churchon a site between a former Anglo-Saxon palace and Northampton Castle.[19]Simon II de Senlis also foundedDelapré Abbey– another Cluniac priory – which still stands today. Other priories in medieval Northampton includeSt James' Abbey,Graye Friers, Blackfriars and Whitefriars. St. John's, a medieval hospital, was situated east of Bridge Street.[19]Anetwork of medieval tunnelsremains under the centre of Northampton around All Saints' Church and the Market Square but their purpose, extent and significance have been disputed.[21]

The town was originally controlled by officials acting for the King who collected taxes and upheld the law. This changed on 18 November 1189 when KingRichard Igranted the town its first charter in exchange for money to fund his crusades.[6]The charter allowed the townspeople certain rights and independence in legal and administrative matters. In 1215, King John authorised the appointment of William Tilly as the town's first Mayor and ordered that "twelve of the better and more discreet [residents] of your town" join him as a council to assist him.[6][22]The importance of Northampton at this time is underlined by the fact that only London,YorkandKing's Lynnhad mayors by this date.[19]The mayor later ruled with 24 councillors and 48 freemen in a closed body until 1835.[19]

In 1261, themedieval University of Northamptonwas established byroyal charterfromKing Henry III.Had it survived, it would be thethird oldest university founded in EnglandafterOxfordandCambridge.However, after members of the university sided with supporters ofSimon de Montfort(who wasrebelling against the King) and advisors toThe Crownsaid that Northampton was a threat to Oxford's scholastic hegemony, Henry III dissolved the university in 1265.[23][24][25]

Markets and fairs were a key element in the town's economy in medieval times. The Market Square came to prominence in 1235 when Henry III ordered that the selling of goods in the churchyard of All Saints should be relocated to the Market Square.[19]Street names in the town give an indication of trades and market centres; Corn Hill, Malt Hill, Mercer Row, Gold Street, Sheep Street and Horse Market.[19]Cloth and wool were very important but these industries declined.[19]In the 13th century, Northampton had a large Jewish population centred on Gold Street. In 1277 – two years afterEdward Ipassed theStatute of the Jewry– some Jewish residents were executed while the remainder were driven out of town.[26]Archaeological sites include a medieval Jewish cemetery and theNorthampton Medieval Synagogue.[27]

TheFirst Barons' Warcaused significant destruction to Northampton. The baronsbesiegedNorthampton Castle in protest at King John's oppression of his subjects. In retaliation, royalist forces destroyed a large part of the town. When the forces of KingHenry IIIoverran the supporters ofSimon de Montfort,theSecond Barons' Warbroke out. TheFirst Battle of Northamptontook place in 1264 at the site of Northampton Castle where King Henry III and his son Prince Edward attacked with a large army, pillaged the town and took prisoners.[28]

In 1349, theBlack Deathpandemic killed more than half the population of Northampton. In 1377, the population was 2,200.[18]The town was rapidly losing its wealth and its importance as a national centre. In 1460, theSecond Battle of Northamptontook place during theWar of the Rosesin the meadows between the River Nene and Delapré Abbey. TheYorkistsdefeated the Lancastrians andKing Henry VIwas taken prisoner. In 1484, the Mayor declared that Northampton was "in great desolation and ruin". TheDissolution of the Monasteriesin 1538 led to further destruction of what remained of the medieval town. Northampton was severely affected byPlaguebetween March and September 1638 when 665 people died.[29]

Early modern

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Map of Northampton byJohn Speedproduced around 1610. Showing thecastleand town walls.

The royal connection to Northampton Castle became less significant, and by the time of theEnglish Civil War,Northampton was decidedly pro-Parliament.[19]ThoughSpencer Compton,Earl of Northampton, was a royalist (Cavalier) and backed KingCharles I,the people of Northampton supported Parliament andOliver Cromwell's republicanRoundheadarmy. The town had a long history of religious dissent from theLollardsandPuritanismgained a strong hold on the town. The corporation of the town, having already refused to provide troops to the King in 1632 or to pay the notoriousship moneytax in 1636, petitioned Parliament in 1642 againstpapistsandbishops.[19]

When war broke out in 1642, the town willingly became the main Parliamentariangarrisonfor the south-east Midlands area with the former royal castle as its headquarters. In 1643,Prince Rupertattacked Northampton with approximately 2,000 men, but was beaten back at the North Gate of the town. Oliver Cromwell visited in 1645 andGeneral Fairfaxmarched from the town toNaseby,where Charles I's Royalist army was decisively defeated.[19]Over 4,000 pairs of leather shoes and 600 pairs of cavalry jack-boots for the Parliamentary armies were manufactured in Northampton during the Civil War, and a further 2,000 for Cromwell'sNew Model Armyin 1648. Until well into the 19th century, the shoe industry boomed in and around the town with small manufacturing workshops set up in the surrounding areas.[19]

The War ended with a Parliamentary victory, resulting in England becoming aCommonwealth,which lasted a decade. Following therestoration of King Charles IIin 1660, he took revenge on the town by ordering the destruction of its walls and partial demolition of its castle in 1662, since it did not support his father Charles I and his cavaliers.[30]From then on, the castle was used as a court and a jail, but its physical condition worsened.[30]The new council of the town had to pay £200 to have its charter renewed and also required all officials to swear the oath of allegiance and some confirmed by the Crown.[19]

Sessions Housewas one of the first buildings built after theGreat Fire of Northampton(1675)

The town centre was further destroyed by theGreat Fire of Northamptonin 1675, caused by sparks from an open fire in a thatched cottage by the castle. The fire spread eastwards by strong westerly winds and consumed three-quarters of the town centre in 24 hours.[19][31]Matters were worsened because most buildings were chiefly made of wood and covered with thatch.[7]An estimated 600 buildings were destroyed, amounting to £150,000 lost.[31]Very little survived the fire, apart from buildings made of stone, like the Welsh House on Market Square, built in 1595, and Hazelrigg House in Mare Fair, built in 1662.[19]

Northampton Market Square

The devastation led to an Act of Parliament for the rebuilding the town.[7]Local people and businesses helped to raise around £25,000 towards the rebuilding of the town centre based around the Market Square.[31][32]Streets were widened and buildings made of brick and stone and tiled to prevent such devastation again.[19]In an act of reconciliation, King Charles II donated timber from the royal forests of Salcey and Whittlebury to help with the rebuild.[19][33]In 1678, theSessions Houseand what is nowCounty Hallwere amongst the first buildings to be completed.[34]AGeorgiantown with new houses, shops and workshops eventually grew out of the old medieval town destroyed by the fire.[19]In 1742[35]Edward CaveopenedMarvel's Mill,the world's firstcotton millto be driven by awater wheel,on the River Nene.[36]

A permanent military presence was established in the town with the completion ofGibraltar Barracksin 1797.[37]

By the end of the 18th century, Northampton had become a major centre of footwear and leather manufacture. In 1801, the population was 7,020; it more than doubled to 15,351 in 1831, attributed to the fact that there was great demand for footwear caused by theNapoleonic Warsof the late 18th and early 19th centuries.[19]A third of the adult males alone were shoemakers at the time.[19]Northampton grew beyond the old town walls and industry grew rapidly with the mechanisation of factories by the middle of the 19th century.[19]

A map of Northampton in 1810

The Nene Navigation Company had previously made the River Nene navigable from King's Lynn as far up as Northampton in 1762, allowing cheap transportation of coal and other goods to the town, but in 1815, theGrand Union Canalreached the town, joining the River Nene, giving the town a direct link to the Midlands coalfields and toBirmingham,Manchesterand London.[6]

The first railway to be built into Northampton was theNorthampton and Peterborough Railway,a branch from the mainLondon and Birmingham RailwayfromBlisworthtoPeterboroughthrough Northampton which opened in 1845 along with the town's first railway station,Bridge Street station.This was followed by the opening of Castle station in 1859 on the site of part of the historic Northampton Castle,[6][38][39][40][41]and laterSt. John's Street stationin 1872. TheNorthampton loopof theWest Coast Main Linewas built in the late 1870s. Castle station was rebuilt and expanded over the site of Northampton Castle, the remains of which were purchased and demolished in 1880 to make way for thegoods shed.[42]Bridge Street Station closed in 1964 and St John's Street closed in 1939,[43][44][45]leaving only Castle station serving the town.[46]It is now known simply asNorthampton railway station.

Tram lines were also laid down in the town in 1881 and electrified in 1903.[6]An early omnibus service ran to Wellingborough, and since 1919 motor omnibus services ran to villages around the town which brought buyers and sellers to the market.[6]

There were iron ore quarries in the countryside around the town during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries which have left their mark on the landscape. Some of the quarries were in what is now the town area in an arc from Kingsthorpe through Duston and Hunsbury round to Hardingstone beginning in about 1860. Some have now been built over and not all lasted very long. The town area quarries that lasted the longest and closed last were at Hunsbury which began working in 1877 and closed in 1920. There are remains of some of these quarries at Hunsbury Hill. There was an iron works by the river to the west of the town next to the railway that then operated between Northampton and Blisworth. This was called the Hunsbury Ironworks and operated between about 1874 and January 1921 using ore from these quarries and elsewhere.[47]

Contemporary

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FollowingWorld War I,the shoe industry was increasingly in decline, despite the town's factories supplying over 23 million pairs of boots to the armed forces.[19]A total of 1,700 men from the town were lost of the 6,000 killed from theNorthamptonshire Regiment.[19]The town expanded further during the 1920s and saw the erection ofNorthampton Power Station,which supplied electricity to areas as far away asWolverton,until its closure in 1975. Much council housing was also built largely to the east, north and south of the town, includingAbington,Far Cotton,Kingsley,KingsthorpeandDallington– areas which had been incorporated within the borough's boundaries in 1901.[19]However, the population growth slowed down as people moved beyond its boundaries. In 1901, the population had expanded to 90,923; in 1931, the population was 92,341.[19]

AfterWorld War II,Northampton vastly changed. In 1959, theM1 motorwaywas opened to the south-west of the town; in 1968, Northampton was designated aNew Town.Both these events and the rail link helped Northampton's growth as acommuter townfor London.[19]The Northampton Development Corporation (NDC) was set up in 1968 to substantially redevelop the town in partnership with the local council, spending £205 million to build new housing and industrial estates, initially in Lumbertubs, Moulton Park and Round Spinney to the east, followed by Briar Hill, Camp Hill and East andWest Hunsburyin the south of the town, mainly to accommodate the overflow population of new residents from the London area.[19][48]In the town centre, older buildings were demolished and replaced or redeveloped for other buildings, including the formerGreyfriars bus station,theGrosvenor Centre,Peacock Place (now Market Walk), shops, flats and hotels.[19]

Although growth was slower than planned, the population grew from 105,421 in 1961 to 157,217 by 1981,[19]with 15,655 new homes added to the town between 1970 and 1985.[48]The borough boundaries also changed following a split of theNorthampton parliamentary constituencyintoNorthampton NorthandNorthampton Southin 1974. Northampton was reconstituted as anon-metropolitan districtwhich also covered areas outside the former borough boundaries but inside the designated New Town. The town tried forunitary statusduring the1990s UK local government reform,but failed and it remained a non-metropolitan district until its abolition in 2021. OnGood Friday1998, Northampton suffered severe flooding, particularly in the areas of Far Cotton and St James; two people were killed and thousands of homes were affected.

Since the turn of the Millennium, the town has continued to expand. Northampton applied forcity statusin 2000 to celebrate the new millennium, in 2002 to celebrate theGolden Jubilee of Elizabeth IIand most recently in 2022 to celebrate thePlatinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II,but failed on all three occasions and remains a town.[49][50][51]In 2006, Northampton became a government expansion zone with new growth promoted byWest Northamptonshire Development Corporation(WNDC), an unelectedquango,which has provoked a series of regeneration schemes across the town. Some have been completed, including the opening of theRadlandsPlaza Skatepark and the development of Becket's Park Marina just south of Northampton's town centre, as well as the improvement of the town's Market Square, the building of the new North Gate bus station, the rebuilding of the railway station, the designation of a Cultural Quarter, the building of a new Council headquarters, the restoration of Delapré Abbey, the expansion ofNorthampton Museum,the resiting and rebuilding of the university on one new campus in town centre and the renovation of both the Grosvenor Shopping Centre and Weston Favell Centre.[52]In 2015, St Giles Street in the town centre was named the "Best British High Street" in a national competition run by theDepartment for Communities and Local Government.[53]

Administration

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Politics

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Statue of the Northampton MPCharles Bradlaughin the town.
Further information on politics in Northampton:Northampton North (UK Parliament constituency)andNorthampton South (UK Parliament constituency)

Northamptonwas inaugurated as a constituency in 1295; for many centuries it returned twoMembers of Parliament(MPs) to theHouse of Commons.Spencer Percevalwas elected as one of these in 1796 and becamePrime Minister of the United Kingdomin 1809, the only Solicitor General and only Attorney General to have done so, but also the only Prime Minister to be assassinated. The murder was by a highly disgruntled business ownerJohn Bellinghamin the House of Commons lobby in 1812. By the late 19th century, Northampton had acquired a reputation for politicalvanguardism.In 1880, radical non-conformistCharles Bradlaughwas elected as one of the MPs. During one of his election cross-candidate hustings a riot broke out in the Market Square. Local figures of authority called military to disperse it. For some decades following the1918 general election,representation was reduced to one MP.

In 1974, the original Northampton seat was replaced by the new constituencies ofNorthampton NorthandNorthampton South,which both elected one MP each, beginning in theFebruary 1974 general election.For the2010 general election,the newSouth Northamptonshireconstituency took a southern sector of the borough. The southern sectors transferred to Northampton South for the2024 general election.

Northampton is currently represented by two Labour MPs:

Local government

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The borough from 1974 to 2021

The town existed as anancient boroughin the medieval period before being one of the 178 boroughs to be reformed under theMunicipal Corporations Actin 1835, with a democratically elected council replacing the corporation before it.[19]Town government alternated between theLiberalsand Conservatives, and the town achieved independence from Northamptonshire in 1888 when it became acounty borough.[19]It had 6 electoral wards from 1898, 9 wards from 1900 and 12 wards from 1911.[6]

Northampton was granted modernborough statusin 1974, when it was reconstituted as a non-metropolitan district, a subdivision of itsnon-metropolitan county(Northamptonshire).[54][55]From 1974 until 2021, the town had a two-tier structure of local government: the non-metropolitan district of Northampton was administered by bothNorthampton Borough CouncilandNorthamptonshire County Council.

Propositions for the borough to become aunitary authorityfailed during the 1990s local government reform and again, in 2011, when the motion was voted down by the council.[56][57]However, in 2016, the borough council and all seven Northamptonshire MPs called for the existing eight Northamptonshire councils be scrapped for new unitary authorities.[58][59]

In March 2018, followingsuspension of the County Council arising from its becoming insolvent,due to financial and cultural mismanagement by the cabinet and officers, the then Secretary of State for Local Government,Sajid Javid,sent commissioner Max Caller into the council, who recommended the county council and all district and borough councils in the county be abolished, and replaced by two unitary authorities, one covering the West, and one the North of the county.[60]These proposals were approved in April 2019. It meant that the districts ofDaventry,Northampton andSouth Northamptonshirewere merged to form a new unitary authority calledWest Northamptonshire,whilst the second unitary authorityNorth Northamptonshireconsists ofCorby,East Northamptonshire,KetteringandWellingboroughdistricts. These new authorities came into being on 1 April 2021.[61]Elections for the new authorities were due to be held on 7 May 2020, but these were delayed due to theCOVID-19 pandemic,[62]and took place in May 2021.

A year prior to these changes, three newcivil parisheswere created in Northampton's urban area: a large parish covering the majority of the Northampton urban area was created, allowing Northampton to have aTown (parish) Council.Northampton Town Councilis the largest parish level authority in England. In addition, two smaller parishes were created for the suburbs ofFar Cotton & DelapreandKingsthorpe.[63]

Policingin the town remains the responsibility ofNorthamptonshire Police;andfirefighting,the responsibility ofNorthamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service.TheRoyal Anglian Regimentserves as the county regiment for Northamptonshire, with former county regiments being theNorthamptonshire Regimentand theNorthamptonshire Yeomanry

Civil parishes

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The unparished area prior to the 3 new parishes being created in 2020

The Northampton urban area is covered by 13civil parishes.Theparish councilsof these form a local tier of government below West Northamptonshire Council. The largest by far of these is the area covered byNorthampton Town Council,which was created in 2020, ten more, covering several outer suburbs were pre-existing, and two (Kingsthorpe and Far Cotton and Delapre) were created concurrently with the town council, these are:[64]

Health services

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NHS Northampton guides primary care services (general practitioners, dentists, opticians and pharmacists) in the town, directly provides adult social care and services in the community such ashealth visitingandphysiotherapyand also funds hospital care and other specialist treatments.Northampton General Hospitalis anNHS trusthospital which founded in 1744 and moved to its present site in 1793, and has continued to provide healthcare to the local community for more than 200 years. TheEast Midlands Ambulance ServiceNHS Trust is responsible for the provision of statutoryemergency medical servicesin Northampton.

St Andrew's Hospital,the flagship mental health facility of the private company St Andrew's Healthcare, is also based in Northampton. Originally opened in 1838[65]to serve Northampton, St Andrew's became a charity and private healthcare provider when the Berrywood Asylum (later the Northampton County Lunatic Asylum, then St Crispin Hospital in 1948, and since 2010 Berrywood Hospital) opened in 1876.

Geography

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Northampton is formally in theEast Midlandsregion but is also referred to in Government planning as being part of theSouth Midlands"growth area". The town is 30 miles (48 km) south-southeast ofLeicester,16 miles (26 km) north-northwest ofMilton Keynes,43 miles (69 km) west ofCambridge,37 miles (60 km) northeast ofOxfordand 37 miles (60 km) southwest ofPeterborough.

Areas and suburbs

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Map of the town suburbs

Northampton is subdivided into suburbs,council wards,constituencies,ecclesiasticalparishes,and other less formal areas.

Suburbs and districts of Northampton include:

Concurrent with the abolition of the borough of Northampton in 2021, theunparished areaof Northampton became parished with three new parish councils being established: A new Town Council covering the majority of the urban area of Northampton was established, whilst the areas of Kingsthorpe, and Far Cotton and Delapré also gained parish councils.[66]In addition, there are nine registeredparish councilswhich predate the abolition of the borough of Northampton. These are Billing, Collingtree, Duston, Great Houghton, Hardingstone, Hunsbury Meadow, Upton, West Hunsbury and Wootton & East Hunsbury.[67]

Other settlements that theOffice for National Statisticsconsiders part of the Northampton urban area include Boughton, Ecton, Moulton, Overstone and Rothersthorpe.[68]At the 2011 census, Harpole, Cogenhoe, Grange Park, Little and Great Houghton, Overstone and Sywell were just outside the Northampton built up area;[68]this may change when the 2021 boundaries are released.

Compass

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Northampton's nearest towns areWellingborough,DaventryandTowcester.The nearest cities areMilton Keynes,Leicester,CoventryandPeterborough.

Climate

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As with the rest of the British Isles, Northampton experiences anoceanic climatewith cool summers and mild winters. The officialMet Officeweather station for Northampton is theMoulton ParkWeather Station at theUniversity of Northampton.Situated at an elevation of around 130 m (427 ft)above sea levelcompared to Northampton town centre at 50 to 60 m (164 to 197 ft), it is one of the highest points in the town, and so may not be a perfect representation of Northampton as a whole. Its hilltop location means less pooling of cold air on calm clear nights, and lower maxima during summer. The absolute maximum recorded is 34.7 °C (94.5 °F)[69]on 3 August 1990. A high of 34.4 °C (93.9 °F)[70]was recorded on 19 July 2006, However, a maximum temperature of 40.2 °C (104.4 °F) was recorded on 19 July 2022 atPitsford,located 4.4 miles (7.1 km) from the town centre.[71]The absolute minimum is −16.8 °C (1.8 °F),[69]recorded during February 1986. It is likely the absolute maximum in the town centre is a degree or so higher owing to the lower elevation, and absolute minimum on the eastern and western edges of the urban area around the Nene valley a couple of degrees colder due to katabatic drainage of cold air allowing a frost hollow effect. Most recently, the temperature fell to −9.6 °C (14.7 °F)[72]on 20 December 2010.

Rainfall, at around 650 mm (26 in) per year is not high, though is often unpredictable, giving rise to flooding events such as 1998, but also short term droughts. Desborough Weather Station also supplies the public with a local weather service.

Climate data for Northampton (Moulton Park),[a]elevation: 127 m (417 ft), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1976–present[b]
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 14.9
(58.8) 		17.9
(64.2) 		22.6
(72.7) 		26.5
(79.7) 		28.0
(82.4) 		32.1
(89.8) 		40.2
(104.4) 		34.7
(94.5) 		30.3
(86.5) 		27.9
(82.2) 		17.5
(63.5) 		15.4
(59.7) 		40.2
(104.4)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 7.1
(44.8) 		7.8
(46.0) 		10.4
(50.7) 		13.5
(56.3) 		16.6
(61.9) 		19.6
(67.3) 		22.1
(71.8) 		21.7
(71.1) 		18.7
(65.7) 		14.4
(57.9) 		10.1
(50.2) 		7.4
(45.3) 		14.1
(57.4)
Daily mean °C (°F) 4.3
(39.7) 		4.7
(40.5) 		6.6
(43.9) 		8.6
(47.5) 		12.0
(53.6) 		14.9
(58.8) 		17.2
(63.0) 		16.9
(62.4) 		14.4
(57.9) 		10.9
(51.6) 		7.1
(44.8) 		4.7
(40.5) 		10.3
(50.5)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 1.6
(34.9) 		1.6
(34.9) 		2.9
(37.2) 		4.7
(40.5) 		7.3
(45.1) 		10.2
(50.4) 		12.3
(54.1) 		12.2
(54.0) 		10.1
(50.2) 		7.4
(45.3) 		4.2
(39.6) 		2.0
(35.6) 		6.4
(43.5)
Record low °C (°F) −16.4
(2.5) 		−16.8
(1.8) 		−7.3
(18.9) 		−5.8
(21.6) 		−1.8
(28.8) 		1.0
(33.8) 		4.4
(39.9) 		4.0
(39.2) 		1.8
(35.2) 		−3.9
(25.0) 		−6.7
(19.9) 		−12.2
(10.0) 		−16.8
(1.8)
Averageprecipitationmm (inches) 56.2
(2.21) 		44.6
(1.76) 		40.4
(1.59) 		46.9
(1.85) 		53.6
(2.11) 		52.2
(2.06) 		51.7
(2.04) 		59.6
(2.35) 		55.7
(2.19) 		66.7
(2.63) 		61.6
(2.43) 		60.1
(2.37) 		649.2
(25.56)
Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) 11.9 9.9 8.4 9.5 9.2 9.2 8.6 9.0 8.9 10.4 11.5 11.4 118.0
Mean monthlysunshine hours 55.3 80.5 115.6 157.5 197.0 175.0 198.3 181.0 135.9 106.2 64.3 53.6 1,520
Source 1:Met Office[73]
Source 2: Starlings Roost Weather[74][75]Pitsford Weather Centre[76]
  1. ^Weather station is located 2.6 miles (4.2 km) from the Northampton town centre.
  2. ^Extreme temperature were recorded at Moulton Park (1976–2018) and at Pitsford (2006–present).

Demography

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Northampton (local authority boundaries) population pyramid in 2021

The town's population recorded at eachcensussince 1801 was as follows:[77][78][79][80]

Population of Northampton (local authority)
Year Population
1801 7,020
1811 8,427
1821 10,793
1831 15,351
1841 21,242
1851 26,657
1861 32,813
1871 41,168
1881 51,881
1891 61,012
1901 87,021
1911 90,064
1921 90,895
1931 92,341
1941 No census
1951 104,432
1961 105,421
1971 133,800
1981 157,217
1991 180,617
2001 194,458
2011 212,069
2021 238,654

Since 1991, the population of the town has increased 17.41% from 180,617 to 212,069 in 2011, with a mean age in 2011 of 37.1 years, younger than the English average of 39.3 years.[79][81]The population breaks down into 104,168 males, and 107,901 females, with a population density of 2,630 per km2.[79]

At the 2011 census, there were 91,484 dwellings, 88,731 of which are occupied households. Some 30.5% (27,048) of these were one person households, 61.1% (54,125) contained families, and 8.5% (7,558) fell into the other household type category. Home tenure was reported as 37.5% of 88,731 households mortgaged, 25.1% owned outright, 16.5% privately rented, 12.8% rented from council, 4.3% social rented, 1.3% private (other) rented, 1.3% shared ownership and 1.2% rent free.[79]

75.6% of households had at least one car or van, 22.5% of residents over the age of 16 had no formal qualifications, and 15.8% have at least 5 GCSEs of grade C or above.[79] The median income for all workers (in 2012) was £21,193, slightly below both the county average of £21,560, and the England average of £21,794.[82]

Between 2001 and 2011, the greatest nominal population increase was in the White, Other group from 3,780 to 13,825 – an increase of 10,045 – likely due to migration from Eastern Europe. The largest growth relative to their 2001 numbers was in the Black, African group, recording a 376% increase from 1,361 to 6,473. The largest nominal fall in population was in respondents reporting as White, British, there being 8,146 fewer such residents in 2011 than 10 years previous. The largest fall relative to their 2001 numbers was in the White, Irish group, their count falling 20.3% from 3,838 down to 3,060.

Ethnicity

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In the 2011 census, Northampton was 84.5% White, 6.5% Asian, 5.1% Black, and 3.2% Mixed/multiple.[79]

Ethnic Group Year (local authority boundaries)
1981 estimations[83] 1991[84] 2001[85] 2011[86] 2021[87]
Number % Number % Number % Number % Number %
White:Total 145,364 95.2% 169,864 94.1% 178,117 91.6% 179,238 84.5% 188,900 79.2%
White:British – – – – 170,499 87.7% 162,353 76.6% 152,516 63.9%
White:Irish – – – – 3,838 2% 2,911 1.4% 2,460 1.0%
White:Gypsy or Irish Traveller – – – – – – 149 257 0.1%
White: Roma – – – – – – – – 1,157 0.5%
White:Other – – – – 3,780 1.9% 13,825 6.5% 32,510 13.6%
Asian or Asian British:Total – – 5,600 3.1% 7,643 3.9% 13,751 6.5% 18,741 7.9%
Asian or Asian British:Indian – – 2593 3,333 5,328 7,859 3.30%
Asian or Asian British:Pakistani – – 513 795 1,536 2,439 1.00%
Asian or Asian British:Bangladeshi – – 1198 1,768 3,367 4,452 1.90%
Asian or Asian British:Chinese – – 690 1,278 1,705 1,418 0.60%
Asian or Asian British: Other Asian – – 606 469 1,815 2,573 1.10%
Black or Black British:Total – – 4,098 2.3% 4,643 2.4% 10,741 5.1% 18,447 7.70%
Black or Black British:African – – 385 1,361 6,473 12,970 5.40%
Black or Black British:Caribbean – – 2,701 2,822 2,946 3,087 1.30%
Black or Black British:Other Black – – 1012 460 1,322 2,390 1.00%
Mixed or British Mixed:Total – – – – 3,369 1.7% 6,849 3.2% 8,639 3.60%
Mixed: White and Black Caribbean – – – – 1,693 3,149 3,508 1.50%
Mixed: White and Black African – – – – 272 1,012 1,374 0.60%
Mixed: White and Asian – – – – 748 1,286 1,687 0.70%
Mixed: Other Mixed – – – – 656 1,402 2,070 0.90%
Other: Total – – 1,005 0.6% 686 0.4% 1,490 0.7% 3,924 1.6%
Other: Arab – – – – – – 543 575 0.2%
Other: Any other ethnic group – – 1,005 0.6% 686 0.4% 947 3,349 1.4%
Ethnic minority: Total 7,355 4.8% 10,703 5.9% 16,341 8.4% 32,831 15.5% 49,751 20.8%
Total 152,719 100% 180,567 100% 194,458 100% 212,069 100% 238,651 100%

Religion

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In terms of religion, 48.7% of residents described themselves as Christian, 35.7% as irreligious, 5.6% as Muslim, 1.9% as Hindu, 0.6% as other religions, 0.5% as Sikh, 0.4% as Buddhist and 0.1% as Jewish. 6.5% failed to report any affiliation.

Religion 2001[88] 2011[89] 2021[90]
Number % Number % Number %
Holds religious beliefs 141,432 72.7% 135,433 63.9% 137,892 57.8%
Christian 132,791 68.3% 119,937 56.6% 116,119 48.7%
Buddhist 669 0.3% 924 0.4% 896 0.4%
Hindu 2,228 1.1% 3,393 1.6% 4,510 1.9%
Jewish 322 0.2% 273 0.1% 224 0.1%
Muslim 4,028 2.1% 8,806 4.2% 13,350 5.6%
Sikh 736 0.4% 1,063 0.5% 1,292 0.5%
Other religion 658 0.3% 1,037 0.5% 1,501 0.6%
(No religion and Religion not stated) 53,026 27.3 76,636 36.1% 100,774 42.2%
No religion 37,132 19.1% 62,404 29.4% 85,273 35.7%
Religion not stated 15,894 8.2% 14,232 6.7% 15,501 6.5%
Total population 194,458 100% 212,069 100% 238,666 100%

Economy

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TheBarrattBoot and Shoe factory operational since 1911.

Northampton was a major centre of shoemaking and other leather industries, although only specialist shoemaking companies such as Barker Shoes,Church's,[91]Crockett & Jones,Edward Green,Tricker's,[92](formerly located in nearbyEarls Barton), andWildsmith,[93]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.

Engineering became a major employer in Northampton during the post war years following the establishment of theBritish Timkentapered roller bearing factory at Duston in 1941 as ashadow factoryfor the main site in Birmingham during the Second World War. The factory which closed in 2002 employed over 4,000 employees at its peak and was a major engineering apprentice training employer.

Northampton's main private-sector employers are now in distribution and finance rather than manufacturing, and includeAvon Products,[94][95]Barclaycard,[96]Blacks Leisure Group,Nationwide Building Society(Anglia Building Societywas formed by amalgamation of Northampton Town and County Building Society with Leicestershire Building Society in 1966 and subsequently merged with the Nationwide in 1987),[97]Panasonic,Travis Perkins,Coca-Cola,Schweppes,Simply Business,[98]National Grid,Texas InstrumentsandCarlsberg.[99]In 1974,Princess Benedikte of Denmarkopened Northampton's Carlsberg brewery, the first outside Denmark.[100]The University of Northampton is also a major employer, as is St Andrew's Healthcare, a national mental health charity. St Andrew's Hospital, its flagship hospital and the United Kingdom's largest psychiatric hospital, is based in Northampton. In 2014,Experiannamed Northampton as "the best place in the UK to start and run a business."[101]In 2017, the town's annual economic output, as measured bygross value added,was worth £7.31 billion.[102]

Northampton was expected to be affected by the insolvency of Northamptonshire County Council in 2018, as the council implemented significant budget cuts for two years. That was expected to include maintenance of only the "bare legal minimum of service, focused only on the most vulnerable residents".[103]

Health inequality in Northampton is high, with the life expectancy gap between the least deprived and most deprived men reaching over a decade.[104]Additionally, the constituency is 'considerably worse than [the] England average' in violent crime, self harm, under 18 conception and GCSE achievement.[104]

Northampton'smarket squareis one of Britain's largest and dates back to 1235.[105]The market square is linked to Abington Street, a major shopping area of Northampton. The western part of the street waspedestrianisedin 1984. Further east, part was pedestrianised in 1995 and de-pedestrianised in 2014. The east end (beyond York Road) has never been pedestrianised.[106]There are also two indoor shopping centres in the town centre: the Grosvenor Centre, which was built in the 1970s, and Market Walk (previously Peacock Place), which was constructed in 1988. St James Retail Park is also a large shopping precinct just south of the town centre. Other out-of-town retail parks exist: Weston Favell Shopping Centre, built in the 1970s, and Riverside Retail Park in the east of the town, as well asSixfieldsin the west. Each precinct has a range of high street shops, department stores and many smaller individual speciality shops.

Culture

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Leisure

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The Market Square at night

Billing Aquadromeleisure park is on the eastern outskirts. It has a caravan site, marina, funfair, bar, riverside restaurant and converted water mill with original workings. The Northampton Leisure Trust (branded Trilogy Leisure) has four leisure centres across Northampton: Danes Camp, Lings Forum,Mounts Bathsand Duston Sports Centre. King’s Park Sports, operated by Action Centres UK, has sports facilities that include tennis courts, badminton courts, a climbing wall, trampolining, archery and more. There is also a public golf course at Delapré. Radlands Plaza is a newskateparkthat opened in 2012.

According to the website of the (former) Northampton Borough Council, there are a total of 170 parks and open spaces around Northampton, which altogether span around 1,880 acres (761 ha).[107]Popular parks includeAbington Park,which is the town's oldest, and the Racecourse, which was used for horseracing (until 1904) and as a cricket ground (between 1844 and 1885) in addition to being the original home ofNorthampton Balloon Festival.Other parks include Becket's Park (which is named after Thomas Becket as are nearby Becket's Well and Thomas á Becket pub), Bradlaugh Fields (named after the Northampton MP Charles Bradlaugh), Dallington Park, Delapré Park, Eastfield Park, Hunsbury Hill (which is built around anIron Agehillfort), Kingsthorpe Park and Victoria Park.

Popular annual events includeNorthampton Carnival,the Beer Festival, the Dragonboat Race, the Umbrella Fair, Diwali celebrations andSt Crispins Fair.Northampton Balloon Festival used to be a major event in Northampton, but since being scaled down, it has been poorly attended. Northampton Music Festival has been celebrated every year since 2007 in the town centre.

Entertainment

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Royal & Derngate,one of the main venues for arts and entertainment

TheRoyal & Derngatetheatre complex, on Guildhall Road in theCultural Quarterof the town centre, is one of the main venues for arts and entertainment in Northampton.The Deco,situated in Abington Square in the town centre, is a 900-seat theatre and conference centre, which shares itsArt Decobuilding with the Northampton Jesus Centre. It was restored by theJesus Armyas part of their Jesus Centre project. The Deco used to be a cinema in the 1960s;The Beatlesappeared there twice on stage in 1963: firstly as unknowns as part of theTommy Roe/Chris Monteztour; secondly as part of their own tour in their own right.[108]Smaller theatres include the Northampton Playhouse and the Cripps Theatre, which is part of Northampton School for Boys.

The two commercial cinemas in Northampton areVueatSol Centralin the centre andCineworldat Sixfields. There is also the subsidised Forum Cinema atLings Forum,whose film programme is widely varied and includes art-house and non-mainstream films. The Northampton Filmhouse, an independent cinema joined to the side of the Royal & Derngate theatre complex, opened in June 2013.

There are also many local entertainment venues which provide events.The Roadmender,which used to be run and funded by the council and later bought by The Purplehaus group, hosts mainstream touring bands and one off-gigs. There are other popular late-night entertainment venues, pubs, bars and clubs in the town centre, and along the Wellingborough and Kettering Roads on the way into the town centre. Northampton also has ten-pin bowling alleys and late night casinos.

Libraries, museums and galleries

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Northamptonshire Central Library in Abington Street

The Northamptonshire Central Library in town centre is a Grade II listed building which was erected in 1910.[109]There are seven other public libraries that are dotted across Northampton—in Abington, Duston, Far Cotton, Hunsbury, Kingsthorpe, St James, Wootton—all run by Northamptonshire County Council.[110]

Northampton Museum and Art Gallery

Northampton Museum and Art Galleryon Guildhall Road in the Cultural Quarter has a collection of historical footwear (one of the world's largest at 13,000), Italian art, glass and ceramics, plus visiting exhibitions and local history. There is also a smaller Grade I listed historical museum in the former Abington Park house which mainly has history on domestic life in the town and the Northamptonshire Regiment.78 Derngate,the only house in England designed byCharles Rennie Mackintosh,includes a museum celebrating Mackintosh, an art gallery and a restaurant.

The Northampton Arts Collective is homed on a four-storey building entitled NN[111]in the Cultural Quarter, opposite the Northampton Museum and next to the Royal & Derngate theatre complex. They relocated from the Old Fishmarket which was demolished to make way for the North Gate bus station.[112]The Avenue Gallery, is at the Avenue campus of the University of Northampton. The university also spent £3m on its Portfolio Innovation Centre in early 2011, which houses around 60 creative freelancers, digital media developers, and designers.[113]Other art galleries include Collective Collaborations, Artist's Sanctuary, Albus3, Gallery 177 and Primose Gallery. Northamptonshire also runs an annual county-wide Open Studios event celebrating visual arts in which artists' studios are open to the public.[114]

Music

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The composersMalcolm Arnold,William Alwyn,Trevor Hold,Edmund RubbraandRobert Walkerwere born in Northampton. Northampton also boasts one of the oldest community orchestras in the U.K. - the Northampton Symphony Orchestra, which started life in 1896 as Saint Celia's Orchestral Society. Gothic rock bandBauhausformed in Northampton, often cited as the godfathers of goth, they helped pioneer the genre during the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s. The popular UK rapperSlowthaiwas born in Northampton and frequently talks about his life growing up there in his music.[115]

Sport

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Franklin's Gardensis home toNorthampton Saints,a successful Premiership rugby club.

The town is home toPremiershiprugby unionteamNorthampton Saints,who play atFranklin's Gardensin the St James area. "The Saints" had their greatest moment when they won theHeineken Cupin 2000 atTwickenham,beatingMunster9–8. 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[116]who have producedBen CohenandSteve Thompsonamongst others.[116]Northampton is also home to Northampton Outlaws, its first inclusive rugby team and the 9th gay-friendly team in the United Kingdom.[117]

EFL League OnefootballclubNorthampton Town,known as "The Cobblers" from the town's shoemaking background, are based atSixfields Stadium.Established in 1897, in their centenary season of 1997 they reached Wembley through the play-offs and beatSwansea City1–0 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. Sixfields was also briefly the home ofCoventry Cityfor just over one season between August 2013 and August 2014.

There are also three non-league clubs in theUnited Counties Football League:Northampton Spencer;Northampton Sileby Rangers;andNorthampton Old Northamptonian Chenecks.

Northamptonshire County Cricket Club,known inlimited overs cricketas "The Steelbacks" (a reference to the Northamptonshire Regiment which was formed in 1881), is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domesticcricketstructure. The club was promoted from Division 2 of theCounty Championshipin 2019, and play in Group C of theClydesdale Bank 40League and the Midlands/Wales/West group of the revampedFriends ProvidentT20.They are based at theCounty Ground,in the Abington area.

TheSilverstone Circuit,current home of theBritish Grand Prix,is a few miles south of Northampton.Rockingham Motor SpeedwayandSanta Pod Racewayare a few miles north and east of Northampton respectively, the latter offering a range ofdrag racingevents.

Northampton is also home toCollingtree Park Golf Club,which hosted theBritish Mastersin 1995. There are also many equestrian and country activities, and several water sports centres, such as the Nene Whitewater Centre, which provides an artificialwhitewatercourse forcanoes,kayaksandrafts.The Northampton Swimming Club also trained the young Olympic swimmerCaitlin McClatchey.

Northampton is also home toBe Military Fitin Abington Park where members can train up to 7 times a week with serving or ex-military fitness instructors.[citation needed]

Northampton Greyhound Stadiumhostedgreyhound racingfrom 1928 to 1964 andspeedwayfrom 1929 to 1930.[118][119]

Media

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TheNorthampton Chronicle & Echo(established 1931) is the town's newspaper, published on Thursdays (before 2012, it was published Monday to Saturday) with jobs, property, motors and entertainment supplements. There are other free newspapers circulated within the town. These includeThe Mercury(on Thursdays) andNorthants on Sunday,both from the publishers of theChronicle & Echo,and theNorthampton Herald & Post(on Thursdays). These free papers mostly consist of advertising and have limited news.The Mercurywas one of the oldest newspapers still in circulation first published in 1720, founded by William Dicey, an ancestor of the public law commentator, A.V. Dicey. It was the fifth-oldest such newspaper in the United Kingdom and the tenth-oldest such in the world.[120]

Radio Northampton's Broadcasting House is located on Abington Street in Northampton.

Heart FMandBBC Radio Northamptonare the major stations that serve the town. There are four community radio stations:Inspiration FM,NLive Radio(Formerly NNBC), Revolution Radio and Embrace Radio. Revolution Radio was awarded a 5 year licence on 16 July 2020. Inspiration FM was officially launched in July 2010.[121]The station broadcasts on 107.8 FM NNBC was originally launched in September 2016 as a joint venture with the University of Northampton.[122]As of 30 September 2017, the station was re-branded as NLive Radio. The station marked the re-branding with a live broadcast from Market Square on 30 September.[123][124]Later that same evening, the station ran a live evening of music from a music venue in Northampton. The evening of music was headlined by Hana Brooks and broadcast live on the station under the banner 'Shoetown Sounds'.[125][126]The station broadcasts on 106.9 FM. Embrace Radio, was launched on 5 March 2022. It serves the town on 104.7 FM.

Regional TV news is provided byBBC Look EastandITV News Anglia.Northampton has also been used as a location for television, film and theatre. Northampton Castle is featured inWilliam Shakespeare's history playKing Johnand inBecket,a play byAlfred, Lord Tennyson.The town was the location for theBBCsitcomKeeping Up Appearancesfrom 1990 until 1995. Parts of the 2005 filmKinky Bootswere also 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 Barton.[92]The film was turned into a musicalKinky Boots,maintaining its Northampton backdrop, which premiered onBroadwayin 2013 and won 6Tony Awards.It transferred to theWest Endin London in 2015 and won 3Olivier Awards.In addition,BBC ThreeshowsBizarre ERandJunior Paramedicswere filmed in Northampton.[127][128]Changing Ends(2023), a semi-autobiographical sitcom based onAlan Carr's childhood, was set in 1980s Northampton.

Notable buildings

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The Church of The Holy Sepulchre,Northampton
All Saints' Churchin the centre of Northampton
Northampton Guildhall,built in the 1860s, is a Grade II* listed building

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, 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 Northampton,Simon de Senlisand based on a plan of the originalChurch of the Holy Sepulchrein Jerusalem.[129]

Simon de Senlis also built Northampton Castle c. 1084, which was for many years one of the country's most important castles. It was a royal residence, held The Parliament of England many times, and was the site of royal tournaments and feasts. Thomas Becket was imprisoned there until he escaped. The castle suffered many fates and was eventually demolished to make way for the railway station in 1879.[130]Apostern,dismantled from its original position and rebuilt into a wall by the station, and a part of the keep mound are all that remains.

The current All Saints' Church was built on the site of a great Norman church, All Hallows, which was almost completely destroyed by the Great Fire of Northampton in 1675. All that remained was the medieval tower and the fine vaulted crypt, but by 1680 All Saints' had been rebuilt, with the help of donations from all over England, including 1,000 tons of timber fromKing Charles II,whose statue can be seen above theportico.Famously, the poetJohn Clareliked to sit beneath the portico of the church. It is home to a choral foundation.[131]

TheNational Lift Toweris a prominent feature of the town's skyline

Other notable church buildings includeNorthampton Cathedral,the mother church of the Roman CatholicDiocese of Northamptonand seat of theBishop of Northampton;St Peter's (mostly built in Norman times);St Giles' Church;St Matthew'sin Phippsville, which was built between 1891 and 1894, has aHenry Mooresculpture of theMadonna.St Edmund's Church (built in 1850) closed in 1978 and was demolished in 1980[132](its bells are now inSaint Paul's Cathedral, Wellington).

Just south of the town centre Delapré Abbey, a formerCluniacnunnery, the County Records Office and site of the second Battle of Northampton, which was founded by Simon II de Senlis, the son of first Earl of Northampton, in 1145. At the edge of the Abbey, one of the three standingEleanor crossesstill remains, in memory ofEleanor of Castile,whose body rested here on its way to London. The original top of the monument has been knocked off and replaced several times from as early as 1460.[133]

St Andrew's Hospital, which opened 1838, and its new building William Wake House, is one of the largestneo-classicalstructures in England. Northampton & County Club, which was established in 1873, was also the old county hospital before becoming a private members' club; the cellars are medieval.Northampton Guildhall,which is Grade II* listed, was constructed mostly in the 1860s inVictorian Gothicarchitecture designed byEdward William Godwin,and extended in 1889–92[134]and in the 1990s. TheClare Street drill hallwas completed in 1859.[135]

78 Derngate is a Grade II* listed Georgian Town House remodelled by Charles Rennie Mackintosh forWenman Joseph Bassett-Lowkein 1916–17. It contains notable Mackintosh interiors (which have been restored) and is his only major domestic commission outside Scotland. It is open to the public. One of these Derngate buildings was previously home to Northampton High School, an independent Northampton girls' school.

The 127.45 m (418 ft 2 in) tallNational Lift Toweris a dominant feature and visible from most of the town. ATerry Woganradio phone-in during the 1980s came up with the name "Northampton Lighthouse" as Northampton is one of the furthest places from the sea. It is also known as the "Cobblers' Needle". It was built for testing new lifts at the Express Lifts factory, now closed. Though now redundant, it is alisted building.[136]

The former Greyfriars bus station served the town from 1976 until 2014. In the 2000s, it was featured onChannel 4'sDemolitionprogramme as the ugliest transport station in the United Kingdom and worthy of demolition. Demolition work began in March 2014, following the move of bus services toNorth Gate bus station.The Greyfriars was completely destroyed on 15 March 2015 by way of a controlled explosion.[137]

Memorials

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TheTown and County War Memorial

Northampton contains several significant war memorials. TheTown and County War Memorial,unveiled in 1926, commemorates casualties of the First World War from all of Northamptonshire; it replaced a temporary cenotaph which stood in Abington Square from 1919. Designed bySir Edwin Lutyens,it consists of two large obelisks and an altar-like stone sited in a small garden behind All Saints' Church. The Town and County memorial is a grade I listed building and part of a national collection of Lutyens' war memorials.[138]As the Town and County memorial does not contain a list of names of the fallen, theRoyal British Legionlaunched a campaign which resulted in the construction of a second memorial, dedicated solely to the town; this memorial, in Abington Square, takes the form of a garden of remembrance with the names of the dead inscribed on the garden walls. A bust ofEdgar Mobbswas later moved into the garden; Mobbs was a rugby player for Northampton Saints who was killed while serving in the First World War.[139]

Transport

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North Gate bus station
Northampton railway station

Northampton is served by junctions 15, 15a and 16 of the M1 motorway which connects the town with London at its most southern point and Leeds at its most northern. Both theA45andA43link Northampton with the other major towns in Northamptonshire and beyond, and can be accessed by a partially completedring road.TheA14is close by to the north of Northampton, providing links toEast Angliaand a secondary route to the areas of theMidlandswhich are situated to the north of the town.

Northampton railway stationis on theNorthampton Loopof the West Coast Main Line, and has services southbound toLondon Eustonand northbound toBirminghamandCreweprovided byWest Midlands Trains.Avanti West Coastalso provide two daily services to London, although these are set-down only.

Sywell Aerodromeis the nearest airfield which has recently been upgraded with a 1,000-metre-long (3,300 ft) concrete runway, however it only caters for private flying, flight training and corporate flights.[140]For international links, theEast Midlands AirportandLuton Airportare quickly accessible by the M1 around 44 miles (71 km) north-west and 33 miles (53 km) south-east, respectively;Birmingham Airportis also around 39 miles (63 km) to the north-west of the town via the M1 andM6motorways, as well as by train.

In the town, buses are mainly operated byStagecoach Midlandsfrom the North Gate bus station with some services fromUnobut it was announced in November 2023 that routes operated byUnowill be taken over by Stagecoach from March 2024. Stagecoach serves areas within the town and also provides travel to outlying villages and towns within the county, making links toCorby,Daventry,Kettering,Rushdenand Wellingborough. They also go as far afield asBedford,Leicester,Market Harborough,Milton Keynes, Peterborough andRugby.Uno serve the university and Kingsthorpe area as well as Rectory Farm, Abington and Sixfields.National Expressalso operates in Northampton, covering routes between major towns and cities in the United Kingdom. Buses used to be operated byNorthampton Corporation Transportand then, since the privatization of buses in the 1980s.FirstGroupoperated them until the 2010s and[141]Arrivaoperate 2 services around the town[142](33 and 33x)

Northampton is the terminus of an arm of theGrand Union Canal,which connects to theRiver Neneand from that to theRiver Great Ouseand theNorth Sea.No longer used for freight, the waterway is now popular with anglers andnarrowboaters.Principal outlying villages on the canal includeGayton,Blisworth,BraunstonandStoke Bruerne.

Northampton once had ahorse-drawn tramwaywhich opened in 1881. The system was extended in stages and taken over by the council in 1897 and namedNorthampton Corporation Tramways.It was electrified in 1904, but closed in 1934 mainly as a result of competition from motor buses 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.[143]

Education

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The firstUniversity of Northamptonwas established byroyal charterby King Henry III in 1261,[144]and started to rival the universities inCambridgeandOxford,with their students migrating to the Northampton establishment.[145]This university was dissolved by King Henry III in 1265, in revenge of its students siding with the rebellious barons in the Battle of Northampton (1264).[146]Henry III was also advised by bishops and magnates that it posed a threat to Oxford, and signed a Royal Decree which banned the establishment of a university in Northampton.[147]

This was eventually repealed and the university's name was revived in 2005 when the unconnected University College Northampton, which was founded in 1924, was upgraded to full university status and renamed the University of Northampton.[148]This is the onlyhigher education(HE) establishment in the town and offers courses from foundation and undergraduate levels to postgraduate, professional and doctoral qualifications. The university is made of up six schools: Business, Education, Health, Science and Technology, Social Sciences and The Arts. The university was originally spread over two campuses across the town, but moved to its new £330 million waterside campus by the River Nene in the town centre in 2018.

Northampton's onlyfurther education(FE) college isNorthampton College,one of the largest FE colleges in the South Midlands, which has two campuses across the town, offering vocational courses,GCSEsandA Levels.Moulton Collegeis another FE college just north of Northampton which provides many vocational courses, specialising in land-based subjects, sports and construction. In collaboration with the University of Northampton, both colleges also offer some HE programmes.

There are 50primary schoolsand 8secondary schoolsin the town. Until 2004, Northamptonshire operated a three-tier system in education of lower, middle and upper schools. In 2001, the move to a two-tier system to primary and secondary schools began, aimed at improving educational standards.[149]Some of its successful secondary schools includeNorthampton School for Boys,which became the top performing comprehensive school in the country in 2007,[150]andNorthampton School for Girls,the first school in England to gain Specialist Music College status.[151]An average of 55% of students in Northampton achieved five A*-C grades at GCSE in 2015, above the government's benchmark of 40%.[152]There are also 5special schoolsin the town.Northampton High Schoolis an independent school for girls.

Notable people

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Main article:List of people from Northampton

Twin towns

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Northampton istwinnedwith:[153]

Freedom of the Borough

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The following people, military units, and organisations have received theFreedom of the Boroughof Northampton.

Individuals

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[155][156]

Military units

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Organisations and groups

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See also

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Notes

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References

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