Northampton: Guide, Hotels, Map & Photos
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GBP 30 - 145 Premier Inn Northampton Great Billing/A45
 On the waterfront, with a sun terrace looking out over the marina and Billing Aquadrome, the hotel offers great value, with free parking and spacious,… MoreGBP 33 - 145 Premier Inn Northampton Bedford Rd/A428
 On the A428 into Northampton, within easy reach of junction 15 of the M1 motorway, the hotel offers great value, with free parking and spacious, comfo… MoreGBP 40 - 140 Plough Hotel
 Plough Hotel offers free parking and spacious rooms a few minutes´ walk from Northampton town centre and 0.5 miles from Northampton Train Statio… MoreGBP 33 - 145 Premier Inn Northampton South (Wootton)
 Just off the A45, less than 2 miles (3.2 km) from the very heart of Northampton´s town centre, the hotel offers great value, with free parking a… MoreGBP 39 - 190 Sedgebrook Hall
 In 13 acres of beautiful, peaceful grounds, in the pretty village of Chapel Brampton, Sedgebrook Hall has an indoor pool, a gym and modern en suite ro… MoreGBP 34 - 120 Westone Manor Hotel
 Easily accessible from the A43, A45 and M1, this traditional hotel set in private grounds is only a few minutes’ drive from Northampton, and is conv… MoreGBP 50 - 140 The Langham Hotel
 Conveniently situated a short walk from the town centre, our hotel is minutes from the town´s mainline railway station and within easy access of… MoreGBP 35 - 45 Sunley Management Centre
 In the landscaped grounds of the University of Northampton, close to the Northamptonshire countryside, the Sunley Management Centre offers en suite ac… MoreGBP 44 - 231 Park Inn Northampton
 Situated in Northampton town centre, Park Inn offers free parking, an on-site leisure centre with beauty salon, and a grill restaurant, just 5 minutes… MoreGBP 45 - 140 Overstone Park Hotel, Golf & Leisure Resort
 In huge parkland, this unique resort offers inclusive breakfast, discounted green fees, free parking and free use of a spa, gym, swimming pool, sauna,… MoreGBP 40 - 200 Holiday Inn Express Northampton
 Holiday Inn Express Northampton is situated in Grange Park, just off junction 15 of the M1, and it offers free private parking and free Wi-Fi in publi… MoreGBP 53 - 358 Hilton Northampton Hotel
 Just off the M1, this Hilton hotel has a gym and a swimming pool, 10 minutes’ from Northampton town centre. Bedrooms at Northampton Hilton have 32-i… MoreGBP 29 - 199 Campanile Hotel Northampton
 Just 10 minutes’ drive from Northampton centre, Campanile Hotel offers free Wi-Fi, free parking and modern en suite rooms.
All of the bright and ai… MoreGBP 35 - 365 Holiday Inn Northampton
 With a riverside setting, the friendly Holiday Inn Northampton is free for the under 12s. It has free parking, a brasserie, a bar and a mini-gym.
The… MoreGBP 55 - 200 Hopping Hare
 Originally a manor house, The Hopping Hare now offers stylish en suite rooms and a contemporary bar. There is free Wi-Fi and ample free private parkin… MoreGBP 57 - 195 Northampton Marriott Hotel
 Ideally located for business events in the East Midlands, this modern hotel in Northampton is just off junction 15 of the M1, and close to the A45.
F… MoreGBP 39 - 181 Ibis Hotel Northampton Centre
 In Northampton town centre, Hotel Ibis is within Sol Central leisure complex, which has a cinema, casino, shops and a fitness centre. Northampton Rail… MoreGBP 70 - 250 Best Western Lime Trees Hotel
 The charming appearance of the hotel’s Georgian frontage and the mews courtyard at the rear are matched by the immaculate bedrooms, fine restaurant … More | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Northampton: Guide
This article is about Northampton in England; for other places of the same name see Northampton (disambiguation)
Northampton is a large market town and a Non-metropolitan district|local government district in central England on the River Nene, and the county town of Northamptonshire, in the English East Midlands region.
The district has a population of List of English districts by population|194,800, whilst the Urban Area has a population of List of English cities by population|189,474. By this measurement, it is the 21st largest settlement in England and is the UK's third largest town without official city status, after Reading, Berkshire|Reading and Dudley. It is situated 67 miles (108 km) north of London.
Traditionally Northampton has been a major centre of shoemaking and other leather related industries. Shoemaking has virtually ceased, though the back streets of the town still show the pattern of small shoe factories surrounded by terraced houses for the outworkers. Northampton's main industries now include distribution and finance, and major employers include Barclaycard, Panasonic, Coca Cola & Schweppes Beverages Ltd, and Carlsberg.
Northampton is the most populous Districts of England|district in England not to be a unitary authority, a status it failed to obtain in the 1990s UK local government reform|1990s local government reform.
It is also one of the most populous urban districts not to be a London Borough, metropolitan borough or city; on this basis the council claims that it is the largest town in England. Various other boroughs could claim the title, sometimes taking into account areas outside their civic boundaries, or outlying areas not usually considered part of the town.
Northampton's population has increased greatly since the 1960s, largely due to planned expansion under the New town#United Kingdom|New Towns Commission in the early-1960s. Other factors are the rail link and the busy M1 motorway that both lead direct to London. Northampton is within 70 miles of central London, and by car and train it takes approximately 1 hour 30 minutes to journey between the two. This transport link to the South East has proved attractive, with already high house prices in and around London rising rapidly since the 1990s causing many people to move increasingly further away from the area in order to commuting|commute from more reasonably-priced housing. Most of Northampton's housing expansion has taken place to the east of the town, with recent developments on the western outskirts at Upton and to the south adjacent to an improved junction on the M1 at Grange Park.
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History
Early history
Remains have been found in the Northampton area dating back to the iron age. It is believed that farming settlement began in the Northampton area in around the 7th century. By the 8th century it had become an administrative centre for the kingdom of Mercia.
The pre-Norman town was known as Hamtun and was quite small, occupying only some 60 acres.
Medieval Northampton
The town became significant in the 11th century, when the Normans built town walls and a large castle. The original defence line of the walls is preserved in today's street pattern (Bridge St, The Drapery, Bearward St & Scarletwell Lane).
The town grew rapidly after the Normans arrived, and beyond the early defences. By the time of the Domesday Book, 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 II of England|Henry II Thomas Beckett at one time escaped from Northampton Castle through the unguarded Northern gate to flee the country,
Northampton had one of the largest Jewish populations in 13th century England, 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; these officials collected the taxes and upheld the law.
In 1189 Richard I of England|King Richard I gave the town its first charter and in 1215 John of England|King John authorised the appointment of William Tilly as the town's first Mayor. He also 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 Northampton laid down new powers for dealing with law breakers.
A University of Northampton (thirteenth century)|university was established in the town in 1261 by scholars fleeing University of Cambridge|Cambridge. It briefly flourished, but was dissolved by Henry III of England|Henry III in 1265 owing to the threat it posed to University of Oxford|Oxford.
The first Battle of Northampton (1264)|Battle of Northampton took place at the site of Northampton Castle in 1264 - when the forces of Henry III over ran the supporters of Simon de Montfort. In 1460, a second Battle of Northampton (1460)|Battle of Northampton took place in the grounds of Delapre Abbey - and was a decisive battle of the Wars of the Roses, and King Henry VI of England|Henry VI was captured in the town by the House of York|Yorkists.
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.
There remains a large Northampton's tunnels|network of medieval tunnels that can be found around the centre of Northampton centred on All Saints church.
Civil War to 1900
Northampton supported the roundhead|Parliamentarians during the English Civil War. For this reason the town walls and castle were later torn down on the orders of King Charles II of England|Charles II 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, and was re-built as a spacious and well-planned town. In the 18th century Northampton became a major centre of footwear and leather manufacture. The prosperity of the town was greatly aided by demand for footwear caused by the Napoleonic Wars of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
In his 18th century, "A Tour through the Whole Island of Great Britain", Daniel Defoe 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 Canal, 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 and Birmingham Railway|London-Birmingham line at Blisworth to Peterborough through Northampton which opened in 1845. This was followed by lines to Market Harborough (1859) and Bedford (1872). The Northampton loop off the major West Coast Main Line was built into Northampton in the late 1870s.
Over the coming centuries the town continued to grow rapidly; after 1850 the town spilled out beyond the old town walls and began the growth we see today. in 1800 the population was round 7,000 and this had grown to 87,000 a century later.
In the 19th century Northampton acquired a reputation for political radicalism when the radical non-conformist Charles Bradlaugh was elected on several occasions as the town's Member of Parliament|MP.
1900 - Today
Growth after 1900 was slower. The town's famous shoe industry ceased to grow and other industries arrived slowly.
Between the wars pressure on housing led to new council-built housing estates being erected. The Borough boundary, first extended in 1900, was expanded again in 1932. The population had increased to around 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. By this time the town also linked to the M1 motorway. Actual growth was much slower than planned (in 1981 the population was 156,000), but by the time NDC was 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 borough and its reconstitution as a non-metropolitan district also covering areas outside the former borough boundaries but inside the designated New Town. Recently suggestions for another major expansion have been put forward, and are the subject of much public debate.
At the millennium, Northampton applied unsuccessfully to be granted City status in the United Kingdom|city status as a part of the "millennium cities" scheme. This distinction for the Midlands area was instead granted to Wolverhampton.
The University of Northampton received full university status in 2005, following several years as a University College.
Government and politics
Northampton is administered by two local authorities: Northampton Borough Council and Northamptonshire County Council. The two authorities are responsible for running different local services.
Northampton is currently the largest district in England not to be a self-governing unitary authority. Northampton's present local government status was set in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 when it became a non-metropolitan district. Prior to this it had been an independent county borough.
Northampton is represented in Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament by two MPs. These are:
Brian Binley, Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative, (Northampton South (UK Parliament constituency)|Northampton South)
Transport within the town exists in the form of buses run by two main companies; The Stagecoach Group and The First Group, both of which offer a reasonable service with average wait times of between 10 to 30 minutes.
Bus travel into and out of Northampton is provided by The Stagecoach Group and National Express with Stagecoach providing travel to the outlying villages and towns and National Express covering major routes between urban centres in Britain.
Northampton is the terminus of an arm of the Grand Union Canal which snakes across Britain that allows navigation to the River Nene and the North Sea. Although no longer used for freight, the waterway is still popular with narrowboat owners with many stopping at the outlying villages of Gayton, Northamptonshire|Gayton, Blisworth and Stoke Bruerne.
As well as two indoor shopping mall|shopping centres (The Grosvenor Center and Peacock Place), the town also claims to have Britain's largest market square, which dates back to 1235. The square and surrounding shopping streets used to host the annual St Crispin Street Fair, held during the October half-term school holiday from 1993 to 2005. Away from the town centre the main suburban shopping areas are Wellingborough Road and the Weston Favell Centre. There are retail parks at Riverside and Towcester Road. The main leisure area is Sixfields, which includes bowling, restaurants and a cinema.
The Derngate and Royal Theatre (Northampton)|Royal theatres are situated next door to each other in Guildhall Road, opposite Northampton Museum and Art Gallery. They have been recently renovated and reopened to the public in November 2006. The Deco is a theatre/conference centre based on the Grade II listed former Cannon Cinema, in Abington Square. There is a smaller museum in a former mansion within Abington Park.
Until the removal of council funding caused its closure and liquidation, the cinemas are also located in the town: Vue (cinema)|Vue (formerly UCI) at Sol Central, Cineworld (formerly UGC, and before that Virgin Cinema) at Sixfields and the Forum Cinema at Lings Forum.
Northampton's oldest standing building, the Church of The Holy Sepulchre, Northampton|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, Marquess of Northampton|Simon de Senlis , who had just returned from the first Crusade. It is based on a plan of the original Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
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 was imprisoned here until he escaped.
St Andrew
The Northampton Cathedral|Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate & St Thomas of Canterbury, the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Northampton and the seat of the Bishop of Northampton.
Marburg in Germany
Scientist Francis Crick .
Historical
Spencer Perceval was a local MP and Prime Minister. He is famous for having been killed in the British House of Commons|House of Commons by John Bellingham in 1812.
Musical
Bauhaus (band)
Radio stations:
BBC Radio Northampton, and
Regional television news is provided by:
BBC Look East and
At one point during the late 1990s-early 2000s, Northampton also had its own local TV station, Northants TV (NTV). It was transmitted on both cable and later terrestrial, mostly showing local adverts, sport, and documentaries on the surrounding countryside and activities.
Northampton, Maryland
Northampton's tunnels
This "Travel Guide" section is drawn from the Wikipedia article "Northampton". We hope you will edit and improve it. It is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.
Sally Keeble, Labour Party (UK)|Labour (Northampton North (UK Parliament constituency)|Northampton North) Transport links
Northampton is situated near junctions 15, 15a and 16 of the M1 motorway (England)|M1 motorway. The A45 road|A45 and A43 road|A43 go through the town and the A14 road|A14 is close by to the north. By rail, Northampton railway station is served by the Northampton Loop of the West Coast Main Line, and has regular services to London and Birmingham provided by Silverlink|Silverlink Trains (to London) and Central Trains (to Birmingham). Virgin Trains also provide some services to London and the north, with a small number of Pendolinos running each day. Sywell Aerodrome is the nearest airfield; for international links, East Midlands Airport and Luton Airport are quickly accessible by the M1, and Birmingham International Airport is accessible direct by train. Leisure and culture
The town is noted for its many parks, which include:
Abington Park (home to the annual Green Festival, Kite Festival and occasional fairs). The park has ponds, a tearoom, a museum and an aviary.
The Racecourse (home to the annual Northampton Balloon Festival|Balloon Festival). This was originally a horseracing course until 1904, when it was abandoned following a series of accidents. To the far side of the park is the White Elephant public house, aptly named after the closure of the racecourse led to the loss of its main clientele. During WWII the park was ploughed over so that local residents could plant and grow vegetables. The park currently has a reputation as a haunt of thieves.
Delapre Abbey|Delapre Park,
Charles Bradlaugh|Bradlaugh Fields,
Becket's Park (named after Thomas Becket, who also lends his name to the nearby Becket's Well) and Iron Age hill fort Hunsbury Hill.
Billing Aquadrome leisure park is situated on the town's outskirts, which incorporates a caravan site, marina and funfair. As well as the 'Marina' bar, the site offers 'The Quays' riverside restaurant and 'The Billing Mill' which was converted from the original water mill, with many of the original workings still in place and visible through gallery windows. Sport in Northampton
The town is home to:
Football League One|League One football (soccer)|football club Northampton Town F.C.|Northampton Town (nicknamed The Cobblers due to the town's previous association with shoemaking), at Sixfields Stadium. There is also an athletics track adjacent to the football ground.
Guinness Premiership rugby union club Northampton Saints, at Franklin's Gardens. The Saints, as they have been nicknamed, had their greatest ever moment when the team won the Heineken European Cup in 2000 at Twickenham, beating Munster 9-8.
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club, known as the Steelbacks, at the County Cricket Ground, Northampton|County Ground.
The Nene Whitewater Centre provides an artificial whitewater course for canoes, kayaks and rafts.
Northampton Swimming Club, which trained the young Olympic Games|Olympic swimmer Caitlin McClatchey.
Collingtree Golf Club, which hosted the British Masters in 1995. Notable buildings
The current All Saints' Church, Northampton|All Saints' Church (see picture right) 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 Saints' Church, Northampton|All Saints had been rebuilt, with the help of donations from all over England, including 1,000 tons of timber from Charles II of England|King Charles II, whose statue can be seen above the portico.
The Guildhall 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 contains an interior designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh for Wenman Joseph Bassett-Lowke and is the only major domestic commission outside Scotland. It is open to the public by appointment.
The 127.45 metre tall Express Lift Tower is a dominant feature in the area. Terry Wogan 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.
The Carlsberg UK brewery is located in the town.
Delapre Abbey – former Cluniac nunnery, founded by Marquess of Northampton|Simon de Senlis - later the County Records Office and site of the second Battle of Northampton (1460)|Battle of Northampton.
Eleanor of Castile|Queen Eleanor's body rested here on its way to London – and the nearby Eleanor cross|Queen Eleanor's cross commemorates this resting. The Cross is also referred to in Daniel Defoe'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."
Northampton School For Boys – one of the few state-funded single sex school for boys in England.
The town's Greyfriars Bus Station, built in the 1970s to replace the old Derngate station, was featured on Channel 4's Demolition (television)|Demolition programme and was cited as the worst transport station in the UK, and it was suggested worthy of demolition.
Northampton & County Club, established in 1873, was the old county hospital before becoming a private members' club; the cellars date back to medieval times and there are currently plans to develop these into a wine bar.Other churches in Northampton
St David's
St Edmunds
St Giles
St James'
St John Baptist
St Matthew's (built 1983)
St Michael and All Angels with St Edmund
St Peter Twin towns
Poitiers in France Celebrity associations
Modern
Actress Joan Hickson, famous for playing Miss Marple, comes from Kingsthorpe.
Birds of a Feather actress Lesley Joseph grew up in the town.
Nearby is Althorp, the country estate where Diana, Princess of Wales is buried. In 1997, her funeral procession passed through the town.
Journalist and broadcaster Andrew Collins (writer)|Andrew Collins hails from Northampton and wrote about growing up in the town in his memoir Where Did It All Go Right?.
Des O'Connor lived in Northampton, worked at Church's for some years and played for the Cobblers (Northampton Town Football Club).
Television presenter Michael Underwood lives in the town.
Composer Malcolm Arnold|Sir Malcolm Arnold was born in the town.
Actor Robert Llewellyn (Red Dwarf characters#Kryten|Kryten from Red Dwarf) was also born in the town, and lived at 47 Booth Rise until the age of 13 (source: Anglian TV's Celebrity Going Home: Robert Llewellyn (2004))
Writer Alan Moore, creator of V for Vendetta, Watchmen, and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, is a lifelong resident of Northampton. His novel Voice of the Fire is a fictionalized history of the town.
Myrea Pettit, renowned fantasy artist of fairies, flowers and butterflies learned her craft in Northamptonshire.
Jo Whiley, the BBC Radio 1 DJ was born in the town in 1965.
The late Delia Derbyshire, who was behind the original version of the Doctor Who theme tune, spent her final years in the town.
Blue Peter's Peter Purves lived in the nearby village of Cogenhoe.
BBC radio presenter Anna Murby comes from the county.
Judy Carne, born Joyce Botterill on April 27, 1939 in the town, is an actress who may be best remembered for her introducing the phrase "Sock it to me!" while a regular on Laugh-In.
Edmund Rubbra (1901-1986) - Composer
William Alwyn (1905-1985) - Composer
Marc Warren, who played Danny Blue in the Hustle (BBC)|BBC's Hustle series, was born in Kingsthorpe.
Northampton was used as the town location for Keeping Up Appearances between 1990-1995.
Stuart Pearson Wright award winng artist was born in Northampton in 1975.
Professional wrestler Norman Smiley was born in the town.
Camp Comedian Alan Carr went to school in Northampton. His father Graham Carr managed the Town's football club at the time.
Nanette Newman, actress and author, was born in Northampton.
John Clare, the poet, was sectioned in the local madhouse, where he remained until his death in 1864.
Charles Bradlaugh, the famous radical MP, was a member for the town.
The Victorian cricketer and pioneer missionary Charles Studd|Charles ("C.T.") Studd who played in the first The Ashes|Ashes test, was born at Spratton, just outside Northampton.
Errol Flynn acted in the Northampton Repertory Theatre between 1933 and 1935.
Elizabeth Bowen, 20th century Anglo-Irish writer, lived here after her marriage.
Anne Bradstreet (1612-1672)- a puritan poet later based in Massachusetts.
Alban Butler (1710-1773) - the author of Lives of the saints
The Departure Media
Four newspapers are published in the town:
The Chronicle and Echo. (Daily, Monday-Saturday)
The Mercury. (free, Thursday)
Northants on Sunday. (free, Sunday)
Herald and Post (free, Thursday)
Northants 96 are based in the town, both broadcast to the wider county.
Inspiration FM - only broadcasts a few months per year
Anglia Television|Anglia News.American cousins
Settlers from Northampton moved to the United States and set up various new towns there. As a result Northampton is a popular name for cities and towns in the United States:
Northampton, Massachusetts
Northampton, New York (two locations)
Northampton, North Carolina
Northampton, Pennsylvania
Northampton, Virginia
Northampton Township, PennsylvaniaTrivia
The Northampton Development Corporation produced a commute to. The B-side was Energy in Northampton, about extraterrestrials choosing Northampton as a landing site. Strangely, neither song took the charts by storm, but for those interested and unable to obtain a copy on eBay, the A side is still played daily in the town's museum!
The bells from the church of St Edmund, Northampton, which was closed in 1978 and subsequently demolished, are now in Wellington Cathedral of Saint Paul|Wellington Cathedral, New Zealand.
Residents of the town are known as Northamptonians.
The 2005 film Kinky Boots was filmed in Northampton and featured shots of the iconic statue that sits outside the Grosvenor Centre in the Town Centre, Northampton railway station and various churches and parks.See also
External links
Source
Daniel Defoe - "A tour through the whole island of Great Britain".
Gerald Smith - an article on Northampton's underground secrets in the Chronicle & Echo - early 2006.