Did You Know?

Northamptonshire, archaically known as the County of Northampton, is a county in the East Midlands of England. In 2015 it had a population of 723,000.

The county boasts several grand historic houses including Althorp, ancestral home of the Spencer family and home to the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial. Magnificent Boughton House near Kettering, dubbed “England’s Versailles”, is the home of the Dukes of Buccleuch and Queensberry. 

The Roman road of Watling Street passed through the county, and an important Roman settlement, Lactodorum, stood on the site of modern-day Towcester. There were other Roman settlements at Northampton, Kettering and along the Nene Valley near Raunds.

Northamptonshire is known for its British shoemaking industry and it has a successful history of making shoes that dates back almost 900 years.

Northamptonshire has it’s own airport! Sywell Areodrome in Sywell has three grass runways and one concrete runway. Unfortunately, you can’t hop on a plane from there as it’s only 1000 metres long.

One of the most important battles of the English Civil War was fought on Northamptonshire soil at Naseby on 14th June 1645. This was to be the final key battle of the war and resulted in a victory for the Parliamentarians.

It is home to the world-famous Silverstone circuit track which hosts the British Grand Prix and houses Mercedes’ engine manufacturing factory.

The Brackley Morris Men are one of the only seven ‘traditional Cotswold’ sides remaining in England and the only one to survive in Northamptonshire. 

Apricots came to Britain in 1542 when the gardener of King Henry VIII brought some trees back from Italy. Ideal soil conditions saw the fruit thrive in Aynho, a small village near the southernmost border of Northamptonshire, years later.

Kettering’s Wicksteed Park was founded in 1921, making it the oldest amusement park on the UK mainland – it’s also named after the noted Kettering industrialist, Charles Wicksteed.

We have two English Heritage sites: Kirby Hall and Rushton Triangular Lodge.

Rockingham Castle based in Corby was built for William the Conqueror and was used as a royal fortress until Elizabethan times. 

Agnes Browne has the dubious honour of being the first person in Northamptonshire to be punished under the 1563 law against witchcraft. Agnes, her daughter and 3 others were executed by hanging on the 22nd of July 1612.