Northampton's history goes back 5,000 years, long before any records, but traces remain. So much blood and tears. The Romans and many others help build the United Kingdom what it is today, and Northampton has played a major part in its history. Facts and images about Northampton.

1. Northampton History

2.  Northampton, originally
called “Hamm tun” by Saxon
settlers, was also named
Hamtune, Northafendon and
Northaneton at its
beginnings.
 Northamptonshire today is
called the “Rose of the
Shires,” and also the County
of Spires and Squires.

3. Modern Northampton
 Northampton boasts one of the largest and most
impressive historic market squares in England. The
market features top high street names, modern
outlets and local specialty shops.
 Other market towns in Northamptonshire circle
Northampton. They include Towcester,
Wellingborough, Kettering, Market Harborough and
Daventry.

4. Modern Northampton
 The county lies on the River Nene in the East
Midlands Region, approximately 67 miles
northwest of London and 50 miles southeast of
Birmingham.
 The eastern border of Northamptonshire is a
mere 15 miles from Cambridge, while the south-
western border lies only 16 miles from Oxford.

5. Modern Northampton
 Northampton has seen a boom in development,
including the Radlands Plaza Skatepark, Becket’s
Park Marina, the new North Gate bus station, and
improvements of the Market Square, Waterside and
Grosvenor Shopping Centre areas.
 The Billing Aquadrome Park lies on the eastern
outskirts of town and features a converted
watermill complete with its original workings.

6. Modern Northampton
 Popular events in Northampton include the
Northampton Carnival, the Delapré Beer Festival,
the Umbrella Fair, the Dragonboat Races, the
Northampton Music Festival, and St. Crispin’s Fair.
 The Grand Prix races in the county offer a weekend
full of motorsports excitement. Towcester hosts 16
days of National Hunt racing each year, dating back
to the 1870s when Empress Elisabeth of Austria
visited the region regularly.

7. Modern Northampton
 Current major employers include Avon,
Barclaycard, Coca-Cola, Schweppes, Texas
Instruments and Carlsberg Beer.
 The University of Northampton employs many
residents, as does St. Andrew’s Healthcare. St.
Andrew’s Hospital is the UK’s largest psychiatric
hospital and is based in Northampton.

8. Old Northampton
 Northamptonshire’s primary asset is history. The
county features hundreds of historic houses,
magnificent churches centuries old and more.
 A system of ancient tunnels runs beneath
Market Square and connects government
buildings, including The Guildhall.

9. Old Northampton
 It is believed these tunnels served as secret
escape routes during times of trouble in
Northampton’s colourful past.
 Settlement in the Northampton region dates
back to Neolithic and Bronze Age times. A large
circular earthwork dating to 3500 BC along with
other ancient settlements and the remains of
Roman roads can be found near the town.

10. Old Northampton
 Iron Age hill forts, such as Hunsbury Hill, date to
approximately 400 BC. A small settlement near
the Duston district dates to the Roman
occupation of Britain.
 In fact, Market Square was originally used by the
Romans to distribute food and instructions to
soldiers reporting from Central England.

11. Old Northampton
 All Saints’ Church Brixworth, dates from the
seventh century.
 It is built partly from Roman-era materials and is
“perhaps the most imposing
architectural memorial of the
7th century yet surviving north
of the Alps”.

12. Old Northampton
 By 918 AD, Northampton had an army and an Earl.
 Edward the Elder recovered the settlement
from the Danes and turned it into a prosperous
river port and trading centre as one of the new
shires.
 The village of Earls Barton has a standing Saxon
tower which dates to 970 AD.

13. Old Northampton
 Simon de Senlis, the first Earl of Northampton,
built a Norman castle in the county in 1084 AD.
 William the Conqueror added Rockingham
Castle, and the town became a vital strategic
point for government and political meetings.

14. Old Northampton
 Simon de Senlis, the first Earl of Northampton,
built a Norman castle in the county in 1084 AD.
 William the Conqueror added Rockingham
Castle, and the town became a vital strategic
point for government and political meetings.

15. Northampton Castle
 Northampton Castle became a Royal residence
in the 12th century, and it also held the English
Parliament.
 The county’s oldest standing building, the
Church of the Holy Sepulchre, was built in 1100
by de Senlis.

16. Northampton Castle
 It is based on plans of the original Church of the
Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, and it remains one
of the largest and best-preserved round
churches in England.
 King Richard I granted the town’s first charter in
1189 in exchange for donations to fund his
crusades.

17. Northampton Castle
 Simon II, son of Simon de Senlis, built St. Peter’s
Church between an Anglo-Saxon palace and
Northampton Castle.
 He founded Delapré Abbey, where one of the
three standing Eleanor Crosses remains in
memory of Eleanor of Castille.

18. Northampton Castle
 Northampton was the site of the trial of Thomas
Beckett in 1164 as well as the declaration of
peace with Scotland by the Treaty of Edinburgh-
Northampton.
 The second Battle of Northampton was fought
here in 1145 AD.

19. Northampton Castle
 Market Square became vital to the area in 1235
when King Henry III prohibited selling goods in
the All Saints’ churchyard.
 Later in the century the forces of Henry III
defeated supporters of Simon de Montfort,
resulting in significant destruction to
Northampton in the First Baron’s War.

20. Northampton Castle
 The Second Battle of Northampton occurred
during the Wars of the Roses between the
Yorkists and the Lancastrians.
 King Henry VI was captured 10 July 1450 by the
Yorkists, who soundly defeated the Lancastrians
after only 30 minutes of battle.

21. The Spencer Family
 The Spencer family, ancestors of Princess Diana,
built Althorp House in Northamptonshire
approximately 500 years ago.
The house has remained home to Earl Spencer and others of the Spencer family since that time.

22. The Spencer Family
 During the English Civil War in 1642,
Northampton sided with pro-Parliament
forces.
 The town was the main garrison in the south-
east Midlands area used and Northampton
Castle as the headquarters for the
Parliamentarian forces.

23. The Spencer Family
 Prince Rupert attacked Northampton in 1643
but was defeated. Charles I’s Royalist Army was
also beaten decisively at Northampton in 1645.

24. English Civil War
 During the Civil War years, Northampton
craftsmen manufactured 4000 pairs of leather
shoes and 600 pairs of cavalry boots for the
Parliamentarian armies.
 They also produced 2000 more pairs for
Cromwell’s New Model Army in 1648.

25. English Civil War
 The Civil War eventually ended in a
Parliamentarian victory and England became a
commonwealth. The reign of King Charles II was
restored in 1660.
 Hazelrigg HouseHazelrigg House was built in
Northampton around this time, and it was one
of the few buildings to survive the Great Fire of
1675.

26. English Civil War
 The fire started on St. Mary’s Street on 20
September 1675, ultimately destroying over 600
buildings in the town centre in less than 24
hours.
 All Hallows Church was almost completely
destroyed and was replaced by the current All
Saints’ Church in 1680.

27. English Civil War
 All Saints’ still dominates Northampton’s town
centre. The Sessions House and what is now
called County Hall were among the first
buildings completed in the town after the
devastation of the fire.
 Northampton continued to be a historical
whirlwind throughout the next several
centuries.

28. English Civil War
 Marvel’s Mill, operated by Edward Cave,
opened in Northampton in 1741, becoming the
first water-wheel driven cotton mill in the world.
 Northampton’s reputation as a major centre of
manufacturing of leather and footwear
continued to grow..

29. Northampton Transport
 In 1815, the Grand Union Canal joined the River
Nene in Northampton directly to the Midlands
coalfields and on to Birmingham, Manchester
and London.
 The first railways to enter Northampton opened
in 1845. In the 1860s, the Northampton
Guildhall was built in Victorian Gothic style.

30. Northampton Transport
 The first tramlines were laid in 1881 and they
were electrified in 1903.
 During the First World War, the Northampton
shoe industry produced over 23 million pairs of
boots for the military. Today, Edward Green
Shoes, Crockett & Jones, Church’s, Trickers, and
Wildsmith Shoes survive in Northamptonshire.

31. Northampton Transport
 Following World War II, Northampton saw a
growth in engineering as a major area of
employment.
 The Express Lift Tower, also called the
Northampton Lighthouse and the Cobbler’s
Needle, was built for testing new lifts at the
Express factory.

32. Northampton Transport
 Although the factory is now closed, the tower
still stands 127.45 m (418 ft 2 in) tall.
 The first Carlsberg Brewery outside Denmark
was opened by Princess Benedikte of Denmark
in 1974.
 www.northampton-business-directory.com