Discover Northamptonshire - About

Northamptonshire will raise your expectations and lift your spirit

Only an hour away from London and close to international airports. Northamptonshire is a place with beautiful countryside, a rich tradition and heritage and charming stone villages. Our vast rural landscape is quintessentially English and brimming with character.

Situated in the middle of England, Northamptonshire is by no means average

Enjoy Motoring Heaven and the thrill of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone or simple relaxation at Althorp, Ancestral home to Diana Princess of Wales.

Visit for a week with the family or a long weekend without them Northamptonshire's relaxed, friendly charm can soothe even the most furrowed of brows - your short break will relax and refresh you.

And there's plenty for you to sink your teeth into - try some of our county's culinary delights.

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Rural Kettering, Northamptonshire

The countryside in this county here is very beautiful, offering country parks, canals and miles of walks. If you’re a cyclist there’s plenty for you here too. Miles of cycle paths follow the landscape of the Brampton Way. There are many stately homes and ancestral seats here too, including the home of the Spencer family in Althorp.

History of Northampton

Northampton started as a Saxon village called Hamm tun, which means the village beside the well-watered meadow. Later it went on to be called North Hamm tun, most likely to distinguish it from Southampton.

Northampton suffered a considerable fire in 1516 when many of its houses were ruined. Fire was a continual hazard because many of the buildings were made of wood and had thatched roofs. Like all towns during the Tudor time, Northampton also suffered outbreaks of plague. However, the town continued to grow in size and prosperity.

The rapid growth in population during the later 1800s reached a plateau after 1900. Northampton grew only gradually in the 1920s and 1930s. However, the first council houses were constructed in the 1920s. The first electric streetlights were turned on in 1892 and the early 20th century saw electric streetlights replace gas ones.

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