Information AboutNorthampton |
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]] Northampton is a large Market Town and a Local Government District in central England upon the River Nene , and the County Town of Northamptonshire . The district has a population of 194,800 , whilst the Urban Area has a population of 189,474 . By this measurement, it is the 21st largest settlement in England. Traditionally Northampton has been a major centre of Shoe making 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. The main industries now include distribution and finance. Northampton is the most populous District in England not to be a Unitary Authority , which it failed to obtain in the 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 nearly doubled since the 1960s , largely due to planned expansion under the 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 around 60 Miles from London, and by car and train it takes approximately 90 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 further and further away from the area in order to Commute . Most of Northampton's housing expansion has happened to the east of the town, with recent developments on the western outskirts and adjacent to an improved junction on the M1. 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. Northampton had one of the largest Jew ish 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 King Richard I gave the town its first charter and in 1215 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 was established in the town in 1261 by scholars fleeing Cambridge . It briefly flourished, but was dissolved by Henry III in 1265 owing to the threat it posed to Oxford . The first 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 took place in the grounds of Delapré Abbey - and was a decisive battle of the Wars Of The Roses , and King Henry VI was captured in the town by the 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. Civil War to 1900 Northampton supported the Parliamentarian s during the English Civil War . For this reason the town walls and castle were later torn down on the orders of King Charles II as punishment. The Railway Station in Northampton stands on the site of the former castle, and for this reason 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 Railway s. The first railway to be built into Northampton was a branch from the main 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. 1900 - Today Growth after 1900 was slower. The town's famous shoe industry ceased to grow and other industries arrived slowly. 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 MP . Between the wars pressure on housing lead to new council built housing estates being erected. The Borough boundary, first extended in 1900, was expanded again in 1932. Northampton was designated a New Town, and in 1968 the Northampton Development Corporation (NDC) was set up to almost double the size of the town. At this time the town also became linked to the M1 motorway. By the time NDC was wound up 20 years later 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. At the millennium, Northampton applied unsuccesfully to be granted 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. 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 by two MPs. These are:
TRANSPORT LINKS Northampton is situated near junctions 15, 15a and 16 of the M1 Motorway . The A45 and A43 go through the town and the 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 Trains (to London) and Central Trains (to Birmingham). Virgin Trains also provide some services to London and the north, with several Pendolino s running each day. Sywell Aerodrome is the nearest airfield. LEISURE AND CULTURE The town is noted for its many parks, which include:
As well as three modern indoor Shopping Centres , 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 Weston Favell. The Derngate and Royal theatres are situated next door to each other in Guildhall Road, opposite Northampton Museum and Art Gallery. (these are however, currently closed for refurbishment until late 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 (formerly UCI) at Sol Central, Cineworld (formerly UGC , and before that Virgin Cinema) at Sixfields and the Forum Cinema at Lings Forum . SPORT IN NORTHAMPTON The town is home to:
NOTABLE BUILDINGS
Other churches in Northampton include:
CELEBRITY ASSOCIATIONS Modern
Historical
Musical MEDIA Four newspapers are published in the town:
Radio stations:
Regional television news is provided by:
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. 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:
TRIVIA
EXTERNAL LINKS
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