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About Northampton

Northampton is an ancient Borough sited at a strategic geographical position in the Midlands. Parliament was frequently held in the Castle, which is no longer in existence, and the Borough was granted its Charter by King Richard I in 1189.

Northampton Castle was built soon after The Norman Conquest by Simon de Senlis. The trial of Thomas à Becket was held there in 1164 when he was charged with contempt for King Henry II's authority over the church. The Great Hall of the Castle was the setting for the first scene of Shakepeare's 'King John'.

The Queen Eleanor Cross in Hardingstone was built by King Edward I in memory of his wife, Eleanor of Castile, who died in 1290. Twelve crosses were built to mark the route of her funeral cortège on the way to her burial in Westminster Abbey.

Northampton's main industry was shoe-making and the local football team is still known as The Cobblers. During the Civil War, Northampton sided with Parliament and supplied Oliver Cromwell's army with 1,500 pairs of boots. One of King Charles II's first acts after the restoration of the monarchy was to order Northampton Castle to be burnt to the ground.

The Great Fire of Northampton in 1675 devastated the town centre and destroyed over 600 buildings including All Saints' Church. King Charles II donated 1,000 tons of timber to re-build the town and a commemorative statute of the king now stands on the portico of the rebuilt church.

Many of the fine Victorian buildings around the town, including The Guildhall, are derived from the wealth of the shoe industry at the turn of the 19th Century.

 In 1809, Northampton's Tory MP, Spencer Perceval, became British Prime Minister.

 He was shot dead in the House of Commons in 1812.

 The Chronicle and Daily Echo newspapers were founded in 1880. They merged in 1931

 to become The Chronicle & Echo.

 Silverstone - the home of British Grand Prix - is located in Northamptonshire. It first

 hosted the British Grand Prix in 1948.

Northampton is also one of the few places to host a team for each of the three main sports. Sixfields Stadium is home to Northampton Town Football Club, Franklin's Gardens home to Northampton Saints Rugby Football Club and Northamptonshire County Cricket Club play at the County Ground in Wantage Road.

Northampton was designated a new town in 1968 and rapid expansion took place particularly on the eastern side of the town. Industry has now diversified from the traditional boot and shoe producers.

In 1989, Northampton celebrated the 800th Anniversary of the town being granted its Borough Charter.

Northampton has two twin towns - Poitiers in France and Marburg in Germany. 
 

In 1997, the eyes of the world turned to Northampton as Diana, Princess of Wales was brought to her ancestral home as she was laid to rest on the Spencer Estate at Althorp just outside Northampton. The Princess of Wales had been granted the Freedom of the Borough of Northampton on 8th June 1989.