Northampton factfile

How to get to Northampton
Northampton is a large town in the East Midlands, located 67 miles (108 km) north of London. Northampton is accessible by the M1 motorway and the town is served by the West Coast Mainline rail network.

Northampton through the ages
Northampton can trace its roots back to the Saxon era. In the ninth century, the town was occupied by the invading Danes, who fortified it and oversaw its development into an important market and craft centre.

Northampton survived two devastating fires in 1516 and 1675 and lost nearly half its population to the Black Death. Nevertheless, the town recovered and continued to grow and prosper.

From the 17th century until the 19th century the chief industry of Northampton was shoe-making, along with brewing in the 1800s.

The 1960s saw a huge influx into the town thanks to a massive programme of public housing. Today, the primary industries in Northampton are financial services, soft drink and cosmetics manufacture, and—still—brewing.

Shopping in Northampton
The pedestrianised streets of central Northampton are home to a wide range of shops. The Grosvenor Centre and the smaller Peacock Place offer covered shopping malls, and there is an outdoor market on most days in the town's historic Market Square, not to mention regular farmers' markets.

Things to see and do around Northampton

Northampton's history of shoe-making is documented in the impressive Footwear Collection at the Northampton Museum and Art Gallery, which has a collection of more than 12,000 pieces of historic footwear from ancient Egypt to modern times. The museum also houses collections of Italian art and British and oriental ceramics and glasswear.

The Church of the Sepulchre, built in 1100, is one of Britain's best preserved round churches. Northampton is home to a number of other historic church buildings, notably the 900-year-old Delapre Abbey, a former nunnery.

If you're looking for a family day out, Billing Aquadrome Leisure Park offers a caravan site, marina and funfair.

Sport and leisure in Northampton
Northampton boasts its own League One football team, Northampton Town (nicknamed "the Cobblers" after the town's historic shoe trade). The town also boasts a rugby team—Northampton Saints—who won the Heineken Cup in 2000.

Nearby Collingtree Golf Club has hosted the British Masters Championship, and Northampton International Raceway, near Brafield, hosts the annual European stock car racing championships every July.

Famous people from Northampton
Northampton has produced several of Britain's leading sportsmen and women, including Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies, who lived at Collingtree Park, and Olympic athlete Derek Redmond.

Northampton was also home to actress Joan Hickson, famous for her portrayal of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple, and actress Nanette Newman.