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Northamptonshire Northampton, Peterborough, Corby, Kettering, Wellingborough


History of Northamptonshire
Pre-Celtic and Celtic peoples settled in the region, and there are some traces of Roman settlements and roads. Most notably the Watling Street passed through the county, and there was an important Roman settlement called Lactodorum on the site of modern day Towcester. There were other Roman settlements at the site of Northampton, and along the Nene Valley near Raunds.

After the Romans left, the area became part of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia, and Northampton functioned as an administrative centre. The area was overrun by the Danes (Vikings) in the 9th century and briefly became part of the Danelaw, but was later re-claimed by the Saxons.

The county was first recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (1011), as Hamtunscire: the scire (shire) of Hamtun (the homestead). The "North" was added to distinguish Northampton from the other important Hamtun further south: Southampton.

Later, Rockingham Castle was built for William the Conqueror and was used as a Royal fortress until Elizabethan times. The now-ruined Fotheringhay castle was used to imprison Mary, Queen of Scots before her execution.

In 1460, during the Wars of the Roses, the Battle of Northampton took place and King Henry VI was captured.

During the English Civil War Northamptonshire strongly supported the Parliamentarian cause, and the Royalist forces suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Naseby in 1645 in the north of the county. King Charles I was later imprisoned at Holdenby House.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, parts of Northamptonshire became industrialized. Northampton and its surrounding areas, gained a sizeable shoe making and leather industry. And in the north of the county a large ironstone quarrying industry developed. In the 20th century, during the 1930s, the town of Corby was established as a major centre of the steel industry. Much of Northamptonshire nevertheless remains largely rural.

After the Second World War Northampton and Corby were designated as new towns. As of 2005 the government is encouraging development in the South Midlands area, including Kettering and Corby.

Places of interest
Althorp Barnwell Manor Billing Aquadrome Boughton House (home of the Dukes of Buccleuch), Blisworth tunnel Brackley Brampton Valley Way (linear park on a disused railway line) Burghley House (in the Soke of Peterborough, so formerly in Northants), Canons Ashby House Castle Ashby (home of the Marquess of Northampton), Coton Manor Garden Cottesbrooke Hall Daventry Country Park Deene Park Delapré Abbey Easton Neston Elton Hall Fotheringhay Castle & Church Geddington's Eleanor cross Holdenby House Irchester Country Park Jurassic Way (long-distance footpath) Kelmarsh Hall Kirby Hall Lamport Hall Lyveden New Bield Pitsford Reservoir Predbendal Manor House, Nassington Naseby Field Northampton Cathedral Northampton & Lamport Railway Northamptonshire Ironstone Railway Rockingham Castle Rockingham Forest Rockingham Motor Speedway Rushton Triangular Lodge Salcey Forest Silverstone Circuit Southwick Hall Stoke Bruerne Canal Museum Sulgrave Manor Syresham Watford Locks Whittlewood Forest Wicksteed Park



Abington Abthorpe Achurch Adstone Alderton Aldwincle Althorp Apethorpe Armston Arthingworth Ashby St Ledgers Ashley Ashton Ashton - Oundle Astcote Aston le Walls Aynho Badby Barby Barnwell Barton Seagrave Blakesley Blatherwycke Blisworth Bloxham Grove Boughton Bozeat Brackley Brackley Hatch Bradden Brafield on the Green Brampton Ash Braunston Braybrooke Brigstock Brixworth Brockhall Broughton Bugbrooke Bulwick Burton Latimer Byfield Caldecott Canons Ashby Castle Ashby Catesby Chacombe Chapel Brampton Charlton Charwelton Chelveston Chipping Warden Church Brampton Church Stowe Clay Coton Clipston Clopton Cogenhoe Cold Ashby Cold Higham Collingtree Collyweston Corby Cosgrove Coton Cotterstock Cottesbrooke Cottingham Courteenhall Cranford St Andrew Cranford St John Creaton Crick Croughton Crowfield Culworth Dallington Dalscote Daventry Deanshanger Deene Deenethorpe Delapre Denford Denford Ash Denton Desborough Dingley Dodford Dolbeare Draughton Duddington Duncote Duston Earls Barton East Carlton East Farndon East Haddon Eastcote Easton Maudit Easton Neston Easton on the Hill Ecton Edgcote Evenley Everdon Eydon Falcutt Far Cotton Farthinghoe Farthingstone Fawsley Finedon Flore Foscote Fosters Booth Fotheringhay Foxley Gayton Geddington Glapthorn Glendon Grafton Regis Grafton Underwood Great Addington Great Billing Great Brington Great Cransley Great Doddington Great Harrowden Great Houghton Great Oakley Great Oxendon Greatworth Greens Norton Grendon Gretton Grimscote Guilsborough Hackleton Halse Hanging Houghton Hannington Hardingstone Hardwick Hargrave Harlestone Harpole Harrington Harringworth Hartwell Haselbeach Haselbech Heathencote Hellidon Helmdon Hemington Higham Ferrers Hinton Hinton in the Hedges Holcot Holdenby Hollowell Horton Irchester Irthlingborough Isham Islip Juniper Hill Kelmarsh Kettering Kilsby Kings Cliffe Kings Sutton Kingsthorpe Kislingbury Knuston Lamport Laxton Lilbourne Litchborough Little Addington Little Billing Little Bourton Little Brington Little Cransley Little Everdon Little Harrowden Little Houghton Little Irchester Little Oakley Loddington Long Buckby Lower Benefield Lower Boddington Lower Catesby Lower End Lower Thorpe Mandeville Lowick Luddington in the Brook Lutton Maidford Maidwell Marston St Lawrence Marston Trussell Mawsley Mears Ashby Middle Dimson Middleton Middleton Cheney Milthorpe Milton Malsor Moreton Pinkney Moulton Moulton Park Muscott Naseby Nassington Nether Heyford Nevill Holt New Duston Newbottle Newnham Newton Newton Bromswold Nobottle Northampton Norton Old Old Stratford Onley Orlingbury Orton Oundle Overstone Overthorpe Passenham Pattishall Paulerspury Piddington Pilton Pipewell Pitsford Plumpton Polebrook Potcote Potterspury Preston Capes Preston Deanery Pury End Puxley Pytchley Quinton Radstone Raunds Ravensthorpe Ringstead Roade Rockingham Rothersthorpe Rothwell Rowler Rushden Rushton Scaldwell Sholebroke Shutlanger Sibbertoft Silverstone Slapton Slipton Southwick Spinney Hill Spratton Stanford on Avon Stanion Stanwick Staverton Steane Stoke Albany Stoke Bruerne Stoke Doyle Strixton Sudborough Sulby Sulgrave Sutton Bassett Syresham Sywell Tansor Teeton Thenford Thornby Thorpe Malsor Thorpe Mandeville Thorpe Waterville Thrapston Thurning Tiffield Titchmarsh Towcester Twywell Upper Astrop Upper Benefield Upper Boddington Upper Catesby Upper Heyford Upper Stowe Upper Weedon Upton Wadenhoe Wakerley Walgrave Wappenham Warkton Warkworth Warmington Watford Weedon Bec Weedon Lois Weekley Weldon Welford Wellingborough Welton West Farndon West Haddon West Langton Weston Weston by Welland Weston Favell Whilton Whiston Whitfield Whittlebury Wicken Wigsthorpe Wilbarston Wilby Winwick Wollaston Wood Burcote Woodend Woodford Woodford Halse Woodnewton Wootton Wykham

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From caravan sites, static parks and Campsites. From restaurants, take aways and cafes. From hotels, b & b's and hostels. From car boots, antique fairs and farmers markets. From pubs, bars and nightclubs. To family days out and other things to do.