Northamptonshire | England, Map, History, & Facts (2024)

county, England, United Kingdom

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The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Article History

Northamptonshire, administrative and historic county in the East Midlands of England. The administrative county comprises seven districts: Daventry, East Northamptonshire, South Northamptonshire, and the boroughs of Corby, Kettering, Northampton, and Wellingborough. The historic county encompasses the entire administrative county, as well as the small area south of the River Welland in the town of Market Harborough, which lies in the district of Harborough in the administrative county of Leicestershire. The historic county also includes the Soke of Peterborough, a historic region that forms part of the city and unitary authority of Peterborough in Cambridgeshire. The county town (seat) is Northampton.

The administrative county is oval-shaped, with the long axis extending 56 miles (90 km) in a southwest-northeast direction. A ridge of low hills, an escarpment of Jurassic rocks, runs along the long axis and separates the basin of the River Nene in the south from that of the Welland in the north. Both these rivers flow east into The Wash (an embayment of the North Sea). Among the rocks above the escarpment are the ore-bearing Northampton Sands, which yielded a low-grade iron ore and were once extensively worked.

Britannica QuizAnother Great British Vocabulary Quiz, Innit?

The wooded hills and well-watered valleys seem to have attracted settlement to the area early. There are pre-Celtic as well as Roman remains. Parts of the churches at Earls Barton, Brigstock, and Brixworth are Anglo-Saxon and may date to the 7th century, when the historic county became part of the kingdom of Mercia. The area was invaded by the Danes in the 9th century, and the shire seems to be of Danish origin. The ecclesiastical centre of Peterborough, destroyed by the Danes, was refounded during the 10th century.

The boundaries of the historic county (or shire) have remained virtually unchanged since Domesday Book (1086), the record of the land survey ordered by William I the Conqueror. Norman and Early English building styles are well represented, but, architecturally, the chief feature of the county is the large number of mansions and country houses, from 13th-century Barnwell Castle to Tudor Rockingham Castle, Castle Ashby, and Sulgrave Manor, the ancestral home of the family of George Washington, the first president of the United States. St. Peter’s Cathedral in Peterborough, begun in 1118 and consecrated in 1238, is in part a good example of late Norman style, but subsequent additions created a discordant effect. The cathedral contains the Hedda Stone, an Anglo-Saxon sculpture some 1,200 years old, and the tomb of Catherine of Aragon, the first wife of Henry VIII. In spite of its numerous aristocrats and squires, the county was largely pro-Parliament in the English Civil War of 1642–45. The decisive Battle of Naseby (1645), in which King Charles I was defeated, was fought just north of Naseby near the county’s northern border.

In some ways the administrative county of Northamptonshire epitomizes the rural life of a bygone England, with great estates and parks, rolling pastoral lands, and some of Britain’s best-known foxhunts (e.g., the Pytchley). At the same time, however, it plays an important role in the contemporary economy. It is notable for the number of reservoirs that have been constructed on the Nene and its tributaries. Its industries are varied. Since the Industrial Revolution it has been best known for footwear, with boot and shoe factories in many of its towns and villages, but that industry is now considerably reduced from its earlier levels. Engineering and food processing are now more important, as are services. The county is remarkable for the number of small industrial centres it possesses rather than for major concentrations. Crossed by two main railway routes from London to the Midlands and the north and by the main motorway link (M1), the administrative county is well situated for manufacturing and marketing. Area 913 square miles (2,364 square km). Pop. (2001) 629,676; (2011) 691,952.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Sheetz.

Northamptonshire | England, Map, History, & Facts (2024)

FAQs

Why is Northamptonshire famous? ›

Situated in the heart of England, Northampton is a town famous for its shoe industry that goes back hundreds of years in history. During the 1st World war, the shoemakers in Northamptonshire supplied over two-thirds of the 70 million pairs of footwear required, due to the thriving tanning industry in the area.

What is the difference between Northampton and Northamptonshire? ›

Northampton is the county town of Northamptonshire, and is one of the largest settlements in the UK that is not a city after Reading and Dudley.

What are people from Northamptonshire called? ›

The demonym of Northampton is Northamptonian.

What was the former part of Northamptonshire? ›

Peterborough. The city and Soke of Peterborough were part of the historic county of Northamptonshire; from the time that formal county boundaries were established by the Normans in the 11th century, to 1965.

Who is the most famous person from Northampton? ›

Some home grown celebs include Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean), Tim Minchin (comedian), Matt Smith (Dr. Who), Alan Carr (comedian), Sophie Turner (Game of Thrones), Alan Moore (comic book author), Michael Underwood (TV presenter), Graeme Swann (England cricketer), and Jo Whiley (radio presenter). Keep your eyes peeled!

What is the ethnicity of Northamptonshire? ›

87.6% people are white, 4.6% people are asian, 4.2% people are black. 48.5% are Christian, 40.2% have no religion, 5.9% provided no answer.

What accent do people from Northamptonshire have? ›

In Northamptonshire, crossed by the north–south isogloss, residents of the north of the county have an accent similar to that of Leicestershire and those in the south an accent similar to rural Oxfordshire.

What is the religion in Northampton? ›

Northamptonshire population religion
ReligionNorthamptonshire countyEngland & Wales (UK)
Christian48.8%46.2%
Hindu1.3%1.7%
Jewish0.1%0.5%
Muslim2.4%6.5%
5 more rows

Is Northamptonshire a wealthy county? ›

Northamptonshire is a relatively wealthy area with low deprivation. Corby is the most deprived of the county's districts, followed by Northampton.

What is the oldest house in Northamptonshire? ›

The Grade I-listed manor is now known to be the oldest surviving dwelling in Northamptonshire, with a history dating back to the Anglo-Saxon period.

What was Northampton called in Viking times? ›

Within a hundred years Northamptonshire had become an undifferentiated part of the Saxon kingdom of Mercia. Mercian Northamptonshire seems to have been divided into three provinces centred on the major estates of King's Sutton in the south, Northampton in the centre and Oundle in the north.

What are the archaeological finds in Northamptonshire? ›

These include Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in the Nene Valley; the Iron Age hillfort at Hunsbury; a roman settlement at Duston; an Anglo-Saxon settlement; and later medieval town with religious organisations and a significant medieval royal castle.

What is special about Northampton? ›

Historically Northampton was known for its shoe and leather industry. The town is an important retail and market centre serving Northamptonshire and north Buckinghamshire. Northampton was designated a planned new town in 1965, and expansion followed. Great Brington Church lies 6 miles (10 km) to the northwest.

What is the historical significance of Northampton? ›

In the Middle Ages, the town rose to national significance with the establishment of Northampton Castle, an occasional royal residence which regularly hosted the Parliament of England. Medieval Northampton had many churches, monasteries and the University of Northampton, all enclosed by the town walls.

Why is Northampton called Paradise City? ›

The famous 19th century singer and actress Jenny Lind gave Northampton its current nickname, Paradise City, when she was in Northampton to perform at the Academy of Music, calling the city "The Paradise of America."

What is a fun fact about Northampton? ›

Some of Northampton was destroyed by a spark from an open fire in a house, also known as the “Great Fire of Northampton” which occurred in 1675. It made the Great Fire of London look small as it was described as being more furious and destructive! Northampton was once a capital city for nearly 200 years.

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