Northamptonshire Accommodation:
Althorp
Ashby St Ledgers
Aynho
Badby
Brackley
Castle Ashby
Corby
Cottisford
Crick
Daventry
Desborough
East Haddon
Fotheringhay
Guilsborough
Kettering
Middleton
Moulton
Northampton
Oundle
Rushden
Silverstone
Southam
Stoke Bruerne
Thrapston
Titchmarsh
Towcester
Weedon
Wellingborough
West Haddon
Whittlebury

Northamptonshire

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Information

County Town: Northampton
Population: 625,900
Area: 914 Sq miles 2367 Sq km
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Famous Dates
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Food Legends:Folk Customs:
Broughton Tin Can Band
Haunted Britain:
Wild Hunt of Whittlebury
Cultural Britain:
Lore & legend:
Bad Bobby Bannister
Natural Britain:
River Cherwell
River Nene
The Great Ouse

Events

February
Fun at the Museum!

March
Antique Retro & Collectables Flea Market
Cartoons
Oundle Festival of Literature
Silverstone Half Marathon
Towcester Craft & Design Show
Victorian Easter

April
Brackley Spring Wine Festival
Festival of Power
St George's Day Celebrations
St George's Day Dancing

May
FIA European Drag Racing Championship
Historical Fayre
Northamptonshire Food and Drink Festival
Raunds Music Festival
Superbike World Championship
Waendel Walk

June
Brackley Community Carnival
Classic and Sports Car Show
Corby Carnival Day
Craft & Design Show
Hot Air Balloons and Jazz
Music and Arts Weekend
Northampton Carnival
The 10th Althorp Literary Festival
‘A Day in the Park’ Duston Show

July
British Grand Prix
Castle Ashby Country Fair
Corby Cultural Day
Dragstalgia
Festival of History
Northampton Carnival Weekend
Portland College Charity Golf Day
Proms in the Park
Raising the Roof Rally & Country Fair
Silverstone Classic
Singing Sticks Didgeridoo Music Festival
Spratton Folk Festival
Walk in the Park
Wellingborough Carnival
Woodford Halse Village Fete

August
Braunston Festival
British F3/GT Championship
Countryside Day
Festinho
Holdenby Food Show
Monster Truck Nationals
Northampton Balloon Festival
Pennine Fair
Sporting Gun Show at Althorp
Steam and Country Show in the Park
Summer Holidays Activities
Summer Retreat Festival
The AMEF Music Festival
Transport Gala

September
Althorp Autumn Garden Show
Heritage Open Days
Kites Day at Rockingham Castle
Northampton Green Festival
Opera for Autumn Evening
Operation Market Garden
Ploughingfun Weekend
Rotary County Fair and Fun Day
Screening of The Yes Men Fix the World

October
Towcester Craft & Design Show
World Conker Championships

November
Brackley Christmas Wine Festival
Weedon Craft Market

December
Broughton Tin Can Band
Festive Fun For Kids
The Fabulous Frost Fair

Northamptonshire - 114 places to stay

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Northamptonshire, or Northants, is situated in the very centre of England and is part of the East Midlands. Television garden guru Alan Titchmarsh described it as the 'Pancreas' of England, partly due to the shape of the county. It is an upland county, especially when compared to many of its neighbours, and includes the watershed between The Wash and The River Severn .

The central location of the county provides easy access to all areas of England, a fact which no doubt has led to its active and important role in British history since at least Roman times. The area was already inhabited by Pre-Celtic and Celtic people prior to the arrival of the Romans. The well known Roman Road, Watling Street, passes through the county and there was a Roman settlement known as 'Lactodurum' where Towcester stands today. After the Romans departed, the area became part of Mercia, the Anglo Saxon kingdom. From this time Northampton began to operate as an important administrative centre and has since become the county town of Northamptonshire. Over the following centuries the area changed hands between the Danes and the Anglo Saxons, the legacy of this being that it is one of the few counties in England to have a mixture of Anglo Saxon and Danish town names. Following the Norman Conquest, Rockingham Castle was built for King William. It was used as a royal fortress until Elizabethan times. Fotheringay Castle in Northamptonshire, now in ruins, is famous for being where Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned whilst awaiting execution. The importance of the area continued during later centuries as it became a stronghold for supporters of Cromwell during the English Civil War . The Royalist forces suffered a crushing defeat at The Battle of Naseby in 1645. As the political revolution was replaced by The Industrial Revolution, Northamptonshire became known as a centre for the boot and shoe industry. By the end of the 19th century, it was known as the boot and shoe making centre of the world. George Washington, first president of the USA, was born of a family that had originally migrated from Northamptonshire. In fact the great-great-great-great-great-grandfather of George himself, Lawrence Washington had been Mayor of Northampton on several occasions during the 16th century. In more recent times the country estate of Althorp in Northamptonshire has become the centre of much attention as it is the family home and last resting place of Princess Diana . It has been in the Spencer family since the early 16th century and is currently owned by the 9th Earl Spencer, Diana's younger brother. The estate is open to the public and attracts many thousands of visitors. Althorp is, however, only one of many stately homes and castles worth visiting in Northamptonshire, which has been described as the county of 'squires and spires'. The county is also home to the famous motor racing circuit Silverstone, host of the British Grand Prix , which was first held there in 1948. Northamptonshire also hosts the Santo Pod Raceway, a world famous centre for Drag Racing that has staged events such as the European Drag Racing Championships. The Rockingham Motor Speedway in Northamptonshire is the largest stadium in Britain, with a capacity of 130,000 and house events such as British Superbikes. In another part of Northaptonshire things move at a more relaxing pace. The county's history involves the British Waterways. The Oxford and Grand Union canals run through the county and join at Braunston. There is a flight of 17 locks on the Grand Union at Rothersthorpe and a canal museum at Stoke Bruerne.

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On this day:
Tolpuddle Martyrs Sentenced - 1834, Argentine Forces land on South Georgia - 1982
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