Colin Crosby Heritage Tours

Northamptonshire

Northamptonshire is one of the beautiful counties of the East Midlands, and is situated to the South of Leicestershire.

The county town, Northampton, was prominent in Anglo-Saxon times, and has one of England's few round churches. There is also an enormous Market Place. Northampton is internationally known for its boot and shoe industry.

The county is essentially rural, and is well-known for the beautiful spires of its churches. It is traditionally known as hunting country, like its neighbour, Leicestershire.

Within the county is the lovely Rockingham Forest.

Northamptonshire has some very fine ancient churches, including the impressive Saxon ones at Brixworth and Earls Barton and of course the round one at Northampton.

The church at Fotheringhay, with its lantern tower that can be seen for miles around, is close by the mound of Fotheringhay Castle, where Richard III was born and Mary Queen of Scots was executed.

Two of the three surviving Eleanor Crosses are on Northamptonshire, at Geddington and at Hardingstone on the edge of Northampton. They were erected in 1290 by Edward I, to mark the resting places of his Queen's coffin.

Near Kettering is the jolly Wicksteed Park.