What Every Visitor to Northamptonshire Should Know |
By :
Jackie Mansfield
Northampton is the county town. Usually called the county of squires and spires, because of its vast variety of important old buildings and country houses situated in the rural sector. The county is often described as England's Pancreas, because of the famous presenter Alan Titchmarsh in his 2007 TV series, The Nature of Britain. This is due to its geographical location and shape that is in the UK, and due to its total ignorance, especially when compared with its neighbor Warwickshire, which is called The Heart of England. Cowslip is the county flower of Northamptonshire.
Historically traces of Pre Celtic and Celtic peoples and there are some remains of Roman roads and settlements. Notably the Watling Street that goes through the county and a significant Roman structure, Lactodorum, on the place where there is modern day Tow ester. Many other Roman settlements existed at the site of Northampton and also along the Nene Valley, which is situated near Raunds.
After the Romans abandoned UK, the area came under the rule of Anglo Saxons kingdom of Mercia and they made Northampton as an administrative hub. The region was overtaken by the Danes or Vikings in the 9th century and for a short time it became a part of the Danelaw, but was later re glommed by the Saxons. It is one of the very few counties in England that had Saxon and Danish settlements and town names.
Firstly in 1011, the county was registered in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle, as Hamtunscire, meaning the scare or shire of Hamtun meaning the homestead. The North was added to make a difference between Northampton from the other main Hamtun that lies further down south as Southampton.
Several rulers came after that and lots of politics was played. It played an important part in the English Civil War, supporting the Parliamentarian cause and defeated the Royalists.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, industry started making inroads into Northamptonshire, leather industry and shoemaking became very popular. In 1930 a large ironstone quarrying industry was established in Corby, declaring it as a steel town. Reaming county remained rural. George Washington, the Americas first President, his ancestors were the residents of this county.
If the landscape is concerned, Northamptonshire is situated on an upland county. It also has a watershed that is situated between the Severn and The Wash. Many significant rivers sprout up in the North West side of the county, like the Warwickshire Avon in the Severn and the River Nene at The Wash. The apex point of the county is the humble Arbury Hill that stands at 738 ft or 225 m.
The largest city in the county is Northampton, followed by Kettering, Corby, and Wellingborough. Density of counties population is mainly focused in these large towns that are situated in a central north south band. The east and west districts are mostly rural with some small towns and a large number of villages. Northamptonshire is athletically slim and a narrow county this is more because of with the Soke of Peterborough, which runs from the south west to the north east. Jackie Mansfield reckons a trip to Northamptonshire is well worth it. http://www.london-airport-shuttle.co.uk/new_zealand_airports.html
Jackie Mansfield reckons a trip to Northamptonshire is well worth it. http://www.london-airport-shuttle.co.uk/new_zealand_airports.html
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Submitted on: 2009-06-02
Submitted on: 2009-06-02
