Northamptonshire
County of spires and squires in the East Midlands
Northamptonshire (abbreviated Northants.) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Leicestershire, Rutland and Lincolnshire to the north; Cambridgeshire to the east; Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire to the south; Oxfordshire to the south west; and Warwickshire to the west. Northampton is the largest settlement. The county has an area of 2364 km2. Northampton is in the centre of the county, and its other principal towns include Corby and Kettering in the north-east and Wellingborough in the centre. The east and south-west are rural. For local government purposes Northamptonshire comprises two unitary authority areas, North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire. The county historically included Peterborough and its surrounding area, called the Soke.
- area
- 2,364 km² (913 sq mi)
- population_2024_estimate
- 813,682
- largest_settlement
- Northampton
- highest_point
- Arbury Hill, 225 m (738 ft)
- principal_river
- River Nene
- historical_affiliation
- Mercia, Danelaw, England
Lore & Background
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. There are Iron Age and Roman remains in the county, and in the seventh century it was settled by the Angles and Saxons, becoming part of Mercia. The county likely has its origin in the Danelaw as the area controlled from Northampton, which was one of the Five Boroughs. In the later Middle Ages and Early Modern Period the county was relatively settled, although Northampton was the location of engagements, including the 1264 Battle of Northampton during the Second Barons' War, the 1460 Battle of Northampton during the Wars of the Roses, and the decisive Battle of Naseby which destroyed the main Royalist army during the First English Civil War. During the Industrial Revolution Northamptonshire became known for its footwear, and the contemporary county has a number of small industrial centres which specialise in engineering and food processing.
Reader's Guide
The county is characterised by low, undulating hills, particularly to the west. They are the source of several rivers, including the Avon and Welland, which form much of the northern border; the Cherwell; and the Great Ouse. The River Nene is the principal river within the county, having its source in the southwest and flowing northeast past Northampton and Wellingborough. The highest point is Arbury Hill southwest of Daventry, at 225 m. The Roman road of Watling Street passed through the county, and an important Roman settlement, Lactodurum, stood on the site of modern-day Towcester. 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. 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 imprisoned at Holdenby House in 1647.
Did You Know?
- The county was first recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in 1011 as Hamtunscire.
- The highest point is Arbury Hill at 225 m.
- George Washington's ancestor, Lawrence Washington, was Mayor of Northampton on several occasions.
- The county is still referred to as the county of 'spires and squires' because of the numbers of stately homes and ancient churches.
More in European Regions 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record