Northampton
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. It is about halfway between the cities of Birmingham and London.
Get in
[edit]There are numerous routes into Northampton.
By car
[edit]If you're driving in, you'll find that Northampton is well connected by road with many distribution companies being based in and around the town. The M1 motorway passes right through South Northamptonshire, and from here it is about 15 minutes to the town centre. Junctions 15, 15A, and 16 all serve the town.
By bus
[edit]Alternatively, National Express offer coach services across the country from Northgate bus station, and a coach park near the mounts baths in the town centre. flixbus also operates some services.
By boat
[edit]A branch of Grand Union Canal passes directly through Northampton, so if you own a boat, it's easy enough to get to town over water.
By train
[edit]- 1 Northampton station. Offers frequent train links from Birmingham and London every 30 minutes most times of the day with trains operated by London Northwestern railway The trains to Birmingham New Street cost £11.50 for a one-way ticket, and due to the unusual pricing system a return ticket is £11.60. Tickets to London Euston cost £22.80 for a one-way ticket, although you might want to opt for a return ticket, as that will cost you only £22.90. Avanti West Coast has one train per day on the Crewe - London Euston route, which calls to set down only around midnight.
The railway station is approximately a 15-minute walk from the town centre and has frequent buses passing the site. Taxis are also available from outside the station.
By plane
[edit]The nearest airports to Northampton are Birmingham[dead link], East Midlands, and London Luton Airport[dead link] in Luton. There are rail and bus links from London, home of Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted Airports.
Get around
[edit]
The most common way of getting around is by car, but on Saturdays expect queues because of the football and rugby games that go on.
Northampton also offers a comprehensive bus service. The main operator in the town is Stagecoach Northampton . Service tends to be more patchy on Sundays; however, Monday to Saturday the bus is a viable method of transportation around the town.
Stagecoach Northampton also offer a number of regional bus routes to the outlying villages and towns in Northamptonshire making exploring small towns like Bugbrooke possible. Arrivabus operate the number 33,33X and 33A to the town
See
[edit]- 1 Guildhall (The Guildhall is located opposite the Tourist Information office on St Giles Street.). A classic neo-gothic styled building built in 1861 by Edward William Godwin. It now houses the Northampton Borough Council offices.
- 2 Northampton Museum and Art Gallery. M-Sa 10AM-5PM, Su 2-5PM. A collection of artifacts from Northampton's past with particular homage to the shoe industry that caused the town to first boom.
- 3 The Express Lifts Tower (National Lift Tower). Not normally open to the public, used for occasional events.. in St James. A 418ft tall tower used for testing lifts.
- 4 78 Derngate, 78 Derngate. February to Christmas: Tu-Su 10AM - 5PM. The only house outside of Scotland to be designed by world-famous architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh. The House has been beautifully restored and is now a museum. Guided tours are available and there is also a small restaurant. Advanced booking is advised. £5.50.
- 5 Delapré Abbey. The 10th-century Monastery belonged to the congregation of the great Abbey of Cluny in Burgundy, France. The abbey was originally named Abbey of St Mary de la Pré, or literally "The Abbey of St Mary in the Meadow". At the end of the main dive up to the estate, lies one of the three remaining Eleanor Crosses left in Northamptonshire. The abbey was founded in 1145 by Earl Simon de Senlis during the reign of King Stephen and is well worth a visit.
- 6 Northamptonshire Ironstone Railway Trust, Hunsbury Hill Road, Camp Hill, NN4 9UW, ☏ +44 1604 702031.
- 7 Northampton & Lamport Railway, Pitsford Road, Chapel Brampton, NN6 8BA (4 miles north of Northampton), ☏ +44 1604 820327, enquiries@nlr.org.uk.
- 8 Althorp. stately home and estate, where Princess Diana is buried.
Do
[edit]- 1 Northampton Saints, Franklin's Gardens, Weedon Rd NN5 5BG. The Saints play rugby union in the Premiership, the top tier.
- 2 Northampton Town, PTS Academy Stadium, Upton Way NN5 5QA, ☏ +44 1604 683700. "The Cobblers" were promoted in 2023 and now play soccer in League One, the third tier. Their Sixfield Stadium (sponsored as PTS Academy Stadium) has a capacity of 7800 and is a mile west of the town centre.
- 3 Northamptonshire County Cricket Club, Abington Avenue NN1 4PR (Two miles east of centre), ☏ +44 1604 514455. Northamptonshire CCC were relegated in 2023 and now play cricket in Division Two of the County Championship. These matches last 3-4 days.
- 4 Royal & Derngate Theatre, 19-21 Guildhall Rd, NN1 1DP, ☏ +44 1604 624811 (box office).
- Northampton Balloon Festival is at Billing Aquadrome in August.
Buy
[edit]Shop along Abington Street, the main pedestrianised shopping area in Northampton.
Both the Grosvenor Centre and Market Walk shopping centres have entrances from this street.
- 1 Grosvenor Centre, 2 Union St, NN1 2EW, ☏ +44 1604 637268.
- 2 Northampton Market, Market Square, NN1 2DL (just off The Drapery and Abington Street), ☏ +44 1604 838444. One of the oldest in the country, operating at the A508 roundabout whilst a major redevelopent happens.
- 3 St Giles Street (parallel to Abington Street from The Guildhall to St Giles Church). Part of Northampton's Cultural Quarter, St Giles Street features a variety of independent shops and cafés.
Eat
[edit]For its size, Northampton has a good range of restaurants to suit any budget.
Budget
[edit]- 1 Academy Coffee Haus, 1 College St, NN1 2QF, ☏ +44 1604 232111. Offers cheap meals from around £7 a head.
- It also has all the usual fast food restaurants dotted about town but they can get a bit busy from 6 to 7PM.
Mid-range
[edit]- 2 The Fox and Hounds, Harlestone Rd, Lower Harlestone, NN7 4EW, ☏ +44 1604 821251. Pub offers good pub fare at a reasonable price of around £18 a head.
- The Optimist (pedestrianised street). Breakfast and dinner, alcohol available from noon. £15 for a breakfast.
Splurge
[edit]- 3 The New French Partridge, Newport Pagnell Rd, Horton, NN7 2AP, ☏ +44 1604 870033. Offers fine, French styled cuisine for around £54 a head.
Drink
[edit]- 1 Caffe D'Italia, 5 Fish Street, NN1 2AA, ☏ +44 1604 620090. Great little Italian cafe with friendly staff. Lovely Italian-style sandwiches and cakes too.
Clubs and pubs are located all around Northampton town centre and the night life is pretty lively most of the time.
For alternative music, pubs along the Wellingborough Road cater for grunge, punk and rock with local acts performing on Friday nights.
Sleep
[edit]- 1 Park Inn by Radisson, Northampton Town Centre, Silver St, NN1 2TA, ☏ +44 1604 739988, info.northampton@parkinn.com.
- 2 Sedgebrook Hall, Chapel Brampton, ☏ +44 1142 583811, fax: +44 1142 822135, reception.sedgebrook@principal-hayley.com. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 11AM.
- 3 The Westone Manor Hotel, Fir Tree Walk, NN3 3DS, ☏ +44 1604 739955. The hotel was built in 1914 as the home of local shoe manufacturer William Sears. The original fireplace, bay windows and architectural mouldings form a picturesque backdrop for excellent cuisine and carefully selected wines. Located in peaceful gardens 10 minutes from the M1.
Connect
[edit]Police, fire and ambulance services are all reached from 999 or 112 in an emergency. Northamptonshire Police switchboard is 0300 011 1222 for non-emergency calls, or 101.
Go next
[edit]- Stoke Bruerne is halfway between Northampton and Milton Keynes on the canal and offers a picturesque escape from Northampton.
- Trains also depart at regular intervals from Northampton railway station for every possible destination in the country using either Milton Keynes Railway Station, London Stations or Birmingham New Street as transit points.
| Routes through Northampton |
| Leicester ← Daventry ← | N  S |
→ Milton Keynes → London |
| Oxford ← Towcester ← | SW  NE |
→ Kettering → Stamford |
| Rugby ← Daventry ← | W  NE |
→ Wellingborough → Peterborough |