Stand in the right spot in Northampton, somewhere between Marefair, Gregory Street, and Free School Street, and you’ll find… a car park. Nothing remarkable. A stretch of… Read more “The Car Park in the Centre of England”
Category: northamptonshire
Magna Carta and the First Barons’ War – Northamptonshire
The Magna Carta was signed and sealed Runnymede by King John in 1215. But the story didn’t begin in Surrey. It began here, in Northamptonshire. From Brackley… Read more “Magna Carta and the First Barons’ War – Northamptonshire”
Northamptonshire and the Anarchy – England’s First Civil War
Long before “the” English Civil War of the 1640s, England had already torn itself apart in a number of other brutal internal conflicts. The first of these… Read more “Northamptonshire and the Anarchy – England’s First Civil War”
Jury Trials – Made in Northamptonshire
Trial by jury feels like one of those things that has always existed, part of the natural furniture of English justice. But it had to start somewhere.… Read more “Jury Trials – Made in Northamptonshire”
When Medieval Monarchs Spent Christmas in Northamptonshire
1164, Northampton Castle During the Autumn and Winter of 1164, Northampton stood at the centre of royal drama. King Henry II was at Northampton Castle for one… Read more “When Medieval Monarchs Spent Christmas in Northamptonshire”
The World’s First Gas Cooked Dinner Party
In the early 1830s, while most households still relied on smoky coal ranges and temperamental open fires, something remarkable was happening in Northampton. Inside a lecture room… Read more “The World’s First Gas Cooked Dinner Party”
Bonfire Night – Sparked in Northamptonshire ?
The Origin of Bonfire Night
The Kettering Conjuror – and Northamptonshire’s Secret Bibles
Long before Hogwarts (and even Harry Potter House) there was Thomas Fysh of Kettering – dragged before the dreaded Star Chamber for possessing what sounds like a… Read more “The Kettering Conjuror – and Northamptonshire’s Secret Bibles”
The Northamptonshire Floods of 1795
When the County Went Under In February 1795, Northamptonshire found itself at the mercy of one of the most dramatic natural disasters in its history. And it… Read more “The Northamptonshire Floods of 1795”
Triangular Lodge – An Act of Rebellion
Wander just outside Rushton, Northamptonshire, and you’ll find yourself facing one of the strangest, most intriguing buildings in England. It isn’t grand like a country house, nor… Read more “Triangular Lodge – An Act of Rebellion”
Jack Preston 