Northamptonshire is a quiet county situated in the East Midlands, home to many pretty villages, stately homes and castles. This county was the birthplace of the late Princess Diana, who is now buried on an island in her ancestral home. The River Nene flows throughout the county, it’s around 100 miles long and borders Norfolk and Cambridge. The 10th longest river in England.
The main town of Northampton is one of the largest in England. It became so, due to the industrial revolution. The arrival of the Grand Union Canal enabled the town to thrive as a major footwear manufacturer, and goods would be sent up canals to London.
The town used to be a place of such importance, that parliament meetings were held at royal Northampton Castle. Today all that remains is a wall by the railway station, which was built in place of the castle, for which it was demolished.
Nestled in the southwest corner of this county is Brackley, home to one of only 7 remaining Cotswolds Morris Dancing groups in the country. Their unique dance is 400 years old. In Paul Kingsnorth’s book Real England, he laments how we have become a nation that ‘sneers at Morris dancers while we sip skinny lattes’.
