Northampton

Northampton is a large market town in the English county of Northamptonshire, in which it is the county town, namesake and largest settlement. It has a university, The University of Northampton, that was at one time Nene College of Higher Education. Among Northampton's most impressive structures is the Northampton Guildhall which, designed in gothic revival style by Edward William Godwin, was constructed in 1864. It also has a Roman Catholic cathedral, which is on the A508, the road which links Northampton to Leicestershire.

The town was left in ruins in the 17th century; the town was the main garrison for the Parliamentarian cause in the south-eastern Midlands during the English Civil War (1642-1651) and, following his restoration in 1660, Charles II took revenge on the town in 1662 by ordering the destruction of its walls and partial demolition of its castle. Following further destruction in the 19th century, all that survives of the castle today is the Postern Gate. Over 700 of the towns 850 buildings were destroyed by the Great Fire of Northampton on 20 September 1675. Northampton applied for city status in 2000, 2002 and most recently to celebrate the Platinum jubilee of Elizabeth II, but was unsuccessful on all occasions.

As of 2021, the town had a population of 249,093. The M1 motorway passes immediately west of Northampton, and the town is served by three junctions (J15, J15A and J16) from the motorway. It is also a major station on the West Coast Mainline (WCML) railway, which links London to Glasgow with branches to Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Edinburgh.