Accidentally Steve: Every County in England

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Every County in England - Part 13: Northamptonshire

Sitting roughly half way between London and Birmingham Nottinghamshire is crossed by busy roads, ones I’ve traveled many times before. From the viewpoint of the motorway the county appears distinctly bland. It would’ve been easy to dismiss the county but with a few days left until needing to return home I decided to give the place a shot.

The guidebook almost entirely ignored the county, listing only the Silverstone F1 racing circuit as a worthy attraction. Silverstone straddles N’hants/Bucks county border so was an easy first stop, albeit a pointless one. Arriving it became clear that not only was the centre nor open but there was no obvious vantage point of the track. The only other visitors were a couple standing on a wall trying to see something, but they appeared to give up very fast and left. I aborted as well and headed into Northampton.

I had a room booked in a flat in the town centre, overlooking a river. This wasn't the most serene riverfront, the murky water slowly passing rusty shopping trolleys and a large brewery. The town had a fairly neglected feel in comparison to the well kempt communities closer to London, but with that came cheaper homes. My host, like many others in town, made the 2hr commute into London each day from here to save on extortionate city prices.

The town used to be a major centre for show manufacturing. The short walk into the town passed many of the now disused show making factories. The town is centred around an impressive market square, ringed by some interesting buildings. The square was only partially filled with stalls but still has a bustling and lively atmosphere. It made a nice place to stop for a coffee and lunch.

One of the more prominent landmarks for the town is a 400ft concrete pillar. This out of place oddity is the National Lift Tower, all that remains of a high speed elevator testing facility. Now a protected landmark the tower sits completely void of function within a housing estate. The locals jokingly refer to it as the Northampton Lighthouse, a nod to the town being about as far from the coast as possible within England.

I spent the last day exploring the counties more rural areas. Meandering through the back roads I made my way to the Lyveden Estate.

Tucked away amongst the fields here sits an unusual sight. A half built Elizabethan mansion sits amongst a partially landscaped garden, complete with moat.

This isn’t a ruin; in fact it was never completed. The builders of this lodge simply downed tools in 1605, but why?

The owner was Sir Thomas Tresham who took wanted his summer lodge to incorporate detail and inspiration from his catholic faith. The Tresham family were involved in the gunpowder plot and charged with treason; Sir Thomas’s head was left on a spike in a nearby town. The builders realising that they would not be paid and not wanting association with the treasonous family simply left. Remarkably the unfinished property remains in excellent condition to this day giving a glimpse into the building techniques used all those years ago.

My time in Northamptonshire had come to an end, for now my trip had too. With a busy schedule ahead my quest to visit every county will be on hold for a while. I’ll pick up the trail again later in the year for the next round of adventures.