Northamptonshire

**Northamptonshire** (abbreviated ***Northants*** or ***N'hants***) is a county in central England with a population of 629,676 (2001 census). It has borders with Warwickshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Cambridgeshire, Peterborough, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire (including the Borough of Milton Keynes), Oxfordshire, and Lincolnshire (England's shortest county boundary: 19 metres). The county town is Northampton.

Northamptonshire has often been called the county of "squires and spires" due to its wide variety of historic buildings and country houses.

Northampton is by far the largest town in the county, with a population of 194,122. This is followed by Corby (53,174), Wellingborough (48,428), Kettering (47,000), Rushden (25,849) and Daventry (22,367). Most of the county's population is concentrated in a central north-south.

**Cherwell Edge** in Northamptonshire () is near the River Cherwell, north-west of Banbury, England. The once heavily wooded hill and valley was mostly cleared many years ago. The area now also covers the nearby Cherwell Edge Golf Club that was recently built by it too. The golf club is used by various local residents.

## Places

These are the main settlements in Northamptonshire with a town charter, a population over 5,000, or otherwise notable.
- Brackley
- Braunston
- Brixworth
- Corby
- Daventry
- Kettering
- Long Buckby
- Naseby
- Northampton
- Oundle
- Pitsford
- Raunds
- Rothwell
- Rushden
- Silverstone
- Towcester
- Thrapston
- Weedon Bec
- Wellingborough

Two major canals - the Oxford and the Grand Union — join in the county at Braunston.
A branch of the Grand Union Canal connects to the River Nene in Northampton.
Two trunk railway routes, the West Coast Main Line and the Midland Main Line traverse the county.
Before nationalisation of the railways in 1948 and the creation of British Railways, Northamptonshire was home to three of the "Big Four" railway companies; the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, London and North Eastern Railway and Great Western Railway. Only the Southern Railway was not represented.

## Related pages

- Aynho
- Aynho House
- King's Sutton
- King's Sutton Railway Station

## Other websites

- 1894/5 description
- Northants Forum

## Infobox (english county)

- **official name**: Northamptonshire
- **other name**: Northants
- **image caption**: Kirby Hall; All Saints' Church, Northampton; Fotheringhay on the River Nene
- **locator map**:
- **region**: East Midlands
- **lord lieutenant office**: Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire
- **lord lieutenant name**: James Saunders Watson
- **high sheriff office**: High Sheriff of Northamptonshire
- **high sheriff name**: Amy Louise Crawfurd (2024/25)
- **area total km2**: 2364
- **area total rank**: 24th
- **unitary council1**: West Northamptonshire Council
- **unitary council2**: North Northamptonshire Council
- **admin hq**: Northampton
- **area council km2**: 2364
- **area council rank**: 22nd
- **iso code**: GB-NTH
- **gss code**: E10000021
- **nuts code**: TLF23
- **districts map**:
- **districts key**: ** Unitary:**

- **mps**: List of parliamentary constituencies in Northamptonshire, 7 MPs
- **police**: Northamptonshire Police
- **website**: https://westnorthants.gov.uk
https://northnorthants.gov.uk