Profile of Northamptonshire:

Northamptonshire is located in the East Midlands region of England, with the town Northampton located by the River Nene. Northamptonshire has a population of 629,676 (at the 2001 census).

A lot of the terrain in Northamptonshire is agricultural, with much of the land devoted to pasture and forests. Northamptonshire is historically famous for its iron and steel industry which was popular at the start of the 20^th Century, but its significance has diminished over  recent years.

The county of Northamptonshire was also historically well known for its specialism in the boot and shoe industry. and evidence of this part of Northampton’s history can still be seen in the Museum and Arts Gallery and the collections have been denoted as a collection of national importance.

Places of significance include Towcester Race Course, Rockingham Speedway, Santa pod international raceway and Silverstone race circuit. Other places of interest include Althorpe Hall, Kirby Hall, Castle Ashby, Kelmarsh Hall and Gardens, Cottesbrooke Hall, to name but a few.