Northamptonshire

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

Geography

By the standards of the English Midlands, Northamptonshire is an upland county. It includes the watershed between the Severn and The Wash. Several important rivers have their sources in the north west of the county, these include the River Nene (to The Wash) and the "Warwickshire Avon" (to the Severn). In the 1820s it was boasted that not a single brook, however insignificant, flows into it from any other district". The highest point in the county is nevertheless the modest Arbury Hill at 225m/738 feet.

Related Topics:
Midlands - Severn - The Wash - River Nene - Warwickshire Avon - Arbury Hill

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Northampton is by far the largest town in the county, with a population of 194,122, this is followed by Corby (53,741), Wellingborough (48,428), Kettering (48,025), Rushden (25,849} and Daventry (22,367). Most of the county's population is concentrated in a central north-south band which includes the four largest towns (corresponding to districts 2, 4, 5 & 6 on the map). The west (districts 1 & 3) and east (district 7) are predominately rural with small towns and many villages. Northamptonshire is a long, thin county (more so with the Soke of Peterborough), running from south-west to north-east.

Related Topics:
Northampton - Corby - Wellingborough - Kettering - Rushden - Daventry

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Places

These are the main settlements in Northamptonshire with a town charter, a population over 5,000, or otherwise notable. For a complete list of settlements see List of places in Northamptonshire

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• Brackley, Braunston, Brixworth,
• Corby
• Daventry
• Kettering
• Long Buckby
• Naseby, Northampton
• Oundle
• Pitsford
• Raunds, Rushden
• Silverstone
• Towcester, Thrapston
• Weedon Bec, Wellingborough