About Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a county located in the East Midlands region of England. The county town is Northampton. Northamptonshire is landlocked and borders eight other counties: Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east, Buckinghamshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the south-west and Lincolnshire to the north-east.
The county has a population of just over 700,000 people and covers an area of 2,364 square kilometres (906 square miles). Northamptonshire is a largely rural county with a number of small towns and villages. The largest town in the county after Northampton is Corby which has a population of over 54,000 people. Other towns include Kettering, Wellingborough, Rushden and Daventry.
The county is home to a number of attractions including Althorp House, the ancestral home of the Spencer family which has been home to 19 generations of the family since 1508. Althorp is open to the public for part of the year and visitors can tour the house and grounds which include a lake, parkland and gardens.
Other attractions in the county include Boughton House, a stately home which is open to the public; Rockingham Castle, a 12th-century castle which is now a hotel; and Stanford Hall, a country house which is home to a number of businesses as well as being open to the public for events and weddings.
The county is also home to several country parks including Fermyn Woods Country Park, Irchester Country Park and Sywell Country Park. There are also numerous golf courses in Northamptonshire including Delapre Golf Course in Northampton which is open to the public.
Northamptonshire has a long history dating back to Roman times. The county was an important centre for the wool trade in medieval times and later became known for its shoe-making industry. Today, Northamptonshire is a thriving county with a diverse economy. The county town of Northampton is a thriving commercial centre while other towns in the county such as Corby have undergone regeneration in recent years.
Northamptonshire is well-connected with good road and rail links to London and other major cities in England. The county also has its own airport, East Midlands Airport, which offers both domestic and international flights
