Love Northampton

78 Derngate: At the outer edge of the Cultural Quarter, surrounded by some impressive Georgian townhouses, is the Charles Rennie Mackintosh designed 78 Derngate. It is the only house in England remodelled by the renowned Scottish designer and architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh, in his iconic, modernist style.

All Saints' Church: All Saints’, in the heart of the town centre, was built in 1680 in the Wren style. The church replaces the larger 11th century building, 'All Hallows', mentioned in the Doomsday Book, which was destroyed in the 1675 Great Fire of Northampton

Castle Hill United Reform Church: Castle Hill United Reformed Church was built in 1695, and is the earliest surviving nonconformist chapel in Northampton. The eminent preacher Dr Philip Doddridge ministered there from 1729 until his death in 1751.

Church of the Holy Sepulchre: The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the oldest-standing building in Northampton, dating from 1100. It is modelled on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and is one of only four round churches in England, built by Simon de Senlis, on his return from the Crusades.

Delapre Abbey: Delapré Abbey began as an 11th Century Cluniac nunnery, then became a country home of both the Tate and the Bouverie families. It also played a part in the Wars of the Roses, as the the 1460 Battle of Northampton was fought on its surrounding parkland.

Eleanor Cross: The Eleanor Cross is one of only three still standing, of an original twelve, constructed by King Edward I in memory of his wife Queen Eleanor of Castile, who died on 28 November 1290 in Harby, Nottinghamshire.

Guildhall: The 19th century Guildhall is the most iconic and recognisable building in the town centre. Built in a Gothic style between 1861 and 1864, it originally housed the council chamber, law courts, a police station, prison cells and a fire station. Nowadays its functions remain civic and cultural, with rooms regularly used for weddings and private and corporate events. It is open to the public each weekday by prior appointment

Hazelrigg House: This grade II listed building is one of the few which survived the Great Fire of Northampton. It is thought to date back to the 16th century. It must have stood out in a town where most dwellings would have been mainly of wood and thatch.

Northampton Castle Site: As you walk towards the town centre from the train station, a lone green doorway can be spotted in the wall on the left. This doorway is a postern, the only remaining feature from Northampton Castle which was the site of Thomas Becket’s trial in 1164. Becket, who was the Archbishop of Canterbury, was called to Northampton Castle by King Henry II to face charges before a Great Council of contempt of Royal Authority and malfeasance in the Chancellor’s Office.

Notre Dame Cemetery: A small cemetery containing the graves of about 80 nuns who taught at the Notre Dame Convent School can be found in Wellington Street, just off Abington Street. The cemetery is all that remains of the all girls school, which was built in 1852 and as a direct grant grammar school after World War Two, with extensive grounds, including a chapel, orchard and tennis courts.

Sessions House: The Sessions House on George Row, is a very rare example of a 17th century courthouse in a baroque style, and was one of the first new buildings constructed after the great fire of 1675. It was Northampton’s courthouse from the 17th to 20th centuries and was designed by Henry Bell, the architect who also drew up plans for the nearby All Saints' Church, following it's destruction in the fire.

St Peter's Church: Dating from 1160 but with earlier Saxon origins, St Peter’s Church is described as the most outstanding Norman church in the country, and is filled with beautiful carvings of birds, foliage and beasts.