Kettering
Encyclopedia
Kettering is a market town
in the Borough of Kettering
, Northamptonshire
, England
. It is situated about 81 miles (130 km) from London. Kettering is mainly situated on the west side of the River Ise
, a tributary of the River Nene
which meets at Wellingborough
. Originally named Cytringan, Kyteringas and Keteiringan in the 10th century, the name Kettering is now taken to mean 'the place (or territory) of Ketter's people (or kinsfolk)'.
As of the last census in 2001, the borough has a population of 81,844 whilst the town proper had a population of 51,063 and the town is twinned with Lahnstein
, Germany and Kettering, Ohio
, in the United States. Being part of the Milton Keynes South Midlands
(MKSM) study area along with other towns in Northamptonshire, the town is due to get around 6,000 additional homes mainly to the east of the town. The town, like other towns in the area, has a growing commuter population as it is located on the Midland Main Line
railway, which has fast InterCity
trains directly into London St Pancras International
taking around 1 hour. This gives an interchange with Eurostar
services to Continental Europe
.
or Old English word inga or ingas meaning 'the people of the' or 'tribe'.
Before the Romans the Kettering area, like much of Northamptonshire’s prehistoric countryside, appears to have remained somewhat intractable with regards to early human occupation, resulting in an apparently sparse population and relatively few finds from the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic
and Neolithic
periods. About 500 BC the Iron Age
was introduced into the area by a continental people in the form of the Hallstatt culture
, and over the next century a series of hillforts was constructed, the closest to Kettering being at nearby Irthlingborough
.
, a Belgic tribe, the Northamptonshire area forming their most northerly possession. The Catuvellauni were in turn conquered by the Romans in 43 AD.
The town traces its origins to an early, unwalled Romano British
settlement, the remnants of which lie under the northern part of the modern town. Occupied until the 4th century AD, there is evidence that a substantial amount of iron-smelting took place on the site. Along with the Forest of Dean
and the Weald
of Kent and Sussex, this area of Northamptonshire "was one of the three great centres of iron-working in Roman Britain". The settlement reached as far as the Weekley
and Geddington
parishes. However it is felt unlikely that the site was continuously occupied from the Romano British into the Anglo-Saxon
era. Pottery kilns have also been unearthed at nearby Barton Seagrave
and Boughton
.
may also signify Anglo-Saxon activities in the area; Greenall reports that it could be "an indication of foederati
, Anglo-Saxon mercenaries brought in to boost the defences of the Empire." This was established imperial policy, which the Romano British continued after Rome withdrew from Britain around 410 AD, with disastrous consequences for the Romano-Britons.
By the 7th century the lands that would eventually become Northamptonshire formed part of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia
. The Mercians converted to Christianity in 654 AD with the death of the pagan king Penda. From about 889 the Kettering area, along with much of Northamptonshire (and at one point almost all of England except for Athelney
marsh in Somerset
), was conquered by the Danes and became part of the Danelaw
, with the ancient trackway of Watling Street
serving as the border, until being recaptured by the English under the Wessex
king Edward the Elder
, son of Alfred the Great
, in 917. Northamptonshire was conquered again in 940, this time by the Vikings of York, who devastated the area, only for the county to be retaken by the English in 942.
It is unlikely however that Kettering itself existed as a village earlier than the 10th century (the county of Northampton itself is not referenced in documents before 1011). Before this time the Kettering area was most likely populated by a thin scattering of family farmsteads. The first historical reference of Kettering is in a charter of 956 AD in which King Edwy
granted ten "cassati" of land to Aelfsige the Goldsmith. The boundaries delineated in this charter would have been recognisable to most inhabitants for the last thousand years and can still be walked today. It is possible that Aelfsige the Goldsmith gave Kettering to the monastery of Peterborough
, as King Edgar in a charter dated 972 confirmed it to that monastery.
The nearby stately home of Boughton House
, sometimes described as the 'English Versailles
' has for centuries been the seat of the Dukes of Buccleuch, major landowners in Kettering and most of the surrounding villages; along with the Watsons of Rockingham Castle
, the two families were joint lords of the manor of Kettering.
Kettering is dominated by the crocket
ed spire of about 180 feet (54.9 m) of the Parish church of SS Peter and Paul
. Little is known of the origins of the church, its first known priest becoming rector in 1219-20. The chancel is in the Early Decorated style of about 1300, the main fabric of the building being mostly Perpendicular
, having been rebuilt in the mid 15th century (its tower and spire being remarkably similar to the tower and spire at Oundle
). Whether the current building replaced an earlier church on the site is unknown. Two medieval wall paintings, one of two angels with feathered wings, and one of a now faded saint, can still be seen inside the church.
The charter for Kettering's market was granted to the Bishop of Peterborough
by Henry III
in 1227. In April 1986 the bus station was relocated away from the market area to the Newland Street entrance of the modern Newlands shopping centre, causing a fatal decline in market trade. The ancient market place has since been abandoned. Attempts to revive the market as a small scale street market have met with little welcome from local shops and stores.
, which involved several nearby villages. Protesting at land enclosures at Newton and Pytchley
by local landlords the Tresham
s, on 8 June a pitched battle took place between Levellers
- many from Kettering, Corby
and particularly Weldon
, - and local gentry and their servants (local militias having refused the call to arms). Approximately 40-50 local men are said to have been killed and the ringleaders hanged, drawn and quartered
. The Newton rebellion represents one of the last times that the English peasant
ry and the gentry
were in open conflict. By the 17th century the town was a centre for woollen cloth.
, Frank Wright and Timpsons, having left the town or closed down in the face of stiff overseas competition, while others have outsourced their production to lower-cost countries. Only two smaller footwear businesses remain.
Victorian era
Kettering was the centre of the 19th century religious non-conformism and the Christian missionary movement, and this has been preserved in many names. William Carey was born in 1761 at Paulerspury
and spent his early life in Kettering before leaving for India as a missionary
in 1793. Carey Mission House and Carey Street were named after him. Andrew Fuller
helped Carey found the Baptist Missionary Society
and he is remembered in the Fuller Church and Fuller Street. In 1803 William Knibb
was born in Market Street and became a missionary and emancipator of slaves; he is commemorated by the Knibb Centre and Knibb Street. Toller Chapel and Toller Place are named after two ministers, father and son, who preached in Kettering for a total of 100 years. The chapel was built in 1723 for those who since 1662 had been worshipping in secret.
After several false starts Kettering station was opened in 1857 by the Midland Railway Company, providing a welcome economic stimulus to an ailing local economy, suffering as it was from the loss of wayfaring business since the introduction of railways nationwide. The line was finally linked to London in 1867.
In 1887, John Bartholomew's Gazetteer of the British Isles described Kettering as:
In 1921 Wicksteed Park
, Britain's second oldest theme park, was officially opened on the southern outskirts of the town, and remains popular to this day.
From 1942 to 1945 the town witnessed a large influx of American servicemen (including on several occasions Clark Gable
), mainly from the US 8th Air Force at RAF Grafton Underwood
, 3.7 miles (6 km) away. The base was soon nicknamed ‘Grafton Undermud’ in reference to the perceived English weather of 'rain, rain and more rain'. The first bombing raid - targeting the marshalling yards at Rouen
, northern France - was led by Major Paul W. Tibbets who in 1945 piloted Enola Gay
, the B-29 Superfortress that dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima
Aircraft from Grafton Underwood dropped the 8th Air Force’s first and last bombs of WWII.
In local government, Kettering falls within the areas of Northamptonshire County Council and Kettering Borough Council
, which incorporates the small, satellite towns of Burton Latimer
, Desborough
and Rothwell
. The borough is split into 17 electoral wards
, 10 of these in the town. These comprise of: All Saints, Avondale Grange, Barton, Brambleside, Northfield, Pipers Hill, Ise Lodge, St Michael & Wicksteed and St Peter's.
Kettering Constituency
Kettering is represented in parliament by a constituency of the same name, which is currently (as of May 2010) represented by Conservative
MP Philip Hollobone
, who gained the marginal constituency from former Labour
MP Phil Sawford
in the 2005 general election
.
European Parliament
In the European Parliament
, Kettering falls within the East Midlands
European Parliament constituency and is represented by 5 MEPs
.
Historic politics
Politics in Kettering has not always been a sedate affair: in 1835 a horrified Charles Dickens
, then a young reporter for the Morning Chronicle
, watched aghast as a Tory
supporter on horseback, intent (along with others) on taking control of bye-election proceedings, produced a loaded pistol and had to be restrained by his friends from committing murder. The ensuing riot between Tory and Whig supporters led Dickens in his article to form various opinions of Kettering and its voters, none of them complimentary.
. With the arrival of railways in the 19th century, industries such as engineering and clothing grew up. The clothing manufacturer Aquascutum
built its first factory here in 1909. Now Kettering's economy is based on service and distribution
industries due to its central location and transport links. Recent times have seen, directly linked with the economic downturn many of the shops have closed down, predominantly localised, smaller shops leaving the town centre somewhat diminished.
Kettering's unemployment rate is amongst the lowest in the UK and has over 80% of its adults in full time employment. It is home to a wide range of companies including Weetabix
, Pegasus Software
, RCI Europe, Timsons Ltd
and Morrisons Distribution as well as Wicksteed Park
, the United Kingdom's oldest theme park, which now plays host to one and a quarter million visitors every season.
Kettering is the home of Kettering General Hospital
, which provides Acute and Accident & Emergency department services for north Northamptonshire including Corby
and Wellingborough
. With its new £20 million campus, 16,000 students and 800 staff, Tresham College of Further and Higher Education is a significant employer in the region.
Kettering Business Park, a recent and current commercial property development undertaken by Buccleuch Property is situated on the A43/A6003, on the north side of Kettering. Many office buildings are being built as part of the project as well as a leisure sector with a new hotel. Many large distribution warehouses have been constructed in the area, creating thousands of jobs for the local economy. Kettering's Heritage Quarter houses the Manor House Museum and the Alfred East Gallery. The magnificent Boughton House
, Queen Eleanor cross
and the 1597 Triangular Lodge are local landmarks within the borough. Sir Thomas Tresham
was a devout Catholic
who was imprisoned for his beliefs. When he was released he built Triangular Lodge to defy his prosecutors and secretly declare his faith. The construction's 'three of everything' - sides, floors, windows and gables - represent the Holy Trinity.
The British sitcom "Peep Show
" has various scenes located in Kettering owing to the head office of JLB, the company which employs lead character Mark Corrigan, being located there. However, the scenes are not filmed in Kettering, and places named in the show such as the nightclub Lap Land Kettering, and the hotel Park Kettering are fictitious.
Kettering was home to Kettering Town F.C.
The current Chairman Imraan Ladak installed former Tamworth manager Mark Cooper as the new Kettering Town supremo for the 2007-08 season. After a record breaking start to the season (7 consecutive wins), the club held pole position virtually all season, winning the Blue Square North with 5 games in hand. The Poppies broke their win record of 28 games, now 30 and registered a record points tally for the Division of 96 points. Kettering Town play in the Blue Square Premier. Mark Cooper joined Peterborough United Manager in November 2009 with Goalkeeper Lee Harper taking over as he was the most experienced player. However, as of 2011, the club moved out of the borough to Nene Park, Irthlingborough - the former ground of defunct rivals Rushden & Diamonds. The move was necessitated by the approaching end of the lease at their old ground at Rockingham Road, Kettering. The current manager is Mark Stimson.
Rugby
Kettering is home to Kettering Rugby Football Club
(KRFC), located in Waverley Road on the eastern side of the town. The earliest available records indicate that the playing of Rugby Football in Kettering was initiated by the Rector of Barton Seagrave village in 1871. After a period of playing under Uppingham Public School Rules the club formally adopted RFU rules in 1875 and quickly became a significant participant in both the local community and the fast-developing Rugby scene in the East Midlands. In the early days games were played on a number of sites including farmers' fields and council-owned grounds. It was during this period, prior to adopting a home of their own, that the club developed its high profile in the town. Social occasions and players "meetings" were held traditionally at the Royal Hotel, later moving to the George, with more formal occasions such as the Annual Ball becoming the highlight of the local function calendar. KRFC currently plays in the Midlands 1st Division.
The A14 skirts the west and south of the town, links the town with the A45 dual carriageway
, M1
and M6
motorways. The A43 links Kettering with the county town of Northampton
and the A509 (Kettering/Wellingborough Road) links Kettering with Wellingborough
.
Buses
In April 1986 the bus station was relocated away from the market area to the Newland Street entrance of the modern Newlands shopping centre, causing a fatal decline in market trade. Although buses were re-allocated there in April 1987 before closing again in September 1989 and building a smaller version of a Bus Station on which it closed also in May 1999, buses since then have just served The Library and Newlands Shopping Centre. From may 2010 all buses now serve the new horsemarket bus interchange as they don't serve the library any more this is due to public realem improvements. New bus stops have been installed around rail station and headlands.
The Town is also served by a local bus network under the brand name Connect Kettering with routes A,B,C,D, E and F linking the town centre with local suburbs and Burton Latimer
. Leaving every 30 minutes, the X4 service links the town with Milton Keynes
, Northampton, Wellingborough, Corby, Oundle
and Peterborough
.
Rail
Rail services operated by East Midlands Trains
depart every 30 minutes from to St Pancras International railway station
, with an average journey time of 59 minutes. St Pancras also provides a interchange with the Eurostar
service to France and Belgium. Kettering is linked to Corby
, Leicester
, Nottingham
, Derby
and Sheffield
to the north and Wellingborough
, Bedford
, Luton
to the south. Because of good rail links, a large and growing commuter
population takes advantage of Kettering's position on the Midland Main Line
railway.
Airports
Five large UK airports are within 2 hours' drive of the town, these being London Heathrow, London Luton
, East Midlands, Birmingham International and London Stansted
. London Luton can be reached directly by train while East Midlands and London Stansted can be reached by one change at Leicester. Sywell Aerodrome
, located 6 miles (9.7 km) south-west of Kettering, caters for private flying
, flight training
and corporate flights.
was estimated at 86,000, with 51,063 residing in the town proper. Kettering along with the neighboroughing town of Corby
is located in North Northamptonshire, the fastest growing place in England and Wales, with the East Kettering development area covers 300 hectares and extends from the A43 in the north to the A14 in the south. In March 2007, a project was revealed to refurbish and bring new leisure and shopping to the town centre, including water features, public art, sculptures, street furniture, trees, plants and an innovative pavement lighting scheme.
(Köppen climate classification
) which is similar to most of the British Isles
.
, Burton Latimer
and Rothwell
with the larger towns of Corby
and Wellingborough
a bit further away.
with: Kettering, Ohio
, USA Lahnstein
, Germany
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
in the Borough of Kettering
Kettering (borough)
Kettering is a local government district and borough in Northamptonshire, England. It is named after its main town Kettering where the council is based. It borders onto the District of Harborough in the neighbouring county of Leicestershire, the Borough of Corby, the District of East...
, Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is situated about 81 miles (130 km) from London. Kettering is mainly situated on the west side of the River Ise
River Ise
The River Ise is a river in Northamptonshire, England and a tributary of the River Nene.The river rises in the very field that hosted the Battle of Naseby at the north-western tip of Northamptonshire...
, a tributary of the River Nene
River Nene
The River Nene is a river in the east of England that rises from three sources in the county of Northamptonshire. The tidal river forms the border between Cambridgeshire and Norfolk for about . It is the tenth longest river in the United Kingdom, and is navigable for from Northampton to The...
which meets at Wellingborough
Wellingborough
Wellingborough is a market town and borough in Northamptonshire, England, situated some from the county town of Northampton. The town is situated on the north side of the River Nene, most of the older town is sited on the flanks of the hills above the river's current flood plain...
. Originally named Cytringan, Kyteringas and Keteiringan in the 10th century, the name Kettering is now taken to mean 'the place (or territory) of Ketter's people (or kinsfolk)'.
As of the last census in 2001, the borough has a population of 81,844 whilst the town proper had a population of 51,063 and the town is twinned with Lahnstein
Lahnstein
Lahnstein is a verband-free town of Rhein-Lahn-Kreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated at the confluence of the Lahn River with the Rhine, approximately south of Koblenz...
, Germany and Kettering, Ohio
Kettering, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 57,502 people, 25,657 households, and 15,727 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,077.4 people per square mile . There were 26,936 housing units at an average density of 1,441.6 per square mile...
, in the United States. Being part of the Milton Keynes South Midlands
South Midlands
The South Midlands is a notional area of England. According to one definition, it is the southern portion of the East Midlands together with the northern portion of South East England and the western portion of the East of England, and just as there is no agreed definition for these areas,...
(MKSM) study area along with other towns in Northamptonshire, the town is due to get around 6,000 additional homes mainly to the east of the town. The town, like other towns in the area, has a growing commuter population as it is located on the Midland Main Line
Midland Main Line
The Midland Main Line is a major railway route in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system.The present-day line links London St...
railway, which has fast InterCity
East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains is a British passenger train operating company. Based in Derby, it provides train services in the East Midlands, chiefly in the counties of Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire, and between the East Midlands and London...
trains directly into London St Pancras International
St Pancras railway station
St Pancras railway station, also known as London St Pancras and since 2007 as St Pancras International, is a central London railway terminus celebrated for its Victorian architecture. The Grade I listed building stands on Euston Road in St Pancras, London Borough of Camden, between the...
taking around 1 hour. This gives an interchange with Eurostar
Eurostar
Eurostar is a high-speed railway service connecting London with Paris and Brussels. All its trains traverse the Channel Tunnel between England and France, owned and operated separately by Eurotunnel....
services to Continental Europe
Continental Europe
Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands....
.
Early history
Once believed obscure, the placename Kettering is now taken to mean 'the place (or territory) of Ketter's people (or kinsfolk)'. Spelt variously Cytringan, Kyteringas and Keteiringan in the 10th century, although the origin of the name appears to have baffled place-name scholars in the 1930s, words and place-names ending with 'ing' usually derive from the Anglo-SaxonAnglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
or Old English word inga or ingas meaning 'the people of the' or 'tribe'.
Before the Romans the Kettering area, like much of Northamptonshire’s prehistoric countryside, appears to have remained somewhat intractable with regards to early human occupation, resulting in an apparently sparse population and relatively few finds from the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
and Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
periods. About 500 BC the Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
was introduced into the area by a continental people in the form of the Hallstatt culture
Hallstatt culture
The Hallstatt culture was the predominant Central European culture from the 8th to 6th centuries BC , developing out of the Urnfield culture of the 12th century BC and followed in much of Central Europe by the La Tène culture.By the 6th century BC, the Hallstatt culture extended for some...
, and over the next century a series of hillforts was constructed, the closest to Kettering being at nearby Irthlingborough
Irthlingborough
Irthlingborough , originally called Artleborough, is a small town on the River Nene in Northamptonshire, England with a population of 6,179 people according to the 2001 census. It is the smallest town in England to have possessed a league association football team, Rushden & Diamonds. The parish...
.
Roman
Like most of what later became Northamptonshire, from early in the 1st century BC the Kettering area became part of the territory of the CatuvellauniCatuvellauni
The Catuvellauni were a tribe or state of south-eastern Britain before the Roman conquest.The fortunes of the Catuvellauni and their kings before the conquest can be traced through numismatic evidence and scattered references in classical histories. They are mentioned by Dio Cassius, who implies...
, a Belgic tribe, the Northamptonshire area forming their most northerly possession. The Catuvellauni were in turn conquered by the Romans in 43 AD.
The town traces its origins to an early, unwalled Romano British
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
settlement, the remnants of which lie under the northern part of the modern town. Occupied until the 4th century AD, there is evidence that a substantial amount of iron-smelting took place on the site. Along with the Forest of Dean
Forest of Dean
The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. The forest is a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and north, the River Severn to the south, and the City of Gloucester to the east.The...
and the Weald
Weald
The Weald is the name given to an area in South East England situated between the parallel chalk escarpments of the North and the South Downs. It should be regarded as three separate parts: the sandstone "High Weald" in the centre; the clay "Low Weald" periphery; and the Greensand Ridge which...
of Kent and Sussex, this area of Northamptonshire "was one of the three great centres of iron-working in Roman Britain". The settlement reached as far as the Weekley
Weekley
Weekley is a small village and civil parish in the English county of Northamptonshire. At the time of the 2001 census, the parish's population was 242 people. Weekley is just off the A43 road north of Kettering. It is administered as part of the borough of Kettering. Of the 56 houses in the village...
and Geddington
Geddington
Geddington is a village and civil parish on the A43 in north-east Northamptonshire between Kettering and Corby.It contains what is thought to be the best surviving Eleanor cross. The monument dates from 1294, when the crosses were raised as a memorial by Edward I to his late wife, Eleanor of...
parishes. However it is felt unlikely that the site was continuously occupied from the Romano British into the Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
era. Pottery kilns have also been unearthed at nearby Barton Seagrave
Barton Seagrave
Barton Seagrave is a village and civil parish in the Kettering borough of Northamptonshire, England. The Domesday Book records the village name as Bertone. The village is a suburb of Kettering and about south-east of the town centre...
and Boughton
Boughton, Northamptonshire
Boughton is a village and civil parish in the Daventry district of Northamptonshire, England, about from Northampton town centre along the A508 road between Northampton and Market Harborough. The parish area straddles both side of the road but the main part of the village is east...
.
Saxon
Excavations in the early 20th century either side of Stamford road (A43), near the site of the former Prime Cut factory,(now The Warren public house) revealed an extensive early Saxon burial site, consisting of at least a hundred cremation urns dating to the 5th century AD. This suggests that it may have been among the earliest Anglo-Saxon penetrations into the interior of what later became England. The prefix ‘Wic-’ of the nearby village of WeekleyWeekley
Weekley is a small village and civil parish in the English county of Northamptonshire. At the time of the 2001 census, the parish's population was 242 people. Weekley is just off the A43 road north of Kettering. It is administered as part of the borough of Kettering. Of the 56 houses in the village...
may also signify Anglo-Saxon activities in the area; Greenall reports that it could be "an indication of foederati
Foederati
Foederatus is a Latin term whose definition and usage drifted in the time between the early Roman Republic and the end of the Western Roman Empire...
, Anglo-Saxon mercenaries brought in to boost the defences of the Empire." This was established imperial policy, which the Romano British continued after Rome withdrew from Britain around 410 AD, with disastrous consequences for the Romano-Britons.
By the 7th century the lands that would eventually become Northamptonshire formed part of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia
Mercia
Mercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands...
. The Mercians converted to Christianity in 654 AD with the death of the pagan king Penda. From about 889 the Kettering area, along with much of Northamptonshire (and at one point almost all of England except for Athelney
Athelney
Athelney is located between the villages of Burrowbridge and East Lyng in the Sedgemoor district of Somerset, England. The area is known as the Isle of Athelney, because it was once a very low isolated island in the 'very great swampy and impassable marshes' of the Somerset Levels. Much of the...
marsh in Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
), was conquered by the Danes and became part of the Danelaw
Danelaw
The Danelaw, as recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , is a historical name given to the part of England in which the laws of the "Danes" held sway and dominated those of the Anglo-Saxons. It is contrasted with "West Saxon law" and "Mercian law". The term has been extended by modern historians to...
, with the ancient trackway of Watling Street
Watling Street
Watling Street is the name given to an ancient trackway in England and Wales that was first used by the Britons mainly between the modern cities of Canterbury and St Albans. The Romans later paved the route, part of which is identified on the Antonine Itinerary as Iter III: "Item a Londinio ad...
serving as the border, until being recaptured by the English under the Wessex
Wessex
The Kingdom of Wessex or Kingdom of the West Saxons was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the West Saxons, in South West England, from the 6th century, until the emergence of a united English state in the 10th century, under the Wessex dynasty. It was to be an earldom after Canute the Great's conquest...
king Edward the Elder
Edward the Elder
Edward the Elder was an English king. He became king in 899 upon the death of his father, Alfred the Great. His court was at Winchester, previously the capital of Wessex...
, son of Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great was King of Wessex from 871 to 899.Alfred is noted for his defence of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of southern England against the Vikings, becoming the only English monarch still to be accorded the epithet "the Great". Alfred was the first King of the West Saxons to style himself...
, in 917. Northamptonshire was conquered again in 940, this time by the Vikings of York, who devastated the area, only for the county to be retaken by the English in 942.
It is unlikely however that Kettering itself existed as a village earlier than the 10th century (the county of Northampton itself is not referenced in documents before 1011). Before this time the Kettering area was most likely populated by a thin scattering of family farmsteads. The first historical reference of Kettering is in a charter of 956 AD in which King Edwy
Edwy of England
Eadwig, more rarely Edwy , sometimes nicknamed All-Fair or the Fair, was King of England from 955 until his death four years later. The eldest son of King Edmund and Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury, Eadwig was chosen by the nobility to succeed his uncle Eadred as King...
granted ten "cassati" of land to Aelfsige the Goldsmith. The boundaries delineated in this charter would have been recognisable to most inhabitants for the last thousand years and can still be walked today. It is possible that Aelfsige the Goldsmith gave Kettering to the monastery of Peterborough
Peterborough
Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...
, as King Edgar in a charter dated 972 confirmed it to that monastery.
Medieval
At the Domesday survey in 1086, Kettering manor is listed as held by the Abbey of Peterborough, the church owning 10 hides of land. Kettering was valued at £11, with land for 16 ploughs. There were 107 acre (0.43301402 km²) of meadow, 3 of woodland, 2 mills, 31 villans with 10 ploughs, and 1 female slave.The nearby stately home of Boughton House
Boughton House
Boughton House is a country house about north-east of Kettering off the A43 road near Geddington in Northamptonshire, England, which belongs to the Duke of Buccleuch.-History:...
, sometimes described as the 'English Versailles
Palace of Versailles
The Palace of Versailles , or simply Versailles, is a royal château in Versailles in the Île-de-France region of France. In French it is the Château de Versailles....
' has for centuries been the seat of the Dukes of Buccleuch, major landowners in Kettering and most of the surrounding villages; along with the Watsons of Rockingham Castle
Rockingham Castle
Rockingham Castle is a former royal castle and hunting lodge in Rockingham Forest a mile to the north of Corby, Northamptonshire.-History:The site on which the castle stands has been used in the Iron Age, Roman period and by the invading Saxons also used by the Normans, Tudors and also used in the...
, the two families were joint lords of the manor of Kettering.
Kettering is dominated by the crocket
Crocket
A crocket is a hook-shaped decorative element common in Gothic architecture. It is in the form of a stylised carving of curled leaves, buds or flowers which is used at regular intervals to decorate the sloping edges of spires, finials, pinnacles, and wimpergs....
ed spire of about 180 feet (54.9 m) of the Parish church of SS Peter and Paul
Peter and Paul
Peter and Paul is a 1981 film starring Anthony Hopkins as Paul of Tarsus and Robert Foxworth as Peter the Fisherman, David Gwillim as Mark and Jon Finch as Luke. It was directed by Robert Day. The film mostly shows the works of Paul, beginning with his being struck down and converted by the Lord...
. Little is known of the origins of the church, its first known priest becoming rector in 1219-20. The chancel is in the Early Decorated style of about 1300, the main fabric of the building being mostly Perpendicular
Perpendicular
In geometry, two lines or planes are considered perpendicular to each other if they form congruent adjacent angles . The term may be used as a noun or adjective...
, having been rebuilt in the mid 15th century (its tower and spire being remarkably similar to the tower and spire at Oundle
Oundle
Oundle is an ancient market town on the River Nene in Northamptonshire, England, with a population of 5,345 or 5,674 . It lies some north of London and south-west of Peterborough...
). Whether the current building replaced an earlier church on the site is unknown. Two medieval wall paintings, one of two angels with feathered wings, and one of a now faded saint, can still be seen inside the church.
The charter for Kettering's market was granted to the Bishop of Peterborough
Bishop of Peterborough
The Bishop of Peterborough is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Peterborough in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers the counties of Northamptonshire, Rutland and the Soke of Peterborough in Cambridgeshire...
by Henry III
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
in 1227. In April 1986 the bus station was relocated away from the market area to the Newland Street entrance of the modern Newlands shopping centre, causing a fatal decline in market trade. The ancient market place has since been abandoned. Attempts to revive the market as a small scale street market have met with little welcome from local shops and stores.
17th century
In June 1607 at the nearby village of Newton, the Newton Rebellion broke out, causing a brief uprising known as the Midland RevoltMidland Revolt
The Midland Revolt was a popular uprising which took place in the Midlands of England in 1607. Beginning in late April in Haselbech, Pytchley and Rushton in Northamptonshire, and spreading to Warwickshire and Leicestershire throughout May, riots took place as a protest against the enclosure of...
, which involved several nearby villages. Protesting at land enclosures at Newton and Pytchley
Pytchley
Pytchley is a village and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England, three miles south-west of Kettering and near the A14 road. At the time of the 2001 census, the parish's population was 496 people. The village has a Church of England Primary School, a church and a pub. The Pytchley Hunt is a...
by local landlords the Tresham
Tresham
Tresham is a village in Gloucestershire, England. It was transferred back from the county of Avon in 1991, having been in Gloucestershire before 1972. It is now in Stroud District, and forms part of the civil parish of Hillesley and Tresham. It is on the Monarch's Way and near the Cotswold Way...
s, on 8 June a pitched battle took place between Levellers
Levellers
The Levellers were a political movement during the English Civil Wars which emphasised popular sovereignty, extended suffrage, equality before the law, and religious tolerance, all of which were expressed in the manifesto "Agreement of the People". They came to prominence at the end of the First...
- many from Kettering, Corby
Corby
Corby Town is a town and borough located in the county of Northamptonshire. Corby Town is 23 miles north-east of the county town, Northampton. The borough had a population of 53,174 at the 2001 Census; the town on its own accounted for 49,222 of this figure...
and particularly Weldon
Weldon, Northamptonshire
Weldon is a village and civil parish in the English county of Northamptonshire, two miles due east of the town centre of Corby. It is administered by Corby Borough Council; at the time of the 2001 census, the parish's population was 1,644 people....
, - and local gentry and their servants (local militias having refused the call to arms). Approximately 40-50 local men are said to have been killed and the ringleaders hanged, drawn and quartered
Hanged, drawn and quartered
To be hanged, drawn and quartered was from 1351 a penalty in England for men convicted of high treason, although the ritual was first recorded during the reigns of King Henry III and his successor, Edward I...
. The Newton rebellion represents one of the last times that the English peasant
Peasant
A peasant is an agricultural worker who generally tend to be poor and homeless-Etymology:The word is derived from 15th century French païsant meaning one from the pays, or countryside, ultimately from the Latin pagus, or outlying administrative district.- Position in society :Peasants typically...
ry and the gentry
Gentry
Gentry denotes "well-born and well-bred people" of high social class, especially in the past....
were in open conflict. By the 17th century the town was a centre for woollen cloth.
Recent history
The present town grew up in the 19th century with the development of the boot and shoe industry, for which Northamptonshire as a whole became famous. Many large homes in both the Headlands and Rockingham Road were built for factory owners while terraced streets provided accommodation for the workers. The industry has markedly declined since the 1970s, large footwear manufacturers such as Dolcis, Freeman, Hardy and WillisFreeman, Hardy and Willis
Freeman, Hardy and Willis was a major chain of footwear retailers in the United Kingdom.-History:The shoe retailer was established in 1875 and was named after three employees of the company. For many years, there was a branch in nearly every town in the United Kingdom. In 1929 the company was...
, Frank Wright and Timpsons, having left the town or closed down in the face of stiff overseas competition, while others have outsourced their production to lower-cost countries. Only two smaller footwear businesses remain.
Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
Kettering was the centre of the 19th century religious non-conformism and the Christian missionary movement, and this has been preserved in many names. William Carey was born in 1761 at Paulerspury
Paulerspury
Paulerspury is a civil parish and small village in South Northamptonshire, England. It is approximately south of Towcester and north of Milton Keynes along the A5 road...
and spent his early life in Kettering before leaving for India as a missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
in 1793. Carey Mission House and Carey Street were named after him. Andrew Fuller
Andrew Fuller
Andrew Fuller was an eminent Baptist minister, born in Cambridgeshire, and settled at Kettering.Fuller was a zealous controversialist in defence of the governmental theory of the atonement against Hyper-Calvinism on the one hand and Socinianism and Sandemanianism on the other, but he is chiefly...
helped Carey found the Baptist Missionary Society
Baptist Missionary Society
rightBMS World Mission is a Christian missionary society founded by Baptists from England in 1792. It was originally called the Particular Baptist Society for the Propagation of the Gospel Amongst the Heathen, but for most of its life was known as the Baptist Missionary Society...
and he is remembered in the Fuller Church and Fuller Street. In 1803 William Knibb
William Knibb
William Knibb , English Baptist minister and missionary to Jamaica, is chiefly known for his work to free slaves.-Missionary in Jamaica:...
was born in Market Street and became a missionary and emancipator of slaves; he is commemorated by the Knibb Centre and Knibb Street. Toller Chapel and Toller Place are named after two ministers, father and son, who preached in Kettering for a total of 100 years. The chapel was built in 1723 for those who since 1662 had been worshipping in secret.
After several false starts Kettering station was opened in 1857 by the Midland Railway Company, providing a welcome economic stimulus to an ailing local economy, suffering as it was from the loss of wayfaring business since the introduction of railways nationwide. The line was finally linked to London in 1867.
In 1887, John Bartholomew's Gazetteer of the British Isles described Kettering as:
In 1921 Wicksteed Park
Wicksteed Park
Wicksteed Park is an amusement park in Kettering, Northamptonshire, England. The park opened in 1921. It is believed to be the oldest amusement park in England; however, the Blackgang Chine theme park on the Isle of Wight is considerably older...
, Britain's second oldest theme park, was officially opened on the southern outskirts of the town, and remains popular to this day.
From 1942 to 1945 the town witnessed a large influx of American servicemen (including on several occasions Clark Gable
Clark Gable
William Clark Gable , known as Clark Gable, was an American film actor most famous for his role as Rhett Butler in the 1939 Civil War epic film Gone with the Wind, in which he starred with Vivien Leigh...
), mainly from the US 8th Air Force at RAF Grafton Underwood
RAF Grafton Underwood
RAF Grafton Underwood is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 4 miles NE of Kettering in Northamptonshire.-RAF use:...
, 3.7 miles (6 km) away. The base was soon nicknamed ‘Grafton Undermud’ in reference to the perceived English weather of 'rain, rain and more rain'. The first bombing raid - targeting the marshalling yards at Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
, northern France - was led by Major Paul W. Tibbets who in 1945 piloted Enola Gay
Enola Gay
Enola Gay is a Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber, named after Enola Gay Tibbets, mother of the pilot, then-Colonel Paul Tibbets. On August 6, 1945, during the final stages of World War II, it became the first aircraft to drop an atomic bomb as a weapon of war...
, the B-29 Superfortress that dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
Aircraft from Grafton Underwood dropped the 8th Air Force’s first and last bombs of WWII.
Governance
Kettering Borough CouncilIn local government, Kettering falls within the areas of Northamptonshire County Council and Kettering Borough Council
Kettering (borough)
Kettering is a local government district and borough in Northamptonshire, England. It is named after its main town Kettering where the council is based. It borders onto the District of Harborough in the neighbouring county of Leicestershire, the Borough of Corby, the District of East...
, which incorporates the small, satellite towns of Burton Latimer
Burton Latimer
Burton Latimer is a town in Northamptonshire, England, with a population in 2001 of 6,740. It is just south of the junction of the A6 and A14 in the borough of Kettering. The two-mile A6 bypass opened in October 1991.-History:...
, Desborough
Desborough
Desborough is a town in Northamptonshire, England. It is one of the founding 12 members of the Charter of European Rural Communities and through this has links with 26 other EU member towns and villages...
and Rothwell
Rothwell, Northamptonshire
Rothwell is a market town in the Kettering district of Northamptonshire, England. It is located south of Desborough, southeast of Market Harborough, southwest of Corby and northwest of the larger town of Kettering. It is twinned with the French town of Droué...
. The borough is split into 17 electoral wards
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
, 10 of these in the town. These comprise of: All Saints, Avondale Grange, Barton, Brambleside, Northfield, Pipers Hill, Ise Lodge, St Michael & Wicksteed and St Peter's.
Kettering Constituency
Kettering is represented in parliament by a constituency of the same name, which is currently (as of May 2010) represented by Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
MP Philip Hollobone
Philip Hollobone
Philip Thomas Hollobone is a British Conservative Party politician who is both a Member of Parliament for the Kettering constituency and a member of Kettering Borough Council for the Piper's Hill ward .-Early life:Hollobone was educated at Dulwich College, London, and Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford...
, who gained the marginal constituency from former Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
MP Phil Sawford
Phil Sawford
Philip Andrew Sawford is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Kettering from 1997 to 2005.-Early life:...
in the 2005 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
.
European Parliament
In the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
, Kettering falls within the East Midlands
East Midlands
The East Midlands is one of the regions of England, consisting of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. It encompasses the combined area of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire and most of Lincolnshire...
European Parliament constituency and is represented by 5 MEPs
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
.
Historic politics
Politics in Kettering has not always been a sedate affair: in 1835 a horrified Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
, then a young reporter for the Morning Chronicle
Morning Chronicle
The Morning Chronicle was a newspaper founded in 1769 in London, England, and published under various owners until 1862. It was most notable for having been the first employer of Charles Dickens, and for publishing the articles by Henry Mayhew which were collected and published in book format in...
, watched aghast as a Tory
Tory
Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
supporter on horseback, intent (along with others) on taking control of bye-election proceedings, produced a loaded pistol and had to be restrained by his friends from committing murder. The ensuing riot between Tory and Whig supporters led Dickens in his article to form various opinions of Kettering and its voters, none of them complimentary.
Local economy and amenities
Kettering's economy was built on the boot and shoe industryShoemaking
Shoemaking is the process of making footwear. Originally, shoes were made one at a time by hand. Traditional handicraft shoemaking has now been largely superseded in volume of shoes produced by industrial mass production of footwear, but not necessarily in quality, attention to detail, or...
. With the arrival of railways in the 19th century, industries such as engineering and clothing grew up. The clothing manufacturer Aquascutum
Aquascutum
"Aquascutum" is a UK-based luxury clothing manufacturer and retailer, owned by Jaeger.-Company history:Aquascutum was established in 1851, the year of the Great Exhibition, when tailor and entrepreneur John Emary opened a high quality menswear shop at 46 Regent Street...
built its first factory here in 1909. Now Kettering's economy is based on service and distribution
Distribution (business)
Product distribution is one of the four elements of the marketing mix. An organization or set of organizations involved in the process of making a product or service available for use or consumption by a consumer or business user.The other three parts of the marketing mix are product, pricing,...
industries due to its central location and transport links. Recent times have seen, directly linked with the economic downturn many of the shops have closed down, predominantly localised, smaller shops leaving the town centre somewhat diminished.
Kettering's unemployment rate is amongst the lowest in the UK and has over 80% of its adults in full time employment. It is home to a wide range of companies including Weetabix
Weetabix
Weetabix is a whole grain wheat breakfast cereal produced by Weetabix Limited of the United Kingdom. It comes in the form of palm-sized biscuits. Variants include organic and Weetabix Minis versions. The UK cereal is manufactured in Burton Latimer, Kettering, United Kingdom and in Canada and...
, Pegasus Software
Pegasus Software
Pegasus Software is based in Kettering, England and develops accounting and financial management and payroll software applications for small and medium sized businesses.-History:...
, RCI Europe, Timsons Ltd
Timsons
Timsons Ltd is a family-owned company which manufactures bespoke book and flexible packaging printing presses. Timsons was founded in 1896 by Arthur Richardson Timson and employs over 200 people at its Kettering, UK headquarters...
and Morrisons Distribution as well as Wicksteed Park
Wicksteed Park
Wicksteed Park is an amusement park in Kettering, Northamptonshire, England. The park opened in 1921. It is believed to be the oldest amusement park in England; however, the Blackgang Chine theme park on the Isle of Wight is considerably older...
, the United Kingdom's oldest theme park, which now plays host to one and a quarter million visitors every season.
Kettering is the home of Kettering General Hospital
Kettering General Hospital
Kettering General Hospital is a NHS hospital in Kettering, Northamptonshire, England. The hospital was founded in 1897 and became part of the NHS in 1994...
, which provides Acute and Accident & Emergency department services for north Northamptonshire including Corby
Corby
Corby Town is a town and borough located in the county of Northamptonshire. Corby Town is 23 miles north-east of the county town, Northampton. The borough had a population of 53,174 at the 2001 Census; the town on its own accounted for 49,222 of this figure...
and Wellingborough
Wellingborough
Wellingborough is a market town and borough in Northamptonshire, England, situated some from the county town of Northampton. The town is situated on the north side of the River Nene, most of the older town is sited on the flanks of the hills above the river's current flood plain...
. With its new £20 million campus, 16,000 students and 800 staff, Tresham College of Further and Higher Education is a significant employer in the region.
Kettering Business Park, a recent and current commercial property development undertaken by Buccleuch Property is situated on the A43/A6003, on the north side of Kettering. Many office buildings are being built as part of the project as well as a leisure sector with a new hotel. Many large distribution warehouses have been constructed in the area, creating thousands of jobs for the local economy. Kettering's Heritage Quarter houses the Manor House Museum and the Alfred East Gallery. The magnificent Boughton House
Boughton House
Boughton House is a country house about north-east of Kettering off the A43 road near Geddington in Northamptonshire, England, which belongs to the Duke of Buccleuch.-History:...
, Queen Eleanor cross
Eleanor cross
The Eleanor crosses were twelve originally wooden, but later lavishly decorated stone, monuments of which three survive intact in a line down part of the east of England. King Edward I had the crosses erected between 1291 and 1294 in memory of his wife Eleanor of Castile, marking the nightly...
and the 1597 Triangular Lodge are local landmarks within the borough. Sir Thomas Tresham
Thomas Tresham II
Sir Thomas Tresham was a Catholic recusant politician at the end of the Tudor dynasty and the start of the Stuart dynasty in England....
was a devout Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
who was imprisoned for his beliefs. When he was released he built Triangular Lodge to defy his prosecutors and secretly declare his faith. The construction's 'three of everything' - sides, floors, windows and gables - represent the Holy Trinity.
The British sitcom "Peep Show
Peep Show (TV series)
Peep Show is a British sitcom starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb. The television programme is written by Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain, with additional material by Mitchell and Webb themselves, amongst others. It has been broadcast on Channel 4 since 2003. The show's seventh series makes it...
" has various scenes located in Kettering owing to the head office of JLB, the company which employs lead character Mark Corrigan, being located there. However, the scenes are not filmed in Kettering, and places named in the show such as the nightclub Lap Land Kettering, and the hotel Park Kettering are fictitious.
Sport
FootballKettering was home to Kettering Town F.C.
Kettering Town F.C.
Kettering Town Football Club are a football club originating in Kettering, Northamptonshire but currently based in the nearby village of Irthlingborough. The club play in the Conference National after winning the Conference North in 2007–08...
The current Chairman Imraan Ladak installed former Tamworth manager Mark Cooper as the new Kettering Town supremo for the 2007-08 season. After a record breaking start to the season (7 consecutive wins), the club held pole position virtually all season, winning the Blue Square North with 5 games in hand. The Poppies broke their win record of 28 games, now 30 and registered a record points tally for the Division of 96 points. Kettering Town play in the Blue Square Premier. Mark Cooper joined Peterborough United Manager in November 2009 with Goalkeeper Lee Harper taking over as he was the most experienced player. However, as of 2011, the club moved out of the borough to Nene Park, Irthlingborough - the former ground of defunct rivals Rushden & Diamonds. The move was necessitated by the approaching end of the lease at their old ground at Rockingham Road, Kettering. The current manager is Mark Stimson.
Rugby
Kettering is home to Kettering Rugby Football Club
Kettering Rugby Football Club
Kettering Rugby Football Club is a rugby club located in Waverley Road on the south side of Kettering, England.-History:The earliest available records indicate that the playing of rugby football in Kettering was initiated by the Rector of Barton Seagrave village in 1871...
(KRFC), located in Waverley Road on the eastern side of the town. The earliest available records indicate that the playing of Rugby Football in Kettering was initiated by the Rector of Barton Seagrave village in 1871. After a period of playing under Uppingham Public School Rules the club formally adopted RFU rules in 1875 and quickly became a significant participant in both the local community and the fast-developing Rugby scene in the East Midlands. In the early days games were played on a number of sites including farmers' fields and council-owned grounds. It was during this period, prior to adopting a home of their own, that the club developed its high profile in the town. Social occasions and players "meetings" were held traditionally at the Royal Hotel, later moving to the George, with more formal occasions such as the Annual Ball becoming the highlight of the local function calendar. KRFC currently plays in the Midlands 1st Division.
Transport
RoadsThe A14 skirts the west and south of the town, links the town with the A45 dual carriageway
A45 road
The A45 is a major road in England. It runs east from Birmingham past the National Exhibition Centre and the M42, then bypasses Coventry and Rugby, where it briefly merges with the M45 until it continues to Daventry...
, M1
M1 motorway
The M1 is a north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
and M6
M6 motorway
The M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...
motorways. The A43 links Kettering with the county town of Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
and the A509 (Kettering/Wellingborough Road) links Kettering with Wellingborough
Wellingborough
Wellingborough is a market town and borough in Northamptonshire, England, situated some from the county town of Northampton. The town is situated on the north side of the River Nene, most of the older town is sited on the flanks of the hills above the river's current flood plain...
.
Buses
In April 1986 the bus station was relocated away from the market area to the Newland Street entrance of the modern Newlands shopping centre, causing a fatal decline in market trade. Although buses were re-allocated there in April 1987 before closing again in September 1989 and building a smaller version of a Bus Station on which it closed also in May 1999, buses since then have just served The Library and Newlands Shopping Centre. From may 2010 all buses now serve the new horsemarket bus interchange as they don't serve the library any more this is due to public realem improvements. New bus stops have been installed around rail station and headlands.
The Town is also served by a local bus network under the brand name Connect Kettering with routes A,B,C,D, E and F linking the town centre with local suburbs and Burton Latimer
Burton Latimer
Burton Latimer is a town in Northamptonshire, England, with a population in 2001 of 6,740. It is just south of the junction of the A6 and A14 in the borough of Kettering. The two-mile A6 bypass opened in October 1991.-History:...
. Leaving every 30 minutes, the X4 service links the town with Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes , sometimes abbreviated MK, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, in the south east of England, about north-west of London. It is the administrative centre of the Borough of Milton Keynes...
, Northampton, Wellingborough, Corby, Oundle
Oundle
Oundle is an ancient market town on the River Nene in Northamptonshire, England, with a population of 5,345 or 5,674 . It lies some north of London and south-west of Peterborough...
and Peterborough
Peterborough
Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...
.
Rail services operated by East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains is a British passenger train operating company. Based in Derby, it provides train services in the East Midlands, chiefly in the counties of Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire, and between the East Midlands and London...
depart every 30 minutes from to St Pancras International railway station
St Pancras railway station
St Pancras railway station, also known as London St Pancras and since 2007 as St Pancras International, is a central London railway terminus celebrated for its Victorian architecture. The Grade I listed building stands on Euston Road in St Pancras, London Borough of Camden, between the...
, with an average journey time of 59 minutes. St Pancras also provides a interchange with the Eurostar
Eurostar
Eurostar is a high-speed railway service connecting London with Paris and Brussels. All its trains traverse the Channel Tunnel between England and France, owned and operated separately by Eurotunnel....
service to France and Belgium. Kettering is linked to Corby
Corby
Corby Town is a town and borough located in the county of Northamptonshire. Corby Town is 23 miles north-east of the county town, Northampton. The borough had a population of 53,174 at the 2001 Census; the town on its own accounted for 49,222 of this figure...
, Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
, Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
, Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
and Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
to the north and Wellingborough
Wellingborough
Wellingborough is a market town and borough in Northamptonshire, England, situated some from the county town of Northampton. The town is situated on the north side of the River Nene, most of the older town is sited on the flanks of the hills above the river's current flood plain...
, Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
, Luton
Luton
Luton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000....
to the south. Because of good rail links, a large and growing commuter
Commuting
Commuting is regular travel between one's place of residence and place of work or full time study. It sometimes refers to any regular or often repeated traveling between locations when not work related.- History :...
population takes advantage of Kettering's position on the Midland Main Line
Midland Main Line
The Midland Main Line is a major railway route in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system.The present-day line links London St...
railway.
Airports
Five large UK airports are within 2 hours' drive of the town, these being London Heathrow, London Luton
London Luton Airport
London Luton Airport is an international airport located east of the town centre in the Borough of Luton in Bedfordshire, England and is north of Central London. The airport is from Junction 10a of the M1 motorway...
, East Midlands, Birmingham International and London Stansted
London Stansted Airport
-Cargo:-Statistics:-Infrastructure:-Terminal and satellite buildings:Stansted is the newest passenger airport of all the main London airports. The terminal is an oblong glass building, and is separated in to three areas: Check-in concourse, arrivals and departures...
. London Luton can be reached directly by train while East Midlands and London Stansted can be reached by one change at Leicester. Sywell Aerodrome
Sywell Aerodrome
Sywell Aerodrome is the local aerodrome serving Northampton, Wellingborough and Kettering as it is situated midway between these towns. The airport is located northeast of Northampton and was originally opened in 1928 on the edge of Sywell village....
, located 6 miles (9.7 km) south-west of Kettering, caters for private flying
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
, flight training
Flight training
Flight training is a course of study used when learning to pilot an aircraft. The overall purpose of primary and intermediate flight training is the acquisition and honing of basic airmanship skills....
and corporate flights.
Notable residents
- Frank BellamyFrank BellamyFrank Bellamy was a British comics artist, best known for his work on the Eagle comic, for which he illustrated Heros the Spartan and Fraser of Africa. He reworked its flagship Dan Dare strip....
- Illustrator of comics - William Carey - Missionary
- Richard ColesRichard ColesRichard Coles is a musician, journalist and Church of England priest. He is known for having been the multi-instrumentalist who partnered Jimmy Somerville in the 1980s band The Communards, who achieved three Top Ten hits, including the Number 1 record and best-selling single of 1986, a Hi-NRG...
- Member of 80s band The CommunardsThe CommunardsThe Communards were a British pop duo active from 1985 to 1988. They are most famous for their cover of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes' song, "Don't Leave Me This Way" as well as "Never Can Say Goodbye".-History:... - Sir Alfred EastAlfred EastSir Alfred Edward East was an English painter.He was born in Kettering in Northamptonshire and studied at the Glasgow School of Art. His romantic landscapes show the influence of the Barbizon school. His The Art of Landscape Painting in Oil Colour was published in 1906...
- Painter - John Alfred GotchJohn Alfred GotchJohn Alfred Gotch was a noted British architect and architectural historian. His brother was the Pre-Raphaelite painter and illustrator Thomas Cooper Gotch, who painted his portrait....
- ArchitectArchitectAn architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
and Architectural historian - Thomas Cooper GotchThomas Cooper GotchThomas Cooper Gotch was an English Pre-Raphaelite painter and book illustrator, and brother of John Alfred Gotch the noted architect.-Early life:...
- IllustratorIllustratorAn Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text... - Sienna GuillorySienna GuillorySienna Tiggy Guillory is an English actress, and former model. She is known for playing the title role in the TV miniseries, Helen of Troy, her portrayal of Jill Valentine in the science fiction action horror film Resident Evil: Apocalypse, and as elf princess Arya Dröttningu in fantasy-adventure...
- Actress - William KnibbWilliam KnibbWilliam Knibb , English Baptist minister and missionary to Jamaica, is chiefly known for his work to free slaves.-Missionary in Jamaica:...
- MissionaryMissionaryA missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin... - John ProfumoJohn ProfumoBrigadier John Dennis Profumo, 5th Baron Profumo CBE , informally known as Jack Profumo , was a British politician. His title, 5th Baron, which he did not use, was Italian. Although Profumo held an increasingly responsible series of political posts in the 1950s, he is best known today for his...
- Former British politician, best known for the Profumo Scandal - Edward SismoreEdward SismoreAir Commodore Edward Barnes Sismore DSO DFC and two bars AFC was a British air navigator during World War II and a fighter pilot and a senior Royal Air Force officer in the post-war years and the thirteenth Commandant Royal Observer Corps between 1971 and 1973.During his time as Commandant ROC,...
- Air Commodore - Charles WicksteedWicksteed ParkWicksteed Park is an amusement park in Kettering, Northamptonshire, England. The park opened in 1921. It is believed to be the oldest amusement park in England; however, the Blackgang Chine theme park on the Isle of Wight is considerably older...
- Created Wicksteed Amusement Park - Andrew KoonerAndrew KoonerAndrew Singh Kooner is a Canadian boxer.-Amateur career:Andrew Kooner moved to Tecumseh, Ontario at a young age and began boxing at age 13 out of a Windsor boxing club. At the 2000 Summer Olympics he lost in the 2nd round in the flyweight division...
- Canadian boxerBoxingBoxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, born in Kettering - Peter EbdonPeter EbdonPeter "Ebbo" Ebdon is an English professional snooker player and former world champion renowned for his remarkably focused, determined style of play.-Early years:...
- professional snooker player, born in Kettering - Russ RussellRuss RussellRuss Russell is a British record producer, sound engineer, mixer, mastering engineer, musician and writer. He has worked all over the world and now is mostly based at Parlour Studios in the UK...
- Professional music engineer - Hugh DennisHugh DennisPeter Hugh Dennis is an English actor, comedian, writer, impressionist and voice-over artist, best known for his work with comedy partner Steve Punt. He is also known for his position as a permanent panelist on the TV comedy show Mock The Week...
- English comedianComedianA comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
, born in Kettering - Jane ClarkeJane ClarkeJane Elizabeth Clarke is an English writer of children’s books and poetry. Her best known books include Gilbert the Great and Stuck in the Mud . Jane has published over 45 books including works used for children’s reading schemes in schools...
- Children's Author, born in Kettering - Reginald WoosterReginald WoosterReginald Wooster was an English cricketer. Wooster was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm medium pace. He was born at Kettering, Northamptonshire....
- Cricketer, born and died in Kettering - Ernest WrightErnest Wright (cricketer)Ernest Vincent Wright MC was an English cricketer. Wright was a right-handed batsman. He was born at Kettering, Northamptonshire....
- Cricketer, born and died in Kettering
Future growth
In mid-2003 the population of the Borough of KetteringKettering (borough)
Kettering is a local government district and borough in Northamptonshire, England. It is named after its main town Kettering where the council is based. It borders onto the District of Harborough in the neighbouring county of Leicestershire, the Borough of Corby, the District of East...
was estimated at 86,000, with 51,063 residing in the town proper. Kettering along with the neighboroughing town of Corby
Corby
Corby Town is a town and borough located in the county of Northamptonshire. Corby Town is 23 miles north-east of the county town, Northampton. The borough had a population of 53,174 at the 2001 Census; the town on its own accounted for 49,222 of this figure...
is located in North Northamptonshire, the fastest growing place in England and Wales, with the East Kettering development area covers 300 hectares and extends from the A43 in the north to the A14 in the south. In March 2007, a project was revealed to refurbish and bring new leisure and shopping to the town centre, including water features, public art, sculptures, street furniture, trees, plants and an innovative pavement lighting scheme.
Climate
Kettering experiences an oceanic climateOceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also called marine west coast climate, maritime climate, Cascadian climate and British climate for Köppen climate classification Cfb and subtropical highland for Köppen Cfb or Cwb, is a type of climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes of some of the...
(Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
) which is similar to most of the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
.
Compass
Kettering's nearest towns are DesboroughDesborough
Desborough is a town in Northamptonshire, England. It is one of the founding 12 members of the Charter of European Rural Communities and through this has links with 26 other EU member towns and villages...
, Burton Latimer
Burton Latimer
Burton Latimer is a town in Northamptonshire, England, with a population in 2001 of 6,740. It is just south of the junction of the A6 and A14 in the borough of Kettering. The two-mile A6 bypass opened in October 1991.-History:...
and Rothwell
Rothwell, Northamptonshire
Rothwell is a market town in the Kettering district of Northamptonshire, England. It is located south of Desborough, southeast of Market Harborough, southwest of Corby and northwest of the larger town of Kettering. It is twinned with the French town of Droué...
with the larger towns of Corby
Corby
Corby Town is a town and borough located in the county of Northamptonshire. Corby Town is 23 miles north-east of the county town, Northampton. The borough had a population of 53,174 at the 2001 Census; the town on its own accounted for 49,222 of this figure...
and Wellingborough
Wellingborough
Wellingborough is a market town and borough in Northamptonshire, England, situated some from the county town of Northampton. The town is situated on the north side of the River Nene, most of the older town is sited on the flanks of the hills above the river's current flood plain...
a bit further away.
Town twinning
Kettering is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with: Kettering, Ohio
Kettering, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 57,502 people, 25,657 households, and 15,727 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,077.4 people per square mile . There were 26,936 housing units at an average density of 1,441.6 per square mile...
, USA Lahnstein
Lahnstein
Lahnstein is a verband-free town of Rhein-Lahn-Kreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated at the confluence of the Lahn River with the Rhine, approximately south of Koblenz...
, Germany
See also
- Kettering Ironstone RailwayKettering Ironstone RailwayThe Kettering Ironstone Railway was an industrial narrow gauge railway that served the ironstone quarries around Kettering.- Locomotives :-See also:* British industrial narrow gauge railways...
- Kettering Grammar SchoolKettering Grammar SchoolKettering Grammar School was a boys grammar school that had a number of homes in Kettering, Northamptonshire throughout its history.-History:...
External links
- Kettering local free business directory, local news, events and offers
- Kettering Weather Station - Supplying local weather for local people
- BBC Northamptonshire
- Kettering Evening Telegraph
- Kettering Borough Council
- Kettering Town F.C.
- Old Cytringanians
- History Notes - The Kettering Grammar School Satellite Tracking Group