Rushden
Encyclopedia
Rushden is a town and civil parish in the county of Northamptonshire
, England.
The parish of Rushden covers an area of some 3777 acres (15.28 km²) and is part of the district of East Northamptonshire
. The population of Rushden was estimated at around 28,368, making it the fifth largest town in the county. The Rushden-Higham urban area, which includes the adjoining town of Higham Ferrers
, has an estimated population of 35,572
. The southern limits of the town border on the county of Bedfordshire
, and to its north lies the River Nene
(locally pronounced Nen) which flows into The Wash
. Rushden lies in a small valley, with a stream or brook known as Sidney Brook flowing through the centre of the town. During the Late 1990s this stream has been culverted to prevent flash flooding. From whichever way Rushden is approached, the streets and roads can be seen stretching out in the valley, with the spire of St Mary's church prominent above its rooftops.
making and farming, and especially shoemaking
and associated trades. In the mid-1900s there were well over 100 boot and shoe factories in Rushden but today only 4 companies still shoemake in Rushden
Today just a handful of these factories survive. One of the most renowned is Sanders and Sanders, which makes boots for the British Army and several other defence departments throughout the world. Some of the redundant factories have been converted into flats, and MPs support for government help has been limited.http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/consultation_re_closed_uk_shoe_f Today, as with many towns in England, industry in the town is varied, and mostly situated in an out-of-town industrial estate. As with the industry, town centre shopping in Rushden has changed considerably although there are still many shops. Rushden has the oldest toy shop in the county. In 1893 a short branch line railway opened linking Rushden and Higham Ferrers
with the Midland Main Line
. The line was closed in 1959 and dismantled. In 1991 the trackbed was converted into a pocket park
http://www.pocketparks.com/locations/parkdetail.asp?action=l&id=34.
The former Rushden railway station
is now owned by the Rushden Historical Transport Society , which operates a museum
and real ale bar. The society often holds special events, including an annual 3-day transport cavalcade. The society aims to rebuild the branch line from Higham Ferrers
to Wellingborough
.
There is also a privately owned museum in Rushden which is situated in the town's Hall Park. It is open between the months of May and October.
Rushden Hall is the oldest domestic building in the town, once owned by many families throughout the years including the Sartoris family and the Pembertons family. The hall now functions as the head office of the town council and some rooms are available for hiring. It lies in 32 acres (129,499.5 m²) of land which now is a public park (Hall Park).
The 1970s ITV
Police Drama series Hunters Walk was filmed on location in Rushden and the surrounding villages.
In early 2011 Improvements to the High street began with regeneration on the ‘southern gateway’ and a creation of a town square in the middle of the high street.
Also a greenway cycle and foot path was created joining existing footpaths with a new one along the old railway line through the town. This linked Ferrers School to Rushden town centre and then out of Rushden to Crown Park, a small out of town retail/business Park with a DIY store and Waitrose Supermarket.
just off the A45
on the site of a former dry ski slope which has been derelict for some years. The development would include shops, hotels, a leisure centre and a marina, with a link to the River Nene
.
club, Rushden Town
merged with nearby Irthlingborough Diamonds
in 1992 to become Rushden & Diamonds
. The new moved to Nene Park
, on the outskirts of Irthlingborough
, and played there until going into liquidation in 2011.
A new club AFC Rushden & Diamonds
was set up in 2011 and currently play at Kiln Park, Raunds
A smaller club, Rushden & Higham United compete in the United Counties League
, and play at the Hayden Road stadium where Rushden Town played until 1992.
Junior Football is catered for by South Rushden Junior Football Club, who will offer football for boys and girls from 4 years of age.
Rugby is played at Manor Park, the home of Rushden & Higham RUFC. The club was created in October 1951. Over the years the club has played at Chamberlain's Field, near the old Higham railway station, Saffron Meadows, and the John White's ground in Rushden and now plays at Manor Park, Rushden, on pitches rented weekly from the town council.
Rushden is now home to one secondary school, Rushden Community College. It is part of The East Northamptonshire College together with The Ferrers Specialist Arts College (Higham Ferrers), Huxlow School (Irthlingborough) and Manor School & Sports College (Raunds).
Rushden has 8 Primary schools:
South Rushden
Whitefriars Junior
Whitefriars Infant
Southend Infant
Southend Junior
North Rushden
Denfield Park Junior
Hayway Infant
Central Rushden
Alfred Street Junior
West Rushden
Newton Road Primary
Newton Road Infant
Higham Ferrers
Higham Ferrers Infant
Higham Ferrers Junior
Henry Chichele Primary
For adult education
, Rushden is served by a 'Learning Centre' which is located in the town centre. The Learning Centre is operated by Bedford College
, and offers Information Technology
, English Language
and Mathematics
courses.
megastores in the country until they were bought by Wm Morrison
; the store was then brought by Waitrose
and turned into one of its 5 Food and Home stores which included a selection of home products from John Lewis. In 2006 ASDA announced they would build a new £40m superstore near the town centre; it was opened in late 2006 and is now one of the biggest supermarkets in the town. In May 2007 Budgens
announced it would be closing its store in the town because of the loss of trade to the new ASDA, the former Budgens
site is now a Wilkinson store.
Squadron, the 858 (Rushden) Squadron. It is run by officers who are commissioned in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Training Branch), assisted by adult Senior NCO
’s and civilian instructors; all are volunteers.
At present, Rushden is one of the largest towns in the country without an operational railway station. However, there are proposals by The Association of Train Operating Companies
to build a new railway station on the Midland Mainline (to the West of Rushden) to be known as Rushden Parkway
. This is supported by local transport campaigners http://brta.org.uk/tiki/tiki-index.php. Currently, the nearest railway station is at Wellingborough
about five miles (6 km) away, on the Midland Main Line
, although no bus service currently links Rushden to Wellingborough station - the X46 bus service stops at Midland Road in Wellingborough about half a mile from the station.
The heritage Rushden, Higham and Wellingborough Railway
currently operate services from Rushden's station.
Buses
The main routes serving Rushden are Stagecoach services M50 with connections to Kettering
and Bedford
and the X46 providing links with Raunds
, Wellingborough
, Irchester
and Northampton
. There is also services that connect Rushden to the small villages in North Bedfordshire and has its own bus service within the town, the Rushden Rider and Higham Hopper.
Air
Several major UK airports are only within 60 miles or 1 hour driving distance of the town, including Luton, East Midlands, Birmingham and Stansted.
Roads
In terms of roads, Rushden is bypassed by the A6
which has connections to Kettering (Northbound) and Bedford and Luton (Southbound). The A45
connects Rushden to the East coast as well as Northampton and the M1 motorway
westbound.
, Chelveston
, Corby
, Finedon
, Higham Ferrers
, Irchester
, Irthlingborough
, Kettering
, Milton Keynes
, Northampton
, Oundle
, Podington
, Raunds
, Riseley
, St Neots
, Thrapston
, Wellingborough
, Wollaston
, Wymington
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.
The parish of Rushden covers an area of some 3777 acres (15.28 km²) and is part of the district of East Northamptonshire
East Northamptonshire
East Northamptonshire is a local government district in Northamptonshire, England. Its council is based in Thrapston and Rushden, which is the largest town in the area...
. The population of Rushden was estimated at around 28,368, making it the fifth largest town in the county. The Rushden-Higham urban area, which includes the adjoining town of Higham Ferrers
Higham Ferrers
Higham Ferrers is a market town in the Nene Valley in East Northamptonshire, England, close to the Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire borders. It forms a single urban area with Rushden to the south and has an estimated population of 6,086...
, has an estimated population of 35,572
Location
Rushden lies on the A6 mid-way between Bedford and KetteringKettering
Kettering is a market town in the Borough of Kettering, Northamptonshire, England. It is situated about from London. Kettering is mainly situated on the west side of the River Ise, a tributary of the River Nene which meets at Wellingborough...
. The southern limits of the town border on the county of Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
, and to its north lies 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...
(locally pronounced Nen) which flows into The Wash
The Wash
The Wash is the square-mouthed bay and estuary on the northwest margin of East Anglia on the east coast of England, where Norfolk meets Lincolnshire. It is among the largest estuaries in the United Kingdom...
. Rushden lies in a small valley, with a stream or brook known as Sidney Brook flowing through the centre of the town. During the Late 1990s this stream has been culverted to prevent flash flooding. From whichever way Rushden is approached, the streets and roads can be seen stretching out in the valley, with the spire of St Mary's church prominent above its rooftops.
Governance
As a result of recent Electoral changes, Rushden has been divided into 5 wards for both District and Town Council purposes. With the following re-classifications: Rushden Spencer (formerly North), Rushden Hayden (formerly East), Rushden Bates (formerly South), Rushden Sartoris (formerly South) and Rushden Pemberton (formerly West).History
Rushden's growth has resulted from a number of industries, including laceLace
Lace is an openwork fabric, patterned with open holes in the work, made by machine or by hand. The holes can be formed via removal of threads or cloth from a previously woven fabric, but more often open spaces are created as part of the lace fabric. Lace-making is an ancient craft. True lace was...
making and farming, and especially shoemaking
Shoemaking
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...
and associated trades. In the mid-1900s there were well over 100 boot and shoe factories in Rushden but today only 4 companies still shoemake in Rushden
Today just a handful of these factories survive. One of the most renowned is Sanders and Sanders, which makes boots for the British Army and several other defence departments throughout the world. Some of the redundant factories have been converted into flats, and MPs support for government help has been limited.http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/consultation_re_closed_uk_shoe_f Today, as with many towns in England, industry in the town is varied, and mostly situated in an out-of-town industrial estate. As with the industry, town centre shopping in Rushden has changed considerably although there are still many shops. Rushden has the oldest toy shop in the county. In 1893 a short branch line railway opened linking Rushden and Higham Ferrers
Higham Ferrers
Higham Ferrers is a market town in the Nene Valley in East Northamptonshire, England, close to the Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire borders. It forms a single urban area with Rushden to the south and has an estimated population of 6,086...
with 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...
. The line was closed in 1959 and dismantled. In 1991 the trackbed was converted into a pocket park
Pocket park
A pocket park, parkette or mini-park is a small park accessible to the general public. In some areas they are called miniparks or vest-pocket parks....
http://www.pocketparks.com/locations/parkdetail.asp?action=l&id=34.
The former Rushden railway station
Rushden railway station
Rushden railway station is a railway station that once served the town of Rushden in Northamptonshire, England. It is now a heritage station at the end of a short running line....
is now owned by the Rushden Historical Transport Society , which operates a museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
and real ale bar. The society often holds special events, including an annual 3-day transport cavalcade. The society aims to rebuild the branch line from Higham Ferrers
Higham Ferrers
Higham Ferrers is a market town in the Nene Valley in East Northamptonshire, England, close to the Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire borders. It forms a single urban area with Rushden to the south and has an estimated population of 6,086...
to 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...
.
There is also a privately owned museum in Rushden which is situated in the town's Hall Park. It is open between the months of May and October.
The 1970s ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
Police Drama series Hunters Walk was filmed on location in Rushden and the surrounding villages.
Modern Times
In late 2010 Rushden began to undergo a regeneration project, with the aim to making the town centre a more spacious and attractive place to shop. Rushden Splash Pool on station road and the Pemberton centre, slightly out of town were planned to move to a new site to make room for in the town centre from the move of Splash and a knock on move of Alfred street school to the Site of the Pemberton centre. Plans were drawn up for a move to Manor Park, an open space out of town to the south side of Rushden. This however was put on hold in 2010 due widespread local opposition and the economic downturn.In early 2011 Improvements to the High street began with regeneration on the ‘southern gateway’ and a creation of a town square in the middle of the high street.
Also a greenway cycle and foot path was created joining existing footpaths with a new one along the old railway line through the town. This linked Ferrers School to Rushden town centre and then out of Rushden to Crown Park, a small out of town retail/business Park with a DIY store and Waitrose Supermarket.
Rushden Lakes
Plans are afoot for a new £40 million out of town leisure and shopping centre to be known as Rushden Lakes Shopping Centre. The proposed development would situated near WaitroseWaitrose
Waitrose Limited is an upmarket chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom and is the food division of the British retailer and worker co-operative the John Lewis Partnership. Its head office is in Bracknell, Berkshire, England...
just off the A45
A45
A45 or A-45 may refer to:* A45 Infantry Support Tank, the chassis of which was developed into the Conqueror tank* A45 records, a German record label notably producing the band Real McCoy* Article 45 Concern Group, a political party in Hong Kong...
on the site of a former dry ski slope which has been derelict for some years. The development would include shops, hotels, a leisure centre and a marina, with a link to 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...
.
Sports
The town's footballFootball (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
club, Rushden Town
Rushden Town F.C.
Rushden Town F.C. was a football club from Rushden, England. Founded in 1889, the club merged with Irthlingborough Diamonds to form Rushden & Diamonds in 1992. Nicknamed "the Russians", the club played at Hayden Road.-History:...
merged with nearby Irthlingborough Diamonds
Irthlingborough Diamonds F.C.
Irthlingborough Diamonds were a football club from Irthlingborough, England. Founded in 1946, in 1992 the club merged with Rushden Town to form Rushden & Diamonds, playing at Irthlingborough's Nene Park.-History:...
in 1992 to become Rushden & Diamonds
Rushden & Diamonds F.C.
Rushden & Diamonds Football Club was an association football club based in Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, England. Formed by a merger of Rushden Town and Irthlingborough Diamonds in 1992, the club played in the Conference National following a short spell in the Football League at the start of...
. The new moved to Nene Park
Nene Park
Nene Park is a football stadium situated by Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, England, along the bank of the River Nene, and holds 6,441, with 4,641 seated and 1,800 standing. The car park can hold 800 vehicles. From 1992 until 2011 it was the home ground of Rushden & Diamonds football club...
, on the outskirts of 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...
, and played there until going into liquidation in 2011.
A new club AFC Rushden & Diamonds
AFC Rushden & Diamonds
AFC Rushden & Diamonds is an English football club based in Northamptonshire. They currently play at Kiln Park, the home of Raunds Town. The club was formed in July 2011 by supporters after Rushden & Diamonds were expelled from the Football Conference and subsequently liquidated...
was set up in 2011 and currently play at Kiln Park, Raunds
Raunds
Raunds is a small market town in rural Northamptonshire, England. It has a population of 8,275 , is a civil parish, and is part of the East Northamptonshire district.- Geography :Raunds is situated 21 miles north-east of Northampton...
A smaller club, Rushden & Higham United compete in the United Counties League
United Counties Football League
The United Counties Football League is an English football league covering Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire, as well as parts of Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Norfolk. It has a total of four divisions, two for first teams and two for reserve teams...
, and play at the Hayden Road stadium where Rushden Town played until 1992.
Junior Football is catered for by South Rushden Junior Football Club, who will offer football for boys and girls from 4 years of age.
Rugby is played at Manor Park, the home of Rushden & Higham RUFC. The club was created in October 1951. Over the years the club has played at Chamberlain's Field, near the old Higham railway station, Saffron Meadows, and the John White's ground in Rushden and now plays at Manor Park, Rushden, on pitches rented weekly from the town council.
Education
Before the single-sex senior schools were merged, the former girls school in Rushden was named "Chichele Girls School" after Henry Chichele who was born in the neighbouring town of Higham Ferrers.Rushden is now home to one secondary school, Rushden Community College. It is part of The East Northamptonshire College together with The Ferrers Specialist Arts College (Higham Ferrers), Huxlow School (Irthlingborough) and Manor School & Sports College (Raunds).
Rushden has 8 Primary schools:
South Rushden
Whitefriars Junior
Whitefriars Infant
Southend Infant
Southend Junior
North Rushden
Denfield Park Junior
Hayway Infant
Central Rushden
Alfred Street Junior
West Rushden
Newton Road Primary
Newton Road Infant
Higham Ferrers
Higham Ferrers Infant
Higham Ferrers Junior
Henry Chichele Primary
For adult education
Adult education
Adult education is the practice of teaching and educating adults. Adult education takes place in the workplace, through 'extension' school or 'school of continuing education' . Other learning places include folk high schools, community colleges, and lifelong learning centers...
, Rushden is served by a 'Learning Centre' which is located in the town centre. The Learning Centre is operated by Bedford College
Bedford College (Bedford)
Bedford College is a further education college in the Cauldwell area of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England. It is the only public further education college in the Borough of Bedford, and it is a member of the 157 Group of high performing schools....
, and offers Information Technology
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
, English Language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
courses.
Supermarkets
Rushden has many supermarkets and convenience stores. Once Rushden was home to one of the five SafewaySafeway (UK)
Safeway was a chain of supermarkets and convenience stores in the United Kingdom. It started as a subsidiary of the American Safeway Inc., before being sold off in 1987....
megastores in the country until they were bought by Wm Morrison
Morrisons
Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc is the fourth largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, headquartered in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The company is usually referred to and is branded as Morrisons formerly Morrison's, and it is part of the FTSE 100 Index of companies...
; the store was then brought by Waitrose
Waitrose
Waitrose Limited is an upmarket chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom and is the food division of the British retailer and worker co-operative the John Lewis Partnership. Its head office is in Bracknell, Berkshire, England...
and turned into one of its 5 Food and Home stores which included a selection of home products from John Lewis. In 2006 ASDA announced they would build a new £40m superstore near the town centre; it was opened in late 2006 and is now one of the biggest supermarkets in the town. In May 2007 Budgens
Budgens
Budgens Stores Ltd is a chain of foodstores in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1872 by John Budgen, who opened the first store at Maidenhead, Berkshire. Budgens supermarket chain operates over 227 stores and employs over 6,000 staff...
announced it would be closing its store in the town because of the loss of trade to the new ASDA, the former Budgens
Budgens
Budgens Stores Ltd is a chain of foodstores in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1872 by John Budgen, who opened the first store at Maidenhead, Berkshire. Budgens supermarket chain operates over 227 stores and employs over 6,000 staff...
site is now a Wilkinson store.
Air Training Corps
Rushden has its own Air Training CorpsAir Training Corps
The Air Training Corps , commonly known as the Air Cadets, is a cadet organisation based in the United Kingdom. It is a voluntary youth group which is part of the Air Cadet Organisation and the Royal Air Force . It is supported by the Ministry of Defence, with a regular RAF Officer, currently Air...
Squadron, the 858 (Rushden) Squadron. It is run by officers who are commissioned in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Training Branch), assisted by adult Senior NCO
Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
’s and civilian instructors; all are volunteers.
Transport
RailAt present, Rushden is one of the largest towns in the country without an operational railway station. However, there are proposals by The Association of Train Operating Companies
Association of Train Operating Companies
The Association of Train Operating Companies is a body which represents 24 train operating companies that provide passenger railway services on the privatised British railway system. It owns the National Rail brand. The Association is an unincorporated association owned by its members...
to build a new railway station on the Midland Mainline (to the West of Rushden) to be known as Rushden Parkway
Rushden Parkway railway station
Rushden Parkway railway station is a proposed new railway station to serve the towns of Rushden and Higham Ferrers and the large village of Irchester in Northamptonshire. The two towns and village have not seen passenger rail services since 1959. The former station building at Rushden has been...
. This is supported by local transport campaigners http://brta.org.uk/tiki/tiki-index.php. Currently, the nearest railway station is at Wellingborough
Wellingborough railway station
Wellingborough railway station is located the market town of Wellingborough in Northamptonshire, England. It lies on the Midland Main Line, it is from London St. Pancras...
about five miles (6 km) away, 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...
, although no bus service currently links Rushden to Wellingborough station - the X46 bus service stops at Midland Road in Wellingborough about half a mile from the station.
The heritage Rushden, Higham and Wellingborough Railway
Rushden, Higham and Wellingborough Railway
The Rushden, Higham & Wellingborough Railway is a heritage railway operated by the Rushden Historical Transport Society in the United Kingdom. The aim is to re-open the ex-Midland Railway branch line from Wellingborough to Higham Ferrers, which had been closed completely in November 1969. At...
currently operate services from Rushden's station.
Buses
The main routes serving Rushden are Stagecoach services M50 with connections to Kettering
Kettering
Kettering is a market town in the Borough of Kettering, Northamptonshire, England. It is situated about from London. Kettering is mainly situated on the west side of the River Ise, a tributary of the River Nene which meets at Wellingborough...
and 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...
and the X46 providing links with Raunds
Raunds
Raunds is a small market town in rural Northamptonshire, England. It has a population of 8,275 , is a civil parish, and is part of the East Northamptonshire district.- Geography :Raunds is situated 21 miles north-east of Northampton...
, 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...
, Irchester
Irchester
Irchester is a civil parish and village in the county of Northamptonshire, England. It is about 2 miles south-east of the town of Wellingborough and 2 miles south-west of Rushden, and equidistant from London, south, and Birmingham, to the north-west...
and 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...
. There is also services that connect Rushden to the small villages in North Bedfordshire and has its own bus service within the town, the Rushden Rider and Higham Hopper.
Air
Several major UK airports are only within 60 miles or 1 hour driving distance of the town, including Luton, East Midlands, Birmingham and Stansted.
Roads
In terms of roads, Rushden is bypassed by the A6
A6 road
The A6 is one of the main historic north south roads in England. It currently runs from Luton in Bedfordshire to Carlisle in Cumbria, although it formerly started at a junction with the A1 at Barnet....
which has connections to Kettering (Northbound) and Bedford and Luton (Southbound). The A45
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...
connects Rushden to the East coast as well as Northampton and the M1 motorway
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...
westbound.
Nearby settlements
Bedford, Burton LatimerBurton 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:...
, Chelveston
Chelveston
Chelveston is a small village in Northamptonshire, England and is part of the East Northamptonshire district. To the south is the hamlet of Caldecott and the settlement of Chelston Rise which together comprise the civil parish called Chelveston-cum-Caldecott....
, 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...
, Finedon
Finedon
Finedon is a civil parish and village in the Borough Council of Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, with a population at the 2001 census of 4,188 people. Along with Wellingborough, it is twinned with Wittlich, Germany, and Niort, France....
, Higham Ferrers
Higham Ferrers
Higham Ferrers is a market town in the Nene Valley in East Northamptonshire, England, close to the Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire borders. It forms a single urban area with Rushden to the south and has an estimated population of 6,086...
, Irchester
Irchester
Irchester is a civil parish and village in the county of Northamptonshire, England. It is about 2 miles south-east of the town of Wellingborough and 2 miles south-west of Rushden, and equidistant from London, south, and Birmingham, to the north-west...
, 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...
, Kettering
Kettering
Kettering is a market town in the Borough of Kettering, Northamptonshire, England. It is situated about from London. Kettering is mainly situated on the west side of the River Ise, a tributary of the River Nene which meets at Wellingborough...
, 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
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...
, 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...
, Podington
Podington
Podington is a village and civil parish in northwest Bedfordshire in England, United Kingdom. The village is within the electoral ward of Harrold in the Borough of Bedford. Podington lies around northwest of Bedford and is about east of the county border with Northamptonshire...
, Raunds
Raunds
Raunds is a small market town in rural Northamptonshire, England. It has a population of 8,275 , is a civil parish, and is part of the East Northamptonshire district.- Geography :Raunds is situated 21 miles north-east of Northampton...
, Riseley
Riseley
-People:*Frank Riseley , British tennis player*Martin Riseley , Canadian violinist and concertmaster-Places:*Riseley, Bedfordshire, village in Bedfordshire, England*Riseley, Berkshire, village in Berkshire, England...
, St Neots
St Neots
St Neots is a town and civil parish with a population of 26,356 people. It lies on the River Great Ouse in Huntingdonshire District, approximately north of central London, and is the largest town in Cambridgeshire . The town is named after the Cornish monk St...
, Thrapston
Thrapston
Thrapston is a small town in Northamptonshire, England. It is the headquarters of the East Northamptonshire district, and in 2001 had a population of 4,855. By 2006, this was estimated to be over 5,700....
, 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...
, Wollaston
Wollaston, Northamptonshire
Wollaston is a large village in the borough of Wellingborough. in Eastern Northamptonshire, England. The name is derived from the Saxon "Wulfaf's Town" - named after a Saxon chief of that name.-Wollaston Today:...
, Wymington
Wymington
Wymington is a village and civil parish in the Bedfordshire district of Bedford in England. It is in the north of Bedfordshire, near the county border with Northamptonshire, and the nearest town is Rushden in Northants, which it borders to the north...