Wellingborough
Encyclopedia
Wellingborough is a market town and borough
in Northamptonshire
, England, situated some 11 miles (17.7 km) 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. Due to frequent flooding by the River Nene, the town was mostly built above the current level of the flood plain. Originally named "Wendelingburgh", the town was founded in the early 6th century Saxon
period by a Saxon leader called Waendel and is mentioned in the Domesday Book
under the name of "Wendelburie". The town was granted a royal market charter
in 1201, by King John of England
.
the census states it has a population of 46,959. The town of Wellingborough is governed by The Borough Council of Wellingborough
, with their office located in the town centre. The town is twinned with Niort
in France, and with Wittlich
in Germany.
The town is predicted to grow by around 30 percent under the Milton Keynes South Midlands (MKSM) study, as the UK government has identified Wellingborough as one of several towns in Northamptonshire where growth will be directed over the next 30 years. The study allocates 12,800 additional homes mainly to the east of the town. The town has also a growing commuter population as it is located on the Midland Main Line
railway, which has InterCity
trains to London St Pancras International
station taking under an hour, giving an interchange with Eurostar
services.
leader named Waendel and was named 'Wendelingburgh', now known as Wellingborough.
The town is surrounded by five wells: Red Well, Hemming Well, Witche's Well, Lady's Well and Whyte Well, which appear on its coat of arms
.
The medieval town of Wellingborough housed a modest monastic grange – now the Jacobean
Croyland 'Abbey'
– which was an offshoot of the larger monastery of Croyland Abbey
, near Peterborough
, some 30 miles (48.3 km) down-river. This part of the town is now known as 'Croyland'.
All Hallows Church is the oldest existing building in Wellingborough and dates from c. 1160. The manor of Wellingborough belonged to Crowland Abbey Lincolnshire, from Saxon times and the monks probably built the original church. The earliest part of the building is the Norman
doorway opening in from the later south porch. The church was enlarged with the addition of more side chapels and by the end of the 13th century had assumed more or less its present plan. The west tower, crowned with a graceful broach spire
rising to 160 feet (48.8 m), was completed about 1270, after which the chancel was rebuilt and given the east window twenty years later. The 20th-century Church of St Mary was built by Ninian Comper.
Wellingborough was given a Market Charter dated 3 April 1201 when King John
granted it to the "Abbot of Croyland and the monks serving God there" continuing, "they shall have a market at Wendligburg (Wellingborough) for one day each week that is Wednesday".
In the Elizabethan era
the Lord of the Manor
, Sir Christopher Hatton
was a sponsor of Sir Francis Drake's expeditions; Drake renamed one of his ships the Golden Hind
after the heraldic symbol of the Hatton family. A hotel in a Grade II listed building built in 17th century, was known variously as the Hind Hotel and later as the Golden Hind Hotel.
During the Civil War the largest substantial conflict in the area was the Battle of Naseby
in 1645, although a minor skirmish in the town resulted in the killing of a parliamentarian officer Captain John Sawyer. Severe reprisals followed which included the carrying off to Northampton of the parish priest, Thomas Jones, and 40 prisoners by a group of Roundheads. However, after the Civil War Wellingborough was home to a colony of Diggers. Little is known about this period.
Originally the town had two railway stations: the first called , opened in 1845 and closed in 1966, linked Peterborough with Northampton
. The second station, Wellingborough Midland Road
, is still in operation with trains to London and the East Midlands
. Since then the 'Midland Road' was dropped from the station name. The Midland Road station opened in 1857 with trains serving Kettering and a little later Corby, was linked in 1867 to London St Pancras
. In 1898 in the Wellingborough rail accident
six or seven people died and around 65 were injured. In the 1880s two businessmen held a public meeting to build three tram lines in Wellingborough, the group merged with a similar company in Newport Pagnell
who started to lay tram tracks, but within two years the plans were abandoned due to lack of funds.
which is, as of July 2010, a Conservative
borough. The borough council covers 20 settlements including the town together with Bozeat
, Earls Barton
, Easton Maudit
, Ecton
, Finedon
, Great Doddington
, Great Harrowden
, Grendon, Hardwick
, Irchester
, Isham
, Little Harrowden
, Little Irchester, Mears Ashby
, Orlingbury
, Strixton
, Sywell
, Wilby
, and Wollaston
.
The electoral wards in the town comprise of: Brickhill, Castle, Croyland, Hemmingwell, North, Queensway, Redwell East, Redwell West, South, Swanspool West while other, non-political divisions, are areas in Wellingborough such as: Gleneagles, Hatton Park, Hemmingwell, Kingsway, Queensway, Redhill Grange, and Redwell.
Wellingborough is part of the Wellingborough Constituency
which includes the town, surrounding villages and other urban areas. The current MP is Peter Bone
.
Most wards in the Borough Council of Wellingborough are covered by the constituency and also include the wards in East Northamptonshire
, the wards are: Brickhill, Castle, Croyland, Finedon, Great Doddington and Wilby, Hemmingwell, Higham Ferrers
Lancaster, Higham Ferrers Chichele, Irchester, North, Queensway, Redwell East, Redwell West, Rushden
Hayden, Rushden Spencer, Rushden Bates, Rushden Sartoris, Rushden Pemberton, South, Swanspool, and Wollaston.
For European representation, Wellingborough is part of the East Midlands constituency
with five MEPs.
or glacial till
during the recent glaciations. On the valley sides and valley floor however, these deposits have been largely washed away in the late glacial period, and in the valley bottom extensive deposits of gravels were laid down, which have largely been exploited for building aggregate in the last century.
s ironstone
formation. This is a marine sand of Jurassic
age (Bajocian
stage), deposited as part of an estuary sequence and overlain by a sequence of limestones and mudrocks. Significant amounts of the sand have been replaced or displaced by iron minerals giving an average ore grade of around 25 wt% iron. To the west the iron ores have been moderately exploited for a very long time, but their high phosphorus content made them difficult to smelt and produced iron of poor quality until the development of the Bessemer
steel making process and the "basic slag" smelting chemistry, which combine to make high quality steelmaking possible from these unprepossessing ores. The Northampton Sands were a strategic resource for the UK in the run-up to World War II
, being the best developed bulk iron producing processes wholly free from dependence on imported materials. However, because the Northampton Sands share in the regional dip
of all the sediments of this part of Britain to the east-south-east, they become increasingly difficult to work as one progresses east across the county.
(Köppen climate classification
) which is similar to most of the British Isles
.
, Higham Ferrers
and Irthlingborough
.
and the Greater London Council
for the town to re-house over-spill population from London. Following the post World War II
arrival of immigrants from the Commonwealth group of nations into Britain, a sizeable Black Caribbean and Indian
/Pakistani community grew up in this small market town, and now represents 7% of the population in the Borough and to 11% within the town.
has adopted a 'Town Centre Action Plan'. The former traditional economic structure based on footwear and engineering is gradually diversifying with wholesale, logistics, and service sectors providing new opportunities for employment.
As a market town, Wellingborough has major high street chains mainly located in the town centre. The only shopping centre, Swansgate, previously known as the Arndale Centre, was built in the late 1970s. Since 2009 the Borough Council has been looking at rebuilding the centre and major stores want bigger floor-spaces. Supplementing the town centre shops are several out-of-town retail parks and supermarkets including a Sainsbury's, four Tesco
stores, an Aldi
store and a Morrisons
store in the town centre. The town has a market three times a week and a weekly privately organised market.
Other businesses operating within the town include motorsport, high performance engineering, distribution, engineering, environmental technology and renewable energy, digital and creative media, financial and business services, and global brands, once such brand being Cummins UK
at Park Farm, and major park home manufacturer Tingdene Homes Ltd at Finedon Road Industrial Estate. There are several industrial estates in the town, these include Park Farm, Denington, Leyland and Finedon Road.
Future developments
As part of its Milton Keynes South Midlands
(MKSM) study, the government has identified Wellingborough as one of several towns in Northamptonshire into which growth will be directed over the next thirty years. It allocates 12,800 additional homes to Wellingborough, and will also create additional facilities, further improve the town centre, improve infrastructure and increase employment opportunities. A jobs growth target of 12,400 jobs has been set to accompany the large scale housing growth. A plan for 3,000 homes north of the town has been accepted by the UK Government after an appeal by Bee Bee Developments. The plan was first refused by Wellingborough Borough Council.
As a result, plans have been made for a major urban extension in the town, mainly to the east of the railway station. When finished, the town would be around 30% larger and 3,200 new homes would be built on 'Stanton Cross' site, with new Schools, Bus stops, Community Centres, Shops, a Doctor's surgery, and new open spaces.
The railway station
would be developed into an 'interchange' with local buses
and trains
. The upgrade would provide a new platform, footbridge and new station buildings. Outside the station a new road bridge from Midland Road over the railway line is also planned with a new footbridge to reach the new development. Other plans to include the development of the High Street, Shelley Road and the north of the town areas are also being considered.
skirting to the south, links the town with the A14, and M1
which also allows links to the east and west of the country. The A45 links Wellingborough with Northampton
, Rushden
, Higham Ferrers
, Raunds
, Thrapston
, Oundle
and Peterborough
.
The town is served by a bus network provided by Stagecoach in Northants
and First Northampton
, with local Connect Wellingborough buses W1, W2, W3, W4, W5, W6, W7, and W8 linking the town centre (Church Street) with local suburbs and villages. The route 23 is a local commuter bus from the town centre to Park Farm Industry Estate and route 24 between Kettering and Wellingborough is a local bus for the Redwell area.
Departing every 30 minutes the X4 service also links the town with Milton Keynes
, Northampton, Kettering, Corby
, Oundle and Peterborough. Other routes include 38, 45 and X46.
East Midlands Trains
operate direct trains to London St Pancras International
from Wellingborough railway station
, departing every 30 minutes, with an average journey time of around 55 minutes. The railway line also connects Wellingborough with Bedford
, Luton
, Kettering
, Corby
, Leicester
, Nottingham
, Derby
, Sheffield
and Leeds
. Just north of the railway station is a GB Railfreight
location, usage is for London Underground
maintenance and other freight services.
Several UK airports are within two hours' drive of the town, including London Luton
, East Midlands, Birmingham International and London Stansted
. Luton can be reached directly by train while East Midlands and Stansted can be reached by one change at Leicester. Sywell Aerodrome
, located 5 miles northwest of Wellingborough, caters for private flying
, flight training
and corporate flights.
Wellingborough School
, an independent, fee-paying school with a cadet force, and the state secondary schools of Sir Christopher Hatton School, Weavers School (formerly the Technical Grammar School), Wrenn School
(formerly the Wellingborough Grammar School), and Friars School.
The Tresham College of Further and Higher Education has a main campus in Wellingborough, and outreach locations in Kettering
, Oakham
and Corby
. It provides further education
and offers vocational courses, GCSEs and A Levels. In collaboration with several universities the college also offers Higher Education options.
The University of Northampton
in Northampton
, with around 10,000 students on two campuses, offers courses from foundation and undergraduate levels to postgraduate, professional and doctoral qualifications. Subjects include traditional arts, humanities and sciences subjects, as well as entrepreneurship, product design and advertising.
Wellingborough has a public library in the corner of the market square. The Wellingborough Museum, located next door to The Castle Theatre, has exhibitions which show the past of Wellingborough and the surrounding villages. Accompanying the exhibitions and articles is a souvenir shop.
In 1959: The residents of Wellingborough, England woke to find a trail of white footprints painted along the main street of their town. At the end of the trail were the words, "I must fly."
Related:
• April Fool's Day Street Pranks
http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/aprilfool/P30/
. Harrowden Hall, a 17th century building in Great Harrowden
village just on the outskirts of the town, is the clubhouse of a privately owned golf course. The four leisure centres and health clubs in Wellingborough include Bannatyne's
, Redwell, Waendel and Weavers (which is part of Weavers school).
Wellingborough was also served for many years by Club Diana. Club Diana was closed by administrators on 1st June 2011.
centres provide health care facilities, with Isebrook Hospital being equipped for procedures such as large X-Rays and neurological investigations, and long-term care, that are not catered for by primary care surgeries. Accident & Emergency (A&E), maternity, and surgical issues are mainly covered by Kettering General Hospital
. The Air Ambulance
is provided by Warkshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance service. A petition signed by thousands of local residents in the towns of Wellingborough and Rushden for a new A&E to be built in Wellingborough has been handed to 10 Downing Street
(when Prime Minister Gordon Brown
was in power), by local MP Peter Bone
on 10 February 2010.
Other emergency services are provided by the Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service
and the Northamptonshire Police
. The HM Prison Wellingborough
is located just outside the town.
The Three Silver Ladies is one of two identical sculptures installed on the Harrowden Road, They depict local Roman history, the river, and the townspeople working together.
Wellingborough is the birthplace and residence of many notable people, including the former world champion snooker player Peter Ebdon
, and Sir David Frost
, OBE
, a broadcaster who attended Wellingborough Grammar School, whose campus is now occupied by the Wrenn School
. The winner of Britain's Strongest Man
contest in 2002, Marc Iliffe
, lives in the town.
Scientist Kenneth Mees
, and Frederic Henry Gravely an arachnologist, entomologist, and zoologist were born in the town. Paul Pindar
, an ambassador of King James I to the Ottoman Empire
, was born and grew up in the town, and attended Wellingborough School
.
The town has sports people such as Rory McLeod
and Jamie O'Neill both snooker players, born in the town,
and football players Trevor Benjamin
and Bill Perkins
both grew up in the town. Perkins played for a number of teams including Liverpool Football Club, Kettering Town and Northampton Town. Fanny Walden
was born in the town, formerly playing for Northampton Town and Tottenham Hotspur. Brian Hill
, referee, was also born in the town.. England Rugby player Jeff Butterfield
taught at Wellingborough Grammar School.
Wellingborough is home to singers Peter Murphy of Bauhaus
who lived a large portion of his early life in here, and Thom Yorke
of Radiohead
, and politicians Alfred Dobbs
, Arthur Allen (for the Labour Party
) and Brian Binley
(for the Conservative Party
) were all born in the town.
Authors connected with the town include Lesley Glaister
who was born in Wellingborough, while Stephen Elboz
was born and currently lives in the town. Journalist and whisky writer Jim Murray
also lives here. Author and historian Bruce Quarrie
formally lived in the town before his death in 2004. A school in Wellingborough is named after Sir Christopher Hatton
, and Edward Mannock
is mentioned on the Wellingborough War Memorial
.
with: Niort
, France
(1977) Wittlich
, Germany
.
and also has relations with Willingboro, township in Burlington County, New Jersey
, USA, while Irchester and Grendon, two of the villages within the Borough of Wellingborough, have twin town partners at Coulon near Niort, and Bois-Bernard near Arras.
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
in 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, situated some 11 miles (17.7 km) from 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...
. The town is situated on the north side 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...
, most of the older town is sited on the flanks of the hills above the river's current flood plain. Due to frequent flooding by the River Nene, the town was mostly built above the current level of the flood plain. Originally named "Wendelingburgh", the town was founded in the early 6th century Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
period by a Saxon leader called Waendel and is mentioned in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
under the name of "Wendelburie". The town was granted a royal market charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
in 1201, by King John of England
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
.
the census states it has a population of 46,959. The town of Wellingborough is governed by The Borough Council of Wellingborough
Wellingborough (borough)
Wellingborough is a Non-metropolitan district and borough in Northamptonshire, England. It is named after Wellingborough, its main town, but also includes surrounding rural areas....
, with their office located in the town centre. The town is twinned with Niort
Niort
Niort is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France.The Latin name of the city was Novioritum.The population of Niort is 60,486 and more than 137,000 people live in the urban area....
in France, and with Wittlich
Wittlich
The town of Wittlich is the seat of the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, and thereby the middle centre for a feeder area of 56 municipalities in the Eifel and Moselle area with its population of roughly 64,000...
in Germany.
The town is predicted to grow by around 30 percent under the Milton Keynes South Midlands (MKSM) study, as the UK government has identified Wellingborough as one of several towns in Northamptonshire where growth will be directed over the next 30 years. The study allocates 12,800 additional homes mainly to the east of the town. The town has also 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 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 to 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...
station taking under an hour, giving 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.
History
The town was founded in the early 6th-century period by a SaxonAnglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
leader named Waendel and was named 'Wendelingburgh', now known as Wellingborough.
The town is surrounded by five wells: Red Well, Hemming Well, Witche's Well, Lady's Well and Whyte Well, which appear on its coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
.
The medieval town of Wellingborough housed a modest monastic grange – now the Jacobean
Jacobean architecture
The Jacobean style is the second phase of Renaissance architecture in England, following the Elizabethan style. It is named after King James I of England, with whose reign it is associated.-Characteristics:...
Croyland 'Abbey'
Croyland Abbey, Wellingborough
Croyland Abbey is an historic building, originally a manor house but now offices, in Wellingborough in the English county of Northamptonshire....
– which was an offshoot of the larger monastery of Croyland Abbey
Croyland Abbey
Crowland Abbey is a Church of England parish church, formerly part of a Benedictine abbey church, in Crowland in the English county of Lincolnshire.-History:...
, near 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...
, some 30 miles (48.3 km) down-river. This part of the town is now known as 'Croyland'.
All Hallows Church is the oldest existing building in Wellingborough and dates from c. 1160. The manor of Wellingborough belonged to Crowland Abbey Lincolnshire, from Saxon times and the monks probably built the original church. The earliest part of the building is the Norman
Anglo-Norman
The Anglo-Normans were mainly the descendants of the Normans who ruled England following the Norman conquest by William the Conqueror in 1066. A small number of Normans were already settled in England prior to the conquest...
doorway opening in from the later south porch. The church was enlarged with the addition of more side chapels and by the end of the 13th century had assumed more or less its present plan. The west tower, crowned with a graceful broach spire
Broach spire
A broach spire is a type of spire, a tall pyramidal or conical structure usually on the top of a tower or a turret. A broach spire starts on a square base and is carried up to a tapering octagonal spire by means of triangular faces....
rising to 160 feet (48.8 m), was completed about 1270, after which the chancel was rebuilt and given the east window twenty years later. The 20th-century Church of St Mary was built by Ninian Comper.
Wellingborough was given a Market Charter dated 3 April 1201 when King John
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
granted it to the "Abbot of Croyland and the monks serving God there" continuing, "they shall have a market at Wendligburg (Wellingborough) for one day each week that is Wednesday".
In the Elizabethan era
Elizabethan era
The Elizabethan era was the epoch in English history of Queen Elizabeth I's reign . Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history...
the Lord of the Manor
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
, Sir Christopher Hatton
Christopher Hatton
Sir Christopher Hatton was an English politician, Lord Chancellor of England and a favourite of Elizabeth I of England.-Early days:...
was a sponsor of Sir Francis Drake's expeditions; Drake renamed one of his ships the Golden Hind
Golden Hind
The Golden Hind was an English galleon best known for its circumnavigation of the globe between 1577 and 1580, captained by Sir Francis Drake...
after the heraldic symbol of the Hatton family. A hotel in a Grade II listed building built in 17th century, was known variously as the Hind Hotel and later as the Golden Hind Hotel.
During the Civil War the largest substantial conflict in the area was the Battle of Naseby
Battle of Naseby
The Battle of Naseby was the key battle of the first English Civil War. On 14 June 1645, the main army of King Charles I was destroyed by the Parliamentarian New Model Army commanded by Sir Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell.-The Campaign:...
in 1645, although a minor skirmish in the town resulted in the killing of a parliamentarian officer Captain John Sawyer. Severe reprisals followed which included the carrying off to Northampton of the parish priest, Thomas Jones, and 40 prisoners by a group of Roundheads. However, after the Civil War Wellingborough was home to a colony of Diggers. Little is known about this period.
Originally the town had two railway stations: the first called , opened in 1845 and closed in 1966, linked Peterborough with Northampton
Northampton and Peterborough Railway
The Northampton and Peterborough Railway was an early railway promoted by the London and Birmingham Railway to run from a junction at Blisworth to Northampton and Peterborough.-Origin:...
. The second station, Wellingborough Midland Road
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...
, is still in operation with trains to London and 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...
. Since then the 'Midland Road' was dropped from the station name. The Midland Road station opened in 1857 with trains serving Kettering and a little later Corby, was linked in 1867 to London St Pancras
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...
. In 1898 in the Wellingborough rail accident
Wellingborough rail accident
On 2 September 1898 at Wellingborough railway station a postman brought a mailcart to the station with mail which he was to see onto a train due at 20:22. The mail should then have been brought to the down platform through a passageway between the station yard and the platform...
six or seven people died and around 65 were injured. In the 1880s two businessmen held a public meeting to build three tram lines in Wellingborough, the group merged with a similar company in Newport Pagnell
Newport Pagnell
Newport Pagnell is a town in the Borough of Milton Keynes , England. It is separated by the M1 motorway from Milton Keynes itself, though part of the same urban area...
who started to lay tram tracks, but within two years the plans were abandoned due to lack of funds.
Governance
Wellingborough is part of the Borough Council of WellingboroughWellingborough (borough)
Wellingborough is a Non-metropolitan district and borough in Northamptonshire, England. It is named after Wellingborough, its main town, but also includes surrounding rural areas....
which is, as of July 2010, a 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...
borough. The borough council covers 20 settlements including the town together with Bozeat
Bozeat
Bozeat is a village and civil parish in the Wellingborough borough of Northamptonshire, England, about south of Wellingborough on the A509 road, near Wollaston...
, Earls Barton
Earls Barton
Earls Barton is a village and civil parish in eastern Northamptonshire, notable for its Saxon church and shoe-making heritage.The village was the inspiration for the film Kinky Boots and part of the film was shot here...
, Easton Maudit
Easton Maudit
Easton Maudit is a small village and civil parish in rural Northamptonshire. It takes its name from the Maudit family who purchased the estate at what was then just Easton, in 1131...
, Ecton
Ecton
Ecton is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Wellingborough in Northamptonshire, England. The village is just east of Northampton, just off the A4500 road. It was one of the first villages in Northamptonshire to be given conservation status...
, 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....
, Great Doddington
Great Doddington
Great Doddington is a village and civil parish in Northamptonshire in the United Kingdom, close to Wellingborough and just off the A45. At the time of the 2001 census, the parish's population was 1,061 people....
, Great Harrowden
Great Harrowden
Great Harrowden is a village in Northamptonshire, near the town of Wellingborough - the population is approximately 70. The village sits astride the busy A509 running between Kettering and Wellingborough - although a bypass is due to be built shortly...
, Grendon, Hardwick
Hardwick, Northamptonshire
Hadwick is a small village in Northamptonshire and is close to its post town, Wellingborough....
, 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...
, Isham
Isham
Isham is a village and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England. It is on the A509 road, three miles south of Kettering and a mile to the west of Burton Latimer. The River Ise is to the east of the village. Administratively, it forms part of the borough of Wellingborough...
, Little Harrowden
Little Harrowden
Little Harrowden is a village and civil parish in Northamptonshire nearly three miles north-west of Wellingborough, off the A509 road. At the time of the 2001 census, the parish's population was 881 people....
, Little Irchester, Mears Ashby
Mears Ashby
Mears Ashby is a village in the English county of Northamptonshire between the county town of Northampton and Wellingborough and is in the West ward of borough council of Wellingborough area which also includes Sywell.-Demographics:...
, Orlingbury
Orlingbury
Orlingbury is a village and civil parish in the English county of Northamptonshire. It is between the towns of Kettering and Wellingborough. Administratively it forms part of the borough of Wellingborough...
, Strixton
Strixton
Strixton is a small village in Eastern Northamptonshire that borders the main A509 road between Wellingborough and Milton Keynes.The village borders Grendon and Wollaston...
, Sywell
Sywell
Sywell is a small village in Northamptonshire, England. The village is governed by The Borough Council of Wellingborough. The name Sywell is thought to mean seven wells.-Facilities:The facilities found in the village include:...
, Wilby
Wilby, Northamptonshire
Wilby is a linear village and civil parish in Northamptonshire. It is directly south-west of the town of Wellingborough on the former trunk road, the A4500, to the county town of Northampton...
, and 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:...
.
The electoral wards in the town comprise of: Brickhill, Castle, Croyland, Hemmingwell, North, Queensway, Redwell East, Redwell West, South, Swanspool West while other, non-political divisions, are areas in Wellingborough such as: Gleneagles, Hatton Park, Hemmingwell, Kingsway, Queensway, Redhill Grange, and Redwell.
Wellingborough is part of the Wellingborough Constituency
Wellingborough (UK Parliament constituency)
Wellingborough is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
which includes the town, surrounding villages and other urban areas. The current MP is Peter Bone
Peter Bone
Peter William Bone is a British Conservative Party politician and Member of Parliament for Wellingborough and Rushden.-Personal life:Bone was born in 1952 in Billericay and was educated at Westcliff-on-Sea High School for Boys...
.
Most wards in the Borough Council of Wellingborough are covered by the constituency and also include the wards in 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 wards are: Brickhill, Castle, Croyland, Finedon, Great Doddington and Wilby, Hemmingwell, 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...
Lancaster, Higham Ferrers Chichele, Irchester, North, Queensway, Redwell East, Redwell West, Rushden
Rushden
Rushden is a town and civil parish in the county of Northamptonshire, England.The parish of Rushden covers an area of some 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...
Hayden, Rushden Spencer, Rushden Bates, Rushden Sartoris, Rushden Pemberton, South, Swanspool, and Wollaston.
For European representation, Wellingborough is part of the East Midlands constituency
East Midlands (European Parliament constituency)
East Midlands is a constituency of the European Parliament. For 2009 it elects 5 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.- Boundaries :...
with five MEPs.
Geology
The town is sited on the hills adjoining the flood plain of the River Nene. In the predominantly agrarian medieval period, this combination of access to fertile, if flood-prone, valley bottom soils and drier (but heavier and more clay-rich) hillside/ hilltop soils seems to have been good for a mixed agricultural base. The clay-rich hilltop soils are primarily a consequence of blanketing of the area with boulder clayTill
thumb|right|Closeup of glacial till. Note that the larger grains in the till are completely surrounded by the matrix of finer material , and this characteristic, known as matrix support, is diagnostic of till....
or glacial till
Till
thumb|right|Closeup of glacial till. Note that the larger grains in the till are completely surrounded by the matrix of finer material , and this characteristic, known as matrix support, is diagnostic of till....
during the recent glaciations. On the valley sides and valley floor however, these deposits have been largely washed away in the late glacial period, and in the valley bottom extensive deposits of gravels were laid down, which have largely been exploited for building aggregate in the last century.
Iron ore
The most economically important aspect of the geology of the area is the Northampton SandNorthampton sand
The Northampton Sand, sometimes called the Northamptonshire Sand is a geological formation of Jurassic age found in the East Midlands of England...
s ironstone
Ironstone
Ironstone is a sedimentary rock, either deposited directly as a ferruginous sediment or created by chemical repacement, that contains a substantial proportion of an iron compound from which iron either can be or once was smelted commercially. This term is customarily restricted to hard coarsely...
formation. This is a marine sand of Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
age (Bajocian
Bajocian
In the geologic timescale, the Bajocian is an age or stage in the Middle Jurassic. It lasted from approximately 171.6 Ma to around 167.7 Ma . The Bajocian age succeeds the Aalenian age and precedes the Bathonian age....
stage), deposited as part of an estuary sequence and overlain by a sequence of limestones and mudrocks. Significant amounts of the sand have been replaced or displaced by iron minerals giving an average ore grade of around 25 wt% iron. To the west the iron ores have been moderately exploited for a very long time, but their high phosphorus content made them difficult to smelt and produced iron of poor quality until the development of the Bessemer
Bessemer process
The Bessemer process was the first inexpensive industrial process for the mass-production of steel from molten pig iron. The process is named after its inventor, Henry Bessemer, who took out a patent on the process in 1855. The process was independently discovered in 1851 by William Kelly...
steel making process and the "basic slag" smelting chemistry, which combine to make high quality steelmaking possible from these unprepossessing ores. The Northampton Sands were a strategic resource for the UK in the run-up to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, being the best developed bulk iron producing processes wholly free from dependence on imported materials. However, because the Northampton Sands share in the regional dip
Dip slope
A dip slope is a geological formation often created by erosion of tilted strata. Dip slopes are found on homoclinal ridges with one side that is steep and irregular and another side, the dip slope, that is generally planar with a dip parallel to the bedding...
of all the sediments of this part of Britain to the east-south-east, they become increasingly difficult to work as one progresses east across the county.
Climate
Wellingborough 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
Wellingborough's nearest towns are RushdenRushden
Rushden is a town and civil parish in the county of Northamptonshire, England.The parish of Rushden covers an area of some 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...
, 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...
and 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...
.
Demography
Wellingborough's population expanded rapidly from 26,000 to 60,000 in the 1960s and 1970s as agreements were signed between the Urban District Council and London County CouncilLondon County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
and the Greater London Council
Greater London Council
The Greater London Council was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. It replaced the earlier London County Council which had covered a much smaller area...
for the town to re-house over-spill population from London. Following the post World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
arrival of immigrants from the Commonwealth group of nations into Britain, a sizeable Black Caribbean and Indian
Demographics of India
The demographics of India are inclusive of the second most populous country in the world, with over 1.21 billion people , more than a sixth of the world's population. Already containing 17.5% of the world's population, India is projected to be the world's most populous country by 2025, surpassing...
/Pakistani community grew up in this small market town, and now represents 7% of the population in the Borough and to 11% within the town.
Economy
Wellingborough has approximately 2,500 registered businesses within its boundaries. Much of the town centre was redeveloped during the 1970s, when it grew rapidly from London overspill. The Borough CouncilWellingborough (borough)
Wellingborough is a Non-metropolitan district and borough in Northamptonshire, England. It is named after Wellingborough, its main town, but also includes surrounding rural areas....
has adopted a 'Town Centre Action Plan'. The former traditional economic structure based on footwear and engineering is gradually diversifying with wholesale, logistics, and service sectors providing new opportunities for employment.
As a market town, Wellingborough has major high street chains mainly located in the town centre. The only shopping centre, Swansgate, previously known as the Arndale Centre, was built in the late 1970s. Since 2009 the Borough Council has been looking at rebuilding the centre and major stores want bigger floor-spaces. Supplementing the town centre shops are several out-of-town retail parks and supermarkets including a Sainsbury's, four Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
stores, an Aldi
ALDI
ALDI Einkauf GmbH & Co. oHG, doing business as ', short for "Albrecht Discount", is a discount supermarket chain based in Germany...
store and a Morrisons
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...
store in the town centre. The town has a market three times a week and a weekly privately organised market.
Other businesses operating within the town include motorsport, high performance engineering, distribution, engineering, environmental technology and renewable energy, digital and creative media, financial and business services, and global brands, once such brand being Cummins UK
Cummins UK
Cummins UK is a diesel engine manufacturer and the Cummins distributor for UK and Ireland.-Cummins worldwide:Cummins Inc. is a corporation of complementary business units that design, manufacture, distribute and service engines and related technologies, including fuel systems, controls, air...
at Park Farm, and major park home manufacturer Tingdene Homes Ltd at Finedon Road Industrial Estate. There are several industrial estates in the town, these include Park Farm, Denington, Leyland and Finedon Road.
Future developments
As part of its 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, the government has identified Wellingborough as one of several towns in Northamptonshire into which growth will be directed over the next thirty years. It allocates 12,800 additional homes to Wellingborough, and will also create additional facilities, further improve the town centre, improve infrastructure and increase employment opportunities. A jobs growth target of 12,400 jobs has been set to accompany the large scale housing growth. A plan for 3,000 homes north of the town has been accepted by the UK Government after an appeal by Bee Bee Developments. The plan was first refused by Wellingborough Borough Council.
As a result, plans have been made for a major urban extension in the town, mainly to the east of the railway station. When finished, the town would be around 30% larger and 3,200 new homes would be built on 'Stanton Cross' site, with new Schools, Bus stops, Community Centres, Shops, a Doctor's surgery, and new open spaces.
The railway station
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...
would be developed into an 'interchange' with local buses
Stagecoach in Northants
Stagecoach Northants is the name for most bus routes operated by Stagecoach Midlands in Northamptonshire. The legal name for the company is United Counties Omnibus Company Ltd...
and 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...
. The upgrade would provide a new platform, footbridge and new station buildings. Outside the station a new road bridge from Midland Road over the railway line is also planned with a new footbridge to reach the new development. Other plans to include the development of the High Street, Shelley Road and the north of the town areas are also being considered.
Transport
The A45 dual carriagewayA45 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...
skirting to the south, links the town with the A14, and 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...
which also allows links to the east and west of the country. The A45 links Wellingborough with 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...
, Rushden
Rushden
Rushden is a town and civil parish in the county of Northamptonshire, England.The parish of Rushden covers an area of some 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...
, 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...
, 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...
, 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....
, 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...
.
The town is served by a bus network provided by Stagecoach in Northants
Stagecoach in Northants
Stagecoach Northants is the name for most bus routes operated by Stagecoach Midlands in Northamptonshire. The legal name for the company is United Counties Omnibus Company Ltd...
and First Northampton
First Northampton
First in Northampton is a bus company which serves the towns of Northampton and Wellingborough in Northamptonshire, England. The legal name of the company is Northampton Transport Limited...
, with local Connect Wellingborough buses W1, W2, W3, W4, W5, W6, W7, and W8 linking the town centre (Church Street) with local suburbs and villages. The route 23 is a local commuter bus from the town centre to Park Farm Industry Estate and route 24 between Kettering and Wellingborough is a local bus for the Redwell area.
Departing every 30 minutes the X4 service also 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, 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...
, Oundle and Peterborough. Other routes include 38, 45 and X46.
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...
operate direct trains to 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...
from Wellingborough railway station
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...
, departing every 30 minutes, with an average journey time of around 55 minutes. The railway line also connects Wellingborough with 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....
, 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...
, 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...
, 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...
and Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
. Just north of the railway station is a GB Railfreight
GB Railfreight
GB Railfreight is a British freight train operating company. Formerly called First GBRf, its new owner Eurotunnel bought the company in May 2010.-History:...
location, usage is for London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
maintenance and other freight services.
Several UK airports are within two hours' drive of the town, including 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...
. Luton can be reached directly by train while East Midlands and 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 5 miles northwest of Wellingborough, 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.
Education
Fourteen government controlled primary schools feed the secondary schools that include:Wellingborough School
Wellingborough School
Wellingborough School is an independent fee-paying day school in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, England. It was established in 1595 and is one of the oldest schools in the country.-History:...
, an independent, fee-paying school with a cadet force, and the state secondary schools of Sir Christopher Hatton School, Weavers School (formerly the Technical Grammar School), Wrenn School
Wrenn School
The Wrenn School is a specialist science secondary school in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, England, that was established in 1975. It occupies the campus of the former Wellingborough Grammar School, founded in 1930, at which British television personality Sir David Frost was a pupil.Wrenn...
(formerly the Wellingborough Grammar School), and Friars School.
The Tresham College of Further and Higher Education has a main campus in Wellingborough, and outreach locations in 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...
, Oakham
Oakham
-Oakham's horseshoes:Traditionally, members of royalty and peers of the realm who visited or passed through the town had to pay a forfeit in the form of a horseshoe...
and 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...
. It provides further education
Further education
Further education is a term mainly used in connection with education in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is post-compulsory education , that is distinct from the education offered in universities...
and offers vocational courses, GCSEs and A Levels. In collaboration with several universities the college also offers Higher Education options.
The University of Northampton
University of Northampton
The University of Northampton is a university in Northampton, Northamptonshire, England.-History:In 1924, Northampton Technical College was opened at St George's Avenue, site of the current Avenue Campus. A new building for the college was formally opened by the then Duke and Duchess of York in 1932...
in 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...
, with around 10,000 students on two campuses, offers courses from foundation and undergraduate levels to postgraduate, professional and doctoral qualifications. Subjects include traditional arts, humanities and sciences subjects, as well as entrepreneurship, product design and advertising.
Culture
The Castle Theatre was opened in 1995 on the site of Wellingborough's old Cattle Market. It brings not only a theatre to the area but other facilities for local people. Most rooms are used on a daily basis by the local community, users include the Castle Youth Theatre and Youth Dance.Wellingborough has a public library in the corner of the market square. The Wellingborough Museum, located next door to The Castle Theatre, has exhibitions which show the past of Wellingborough and the surrounding villages. Accompanying the exhibitions and articles is a souvenir shop.
In 1959: The residents of Wellingborough, England woke to find a trail of white footprints painted along the main street of their town. At the end of the trail were the words, "I must fly."
Related:
• April Fool's Day Street Pranks
http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/aprilfool/P30/
Sport
Wellingborough is home to two football clubs: Wellingborough Town and Wellingborough Whitworth. In 2009 the town's rugby club was the first club to be awarded the RFU Whole Club Seal of Approval in the East MidlandsEast 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...
. Harrowden Hall, a 17th century building in Great Harrowden
Great Harrowden
Great Harrowden is a village in Northamptonshire, near the town of Wellingborough - the population is approximately 70. The village sits astride the busy A509 running between Kettering and Wellingborough - although a bypass is due to be built shortly...
village just on the outskirts of the town, is the clubhouse of a privately owned golf course. The four leisure centres and health clubs in Wellingborough include Bannatyne's
Bannatyne's
Bannatyne's is the name of a UK based chain of health clubs, well known for being founded and co-directed by famous Scottish businessman Duncan Bannatyne OBE....
, Redwell, Waendel and Weavers (which is part of Weavers school).
Wellingborough was also served for many years by Club Diana. Club Diana was closed by administrators on 1st June 2011.
Services
Several NHSNational Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
centres provide health care facilities, with Isebrook Hospital being equipped for procedures such as large X-Rays and neurological investigations, and long-term care, that are not catered for by primary care surgeries. Accident & Emergency (A&E), maternity, and surgical issues are mainly covered by 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...
. The Air Ambulance
Air ambulance
An air ambulance is an aircraft used for emergency medical assistance in situations where either a traditional ambulance cannot reach the scene easily or quickly enough, or the patient needs to be transported over a distance or terrain that makes air transportation the most practical transport....
is provided by Warkshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance service. A petition signed by thousands of local residents in the towns of Wellingborough and Rushden for a new A&E to be built in Wellingborough has been handed to 10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street, colloquially known in the United Kingdom as "Number 10", is the headquarters of Her Majesty's Government and the official residence and office of the First Lord of the Treasury, who is now always the Prime Minister....
(when Prime Minister Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
was in power), by local MP Peter Bone
Peter Bone
Peter William Bone is a British Conservative Party politician and Member of Parliament for Wellingborough and Rushden.-Personal life:Bone was born in 1952 in Billericay and was educated at Westcliff-on-Sea High School for Boys...
on 10 February 2010.
Other emergency services are provided by the Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service
Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service
The Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service is the fire and rescue service covering the county of Northamptonshire in the English East Midlands.-History:...
and the Northamptonshire Police
Northamptonshire Police
Northamptonshire Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing Northamptonshire in the East Midlands of England.The force area amounts to and has a resident population of 642,708...
. The HM Prison Wellingborough
Wellingborough (HM Prison)
HM Prison Wellingborough is a Category C men's prison, located in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, England. The prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service.-History:...
is located just outside the town.
Landmarks
The railway station is a Grade II Listed building, and among the many unusual and other listed buildings in Wellingborough is the 600 year old Grade I listed steeple that forms part of All Hallows Church.The Three Silver Ladies is one of two identical sculptures installed on the Harrowden Road, They depict local Roman history, the river, and the townspeople working together.
Notable Wellingburians
Peter Ebdon
Peter "Ebbo" Ebdon is an English professional snooker player and former world champion renowned for his remarkably focused, determined style of play.-Early years:...
, and Sir David Frost
David Frost
Sir David Frost is a British broadcaster.David Frost may also refer to:*David Frost , South African golfer*David Frost , classical record producer*David Frost *Dave Frost, baseball pitcher...
, OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, a broadcaster who attended Wellingborough Grammar School, whose campus is now occupied by the Wrenn School
Wrenn School
The Wrenn School is a specialist science secondary school in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, England, that was established in 1975. It occupies the campus of the former Wellingborough Grammar School, founded in 1930, at which British television personality Sir David Frost was a pupil.Wrenn...
. The winner of Britain's Strongest Man
Britain's Strongest Man
Britain's Strongest Man is an annual strongman event held in the United Kingdom. Competitors qualify for the final through regional heats and the winner is awarded the title of "Britain's Strongest Man"...
contest in 2002, Marc Iliffe
Marc Iliffe
Marc Iliffe was a British strongman famous for being the winner of Britain's Strongest Man contest in 2002.-Career:Iliffe was acknowledged as being extremely dedicated to the sport of strength athletics...
, lives in the town.
Scientist Kenneth Mees
Kenneth Mees
Charles Edward Kenneth Mees FRS was a British-American physicist and photographic researcher.He was born in Wellingborough, England, the son of a Wesleyan minister, and attended the University of London. In 1906 he was awarded his D.Sc. with a dissertation on photographic theory...
, and Frederic Henry Gravely an arachnologist, entomologist, and zoologist were born in the town. Paul Pindar
Paul Pindar
Sir Paul Pindar was a merchant and, from 1611 to 1620, was Ambassador of King James I of England to the Ottoman Empire.Born in Wellingborough and educated at Wellingborough School Pindar entered trade as the apprentice to an Italian merchant in London...
, an ambassador of King James I to the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, was born and grew up in the town, and attended Wellingborough School
Wellingborough School
Wellingborough School is an independent fee-paying day school in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, England. It was established in 1595 and is one of the oldest schools in the country.-History:...
.
The town has sports people such as Rory McLeod
Rory McLeod (snooker player)
Rory McLeod is an English professional snooker player. After ten years on the Challenge Tour he reached the Main Tour professional ranks for the 2001/2002 season, paving the way for a solid journeyman career.-Career:...
and Jamie O'Neill both snooker players, born in the town,
and football players Trevor Benjamin
Trevor Benjamin
Trevor Junior Benjamin is an English born Jamaican ex-international footballer who is now plying his trade as player-manager at Northern League side Morpeth Town. He plays as a forward or winger....
and Bill Perkins
Bill Perkins (footballer)
William 'Bill' Perkins was a football goalkeeper who notably played for Liverpool in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.-Life and playing career:...
both grew up in the town. Perkins played for a number of teams including Liverpool Football Club, Kettering Town and Northampton Town. Fanny Walden
Fanny Walden
Frederick Ingram "Fanny" Walden was an English professional footballer who played on the right-wing for Northampton Town, Tottenham Hotspur and at international level for England during the 1910s and 1920s...
was born in the town, formerly playing for Northampton Town and Tottenham Hotspur. Brian Hill
Brian Hill (referee)
Brian Hill ) is an English former football referee in the English Football League, Premier League and at FIFA level. For most of his career, he was based in Northamptonshire, initially Wellingborough, then Kettering, finally moving to the Leicestershire town of Market Harborough...
, referee, was also born in the town.. England Rugby player Jeff Butterfield
Jeff Butterfield
Jeffrey Butterfield was an England, British and Irish Lions, Northampton and Barbarians Rugby player and businessman....
taught at Wellingborough Grammar School.
Wellingborough is home to singers Peter Murphy of Bauhaus
Bauhaus (band)
Bauhaus was an English rock band formed in Northampton in 1978. The group consisted of Peter Murphy , Daniel Ash , Kevin Haskins and David J . The band was originally Bauhaus 1919 before they dropped the numerical portion within a year of formation...
who lived a large portion of his early life in here, and Thom Yorke
Thom Yorke
Thomas "Thom" Edward Yorke is an English musician who is the lead vocalist and principal songwriter for Radiohead. He mainly plays guitar and piano, but he has also played drums and bass guitar...
of Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
, and politicians Alfred Dobbs
Alfred Dobbs
Alfred James Dobbs was a British Labour Party politician and trade unionist. He is most notable for being the Member of Parliament who served the shortest term, since the Second World War — just one day....
, Arthur Allen (for the Labour Party
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...
) and Brian Binley
Brian Binley
Brian Arthur Roland Binley is a British Conservative politician, and the Member of Parliament for Northampton South.-Early life:...
(for the Conservative Party
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...
) were all born in the town.
Authors connected with the town include Lesley Glaister
Lesley Glaister
Lesley Glaister is a British novelist and playwright. She has written 12 novels, Chosen being the most recent, one play and numerous short stories and radio plays. She is a lecturer in creative writing at the University of St Andrews, and is a regular contributor of book reviews to the Spectator...
who was born in Wellingborough, while Stephen Elboz
Stephen Elboz
Stephen Elboz is the writer of the children's books The Byzantium Bazaar and A Land without Magic.- Background :Born in 1956 in Wellingborough, Northants where he still lives, Elboz wrote his first novel in secret at his junior school in Wellingborough.Encouragement from teachers made him continue...
was born and currently lives in the town. Journalist and whisky writer Jim Murray
Jim Murray (writer)
Jim Murray is an English writer and journalist. He is best known for his observations on whisky and his annually updated book on the subject, Jim Murray's Whisky Bible.-Life:Murray was born in Merstham, Surrey...
also lives here. Author and historian Bruce Quarrie
Bruce Quarrie
Bruce Quarrie was an English author and historian. He studied English at Peterhouse College, Cambridge University and graduated with honours in 1968. He became a journalist with the Financial Times and then in 1972 joined Patrick Stephens Limited, a Cambridge specialist publisher, as editor of...
formally lived in the town before his death in 2004. A school in Wellingborough is named after Sir Christopher Hatton
Christopher Hatton
Sir Christopher Hatton was an English politician, Lord Chancellor of England and a favourite of Elizabeth I of England.-Early days:...
, and Edward Mannock
Edward Mannock
Major Edward Corringham "Mick" Mannock VC, DSO and Two Bars, MC & Bar was a British First World War flying ace. Mannock was probably born in Ireland, though of English and Scottish parentage....
is mentioned on the Wellingborough War Memorial
War memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
.
Twin towns
Wellingborough 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: Niort
Niort
Niort is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France.The Latin name of the city was Novioritum.The population of Niort is 60,486 and more than 137,000 people live in the urban area....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
(1977) Wittlich
Wittlich
The town of Wittlich is the seat of the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, and thereby the middle centre for a feeder area of 56 municipalities in the Eifel and Moselle area with its population of roughly 64,000...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
and also has relations with Willingboro, township in Burlington County, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, USA, while Irchester and Grendon, two of the villages within the Borough of Wellingborough, have twin town partners at Coulon near Niort, and Bois-Bernard near Arras.
See also
- Redhill Grange, a suburb in Wellingborough
- Wellingborough (borough)Wellingborough (borough)Wellingborough is a Non-metropolitan district and borough in Northamptonshire, England. It is named after Wellingborough, its main town, but also includes surrounding rural areas....
, The Borough Council of Wellingborough - Wellingborough (UK Parliament constituency)Wellingborough (UK Parliament constituency)Wellingborough is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
External links
- Borough Council of Wellingborough
- Northamptonshire county council
- Northants Evening Telegraph
- BBC Northamptonshire
- Explore Northamptonshire The Official Northamptonshire tourism website.
- http://www.cummins-uk.com