Irthlingborough
| Irthlingborough | |
| Northamptonshire | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SP945705 |
| Location: | 52°19’26"N, -0°36’50"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 9,000 |
| Post town: | Wellingborough |
| Postcode: | NN9 |
| Dialling code: | 01933 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | North Northamptonshire |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Corby |
Irthlingborough, originally called Artleborough[1], is a small town on the River Nene in Northamptonshire with a population of around 9,000 people. It is the smallest town in England to have possessed a league association football team, Rushden & Diamonds FC.
Landmarks
The parish church, St Peter, has a lantern tower which is unusual for Northamptonshire churches. This was built to guide travellers across the Nene valley in foggy weather. It also has doors at the four cardinal points; of note are the eight misericords in the chancel. Services still continue daily with the main service being at 10:00 am on Sunday mornings.
History
In the past, ironstone was mined near Irthlingborough, and as part of the local ironstone mine, a tunnel was bored between Irthlingborough and nearby Finedon. The tunnel is still in existence although the Irthlingborough end has been landscaped over and the Finedon end sealed with concrete. Irthlingborough railway station closed in 1964 to passengers.
For the first time in 2007 Irthlingborough decided to elect a Town Mayor.
Quarrying
More recently the River Nene floodplains located between the town and its neighbour, Higham Ferrers, have been quarried for gravel. Quarrying in the area was extensive, stretching to Northampton in the West (upstream) and Thorpe Waterville to the North-Northeast (downstream). The quarries were later left to fill with water creating man-made lakes.
Geography
The town can be divided quite easily into areas with Pine Trees to the south-west, Victoria and Allen roads in the centre running parallel to the High Street on either side, Knightlands to the North, Crow Hill to the extreme north-east (over a mile from the town centre) and the football ground and training facilities to the east.
References
- ↑ A History of the County of Northampton Vol. 3, William Page (ed.), Victoria County History, 1930. p.207