Northampton is a market town and civil parish in the East Midlands of England, on the River Nene, 60 miles (97 km) north-west of London and 50 miles (80 km) south-east of Birmingham. The county town of Northamptonshire, Northampton is one of the largest towns in England; its former local authority area had a population of 212,100 in the 2011 census. In its urban area, which includes Boughton and Moulton, it had a population of 215,963 as of 2011.
The Nene Valley Railway (NVR) is a preserved railway in Cambridgeshire, England, running between Peterborough Nene Valley and Yarwell Junction. The line is 7+1⁄2 miles (12.1 km) in length. There are stations at each terminus, and three stops en route: Orton Mere, Ferry Meadows and Wansford.
A spiral is a technique employed by railways to ascend steep hills.
A horseshoe curve is a class of climbing curve in a roadbed which reverses turn direction (inflection) twice on either side of a single tight curve that varies through an angle of about 180 degrees or more.
The Northamptonshire Ironstone Railway Trust operates a 1+1⁄2-mile (2.4 km) long heritage railway line at Hunsbury Hill, south-west of Northampton. The line is mainly dedicated to freight working, featuring many sharp curves and steep gradients which were typical of the industrial railway, but rides are available in a variety of vehicles including a converted brake van.
The Northampton loop is a railway line serving the town of Northampton. It is a branch of the West Coast Main Line, deviating from the faster direct main line which runs to the west. The WCML is a four track line up to either end of the Loop: the 'up' and 'down' fast tracks take the direct route while the 'up' and 'down' slow tracks are diverted via Northampton railway station. Generally, fast express trains run via the direct line, while freight and slower passenger services run via the loop line.
Blisworth is a village and civil parish in the West Northamptonshire, England. The West Coast Main Line, from London Euston to Manchester and Scotland, runs alongside the village partly hidden and partly on an embankment. The Grand Union Canal passes through the village and the north portal of the Blisworth tunnel is near Stoke Road.
West Hunsbury is a large housing estate in the south of the town of Northampton, 2 miles (3 km) from the town centre, 0 miles (0 km) from the M1 motorway, junction 15A and 2 miles (3 km) from junction 15. The motorway can be seen and heard as most of the area is elevated and the wind's prevailing direction is westerly. It is part of the Hunsbury residential area, which also constitutes East Hunsbury east of Towcester Road. Shelfleys is an earlier name for the area and still appears on signs, maps and bus destination indicators. However Hunsbury is an old name. Iron ore was formerly quarried in the area. This had begun by 1873 and an ironworks called Hunsbury Ironworks was in the course of being built in that year. The quarries were worked by several companies and individual owners, two of which companies used the name "Hunsbury" in their titles. The area is part of the Borough of Northampton. The area was developed in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s as part of the expansion of Northampton.
East Hunsbury is a large residential area in the south of the town of Northampton, England, 3 miles (5 km) from the town centre and 1 mile (2 km) from junction 15 of the M1 motorway. For administrative purposes it is part of the unitary authority of West Northamptonshire. It is part of the Hunsbury residential area, which also includes West Hunsbury on the west side of Towcester Road. Shelfleys is the original name for the area of Northampton currently referred to as West Hunsbury. The name of West Hunsbury still appears on maps for the district as Shelfleys. Merefield is the corresponding name for East Hunsbury, together with the name "Blackymore" for the eastern part of East Hunsbury. All three names are still on local direction signs in Northampton, although older references are no longer in use by the local people living there. The areas developed in the 1980s and 1990s as part of the expansion of Northampton. The Northampton loop of the West Coast Main Line railway running between Northampton and London Euston runs under East and West Hunsbury via the Hunsbury Hill Tunnel emerging near Hill Farm Rise which follows the original course of Towcester Road prior to the 1980s. Ventilation shafts are visible in the housing estate in Yeoman Meadow. East Hunsbury was awarded ‘Best Large Village’ in 2019 by NorthantsAcre.
The Devon and Somerset Railway (D&SR) was a cross-country line that connected Barnstaple in Devon, England, to the network of the Bristol and Exeter Railway (B&ER) near Taunton. It was opened in stages between 1871 and 1873 and closed in 1966. It served a mostly rural area although it carried some through services from east of Taunton to the seaside resort of Ilfracombe.
The Wednesbury Oak Loop, sometimes known as the Bradley Arm, is a canal in the West Midlands, England. It is part of the Birmingham Canal Navigations (BCN), and was originally part of James Brindley's main line, but became a loop when Thomas Telford's improvements of the 1830s bypassed it by the construction of the Coseley Tunnel. The south-eastern end of the loop was closed and in parts built over, following the designation of the entire loop as "abandoned" in 1954, including the section which was filled in at the beginning of the 1960s to make way for the Glebefields Estate in Tipton.
Far Cotton is a district in the civil parish of Far Cotton and Delapre, in the town of Northampton, in the county of Northamptonshire, England and many years ago a village in its own right. The population is included in the Delapre and Briar Hill Ward of Northampton Borough Council.
Wootton Brook is a tributary of the River Nene which runs through Northamptonshire, England.
Roade was a railway station serving the Northamptonshire village of the same name on the West Coast Main Line. Roade Station opened in 1838 as the principal station for Northampton, but its importance diminished upon the opening of the Northampton and Peterborough Railway in 1845. The construction of the Northampton Loop Line in 1875 made Roade a junction station, and it survived until 1964.
Hunsbury Hill is an Iron Age hill fort two miles (3 km) south-west of the centre of the town of Northampton in the county of Northamptonshire.
Kilsby and Crick was a railway station on the Northampton Loop Line serving the villages of Kilsby and Crick in Northamptonshire. It was located to the eastern side of where the railway crossed the A5 road at the site now occupied by the Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal. It was located about a mile from Kilsby and one and a half from Crick.
Kelmarsh railway station on the Northampton and Market Harborough railway opened on 16 February 1859 serving the villages of Kelmarsh and Arthingworth, Northamptonshire, England. It ran almost equidistant between the two villages which are just under 2 miles (3.2 km) apart north-east of Kelmarsh and south-west of Arthingworth. It was part of the London and North Western Railway. The next station north, Clipston and Oxendon serving the villages of Great Oxendon and Clipston was situated south of Oxendon tunnel. To the south, Lamport was accessed via Kelmarsh tunnel.
Clipston and Oxendon railway station on the Northampton and Market Harborough railway opened in 1863 as a result of villagers' requests serving the villages of Clipston and Great Oxendon, Northamptonshire, England. It was about 1 mile south-east of the Oxendon and about 3 miles walking distance north-east of Clipston. It was south of Oxendon tunnel. It was part of the London and North Western Railway.
Turvey was a railway station on the Bedford to Northampton Line which served the village of Turvey from 1872 to 1962.
Harlestone Heath is a 2.6-hectare (6.4-acre) nature reserve north-west of Northampton in Northamptonshire. It is managed by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire.
