The Constituency

South Northamptonshire is a new constituency that was fought for the first time at the General Election which took place on May 6th, 2010. The boundary includes the following wards:

From Northampton Borough, the wards of East Hunsbury, West Hunsbury and Nene Valley.From the district of South Northamptonshire, the wards of Astwell, Blakesley and Cote, Blisworth and Roade, Brackley East, Brackley South, Brackley West, Brafield and Yardley, Cosgrove and Grafton, Danvers and Wardoun, Deanshanger, Grange Park, Hackleton, Kings Sutton, Kingthorn, Little Brook, Middleton Cheney, Old Stratford, Salcey, Silverstone, Steane, Tove, Towcester Brook, Towcester Mill, Washington and Whittlewood.
The main towns are Towcester and Brackley, and Silverstone - proud home of the British Grand Prix - is also within the boundary.

South Northants constituency covers a large geographic area stretching from Aynho near the M40 to Castle Ashby beyond J15 of the M1, with many rural communities, the two market towns and also three urban wards of Northampton Borough.

The Grand Union Canal runs through the constituency but otherwise there is limited tourism, with the exception of during Grand Prix week and for major races at Towcester racecourse.

Farming is an important industry - hit badly during the single payments fiasco. Diversification into non-traditional farming activities has saved some farms from closure.

The West Northants Development Corporation (WNDC) has control of planning for Northampton and Towcester and under the Labour Government's growth agenda there are plans for substantial new housing development. Demand for housing is high, and the population is growing at a higher rate than national average. Availability of affordable housing in rural villages is a particular issue.

There is significant engineering and high technology industry in the area including many businesses that support motor racing, including the Mercedes GP team, based in Brackley.

Many residents commute for work outside the constituency, and there is good scope to improve the local economy, as well as scope for improvements to the facilities available in the towns. Towcester, in particular, is undergoing a programme of regeneration.

Crime is low, although the fear of crime, particularly in the rural villages, is high. Transportation links by car are generally good, although public transport is limited and bus services tend to be poor to the more rural areas.

Provision of education is generally good. Healthcare is under pressure from inadequate funding and an ever increasing local population.

Risk of flooding is an issue in the Northampton area which was badly hit by the Easter Floods of 1998. Major flood relief schemes have been built within the Nene Valley area but residents remain concerned that any further development on the flood plain or additional mineral extraction could lead to loss of much needed water meadows which soak up excess water.

Overall, a beautiful area of rural England with good access to motorways and mainline trains.


History of Northamptonshire

The area to the South of Northampton and across the countryside towards the border with Oxfordshire lays claim to a rich historical background.

Towcester has been recognised as the oldest town in Northamptonshire and possibly, because of the antiquity of recent Iron Age finds in the town, is thought to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in the country. There is evidence that it was settled by humans since the Mesolithic era (middle stone age).

In Roman Britain, Watling Street (now the A5 road) was established and Towcester (Lactodorum) was built. It was a fortfied town with a moat and four gateways supported by strong stone built towers. None of these fortifications can be seen today as the last substantial remains of one of these towers was demolished in the 1960's to make way for a telephone exchange. The parish church of St. Lawrence is thought to have been built on the remains of a large Roman Public Building with evidence seen at the bottom of the steps leading to the boiler room where a small area of a Roman pavement can be seen.

Alfred The Great used Watling Street as a divide between Danes and Wessex rules and in 917 Alfred's son Edwad fortified Towcester and it became a Saxon Royal Burgh. The Normans built a moat around Towcester and this is still found today in Moat Lane. During the English Civil War Towcester was again placed as a frontier town this time between Parliamentarians from Northampton and Royalists from Oxford.

It was during the 18th and 19th centuries we see Towcester develop and thrive. The road structure of Watling Street and its geographical location meant that coaching routes came through Towcester and nearly every building was either an inn or an ale house. The Saracens Head visited by Charles Dickens is featured in his book The Pickwick Papers.

Towcester still remains a busy through route today with links to the M1, A43 and M40.

Brackley also has a long history with iron age remains discovered during Mill Lane and Castle Lane developments but it was between 550 and 650 AD that a man named Bracca founded the settlement we have today. Bracca came from Halse and acquired a ley (clearing) and built a small settlement hence the name Brackley. The manor house remained in Halse until two centuries after the Norman era where Brackley outgrew Halse and became a Town in its own right.

In the 11th and 12th centuries Brackley was in the Hundred of Odboldistow and still in the Manor of Halse. Richard I named 5 official sites for jousting tournaments so that the Barons could not use the tournaments as local wars and Brackley became one of these sites.

In 1150 the hospital of St. James and St. John was built along the east side of the High street which later became Magdalen College Oxford and after the Dissolution it founded a Grammer school which remained in place until 1972 and is now a comprehensive school. The hospital chapel still remains.

During the 13th Century Brackley had become important enough, mainly due to its position on the trade route between Northampton and Oxford, that a castle was built. Only slight evidence can be seen today along the Hinton Road.

In 1215 the year of the Magna Carta, Brackley Castle was the site of an important meeting between the barons and representatives of King John. The Magna Carta required King John to proclaim rights, respect laws, and accept that the King's wishes were subject to law. King John and the barons were to have signed Magna Carta at Brackley Castle, but they eventually did so at Runnymede.

Brackley held its market day on Sundays until 1218, when it was changed to Wednesdays. The market is now on held Friday mornings outside the Town Hall

In 1597 the town was incorporated by James II. It had a mayor, 6 aldermen and 26 burgesses. Brackley remained an important Town in its own right until 1832 when The Reform Act was passed and Brackley lost its right to have its own MP.

In 1974 Brackley lost it's Borough status and now holds its own Town Council within the South Northamptonshire District.

Over the years Brackley has been known for wool and lace-making. It has had a mixed fortune as a trading route but today with the changes of industry Brackley holds many new businesses and housing growth.

Northampton began as a Saxon Village and was orginally known as Hamm tum and by 917 it was first recorded and given the distinction of North Hamm tun possibly due to a Southampton.

Northampton as a settlement was burnt down by the Danes in 1010 but by 1086 (the Domesday Book) it had regrown and held a population af 1,500. Northampton became a centre of trade for local crafts to be bought and sold at market.

In 1100 St Andrews Priory was built in Broad Street followed by Delmere Abbey in 1145 and by the 13th Century Friars began to bring their orders to Northampton.

In 1189 Northampton was given its first charter and in 1215 it was given its first Mayor. Wool was the main industry at this time in Northampton.

By the 14th century Northampton began to change as many people left the town and moved out from the walls and settled in the suburbs. This is believed due to high taxes and began the spread of the Northampton area.

In the 17th century shoemaking began to take over the wool industry as the main source of trade and employment for Northampton but in 1675 a fire ravaged Northampton and destroyed almost half of the buildings, however large donations were made by wealthy locals and Northampton was rebuilt but in a better order than previously seen.

In 1744 Northampton gained its county hospital and during the Victorian era we see the development of the historic buildings like the Guildhall, Royal Theatre and Victoria Park we still have today.

The shoe making industry declined in the mid 20th century and in 1965 Northampton was declared a new town, we then saw the beginnings of Londoners moving northward, the commuters and the housing growth of today.