Not near Southampton, just FYI.

As the county town of Northamptonshire, Northampton is one of the largest towns in the UK. It’s the site of rich history, with the building of Northampton Castle in the middle ages regularly hosting England’s Parliament.

Northampton is famous for its market square; one of the largest in Britain, it dates all the way back to 1235. Still in use, it hosts a wide variety of vendors and looks a treat when lit at night. This is definitely worth you checking out on your jaunt to Northampton.

All round funny chatty man Alan Carr grew up in Northampton and his father was manager of Northampton Town FC from 1985 – 1990.

Although there is no way to verify the information, legend tells that one Northampton man, John Bayles, lived to the age of 130. The button maker is said to have died in 1706, a life which would have spanned across three centuries!

Northampton boasts a wealth of popular events, including a carnival, beer festival, dragonboat race and Northampton Balloon Festival. One of the most anticipated annual events is the St Crsipin Street Fair, when a travelling fair with over 100 rides descends on the town.

Northampton Museum and Art Gallery is definitely worth a visit, especially if you enjoy unusual collections. Considering Northampton’s rich history of shoe manufacturing, it should be no surprise that he museum holds one of the world’s largest collections of historical footwear. In fact, there are 13,000 pieces to the collection!

With your course taking place close to the city centre, download our handy guide to get a real taste of how your course city break could shape up.

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