- A few weeks ago, I was rummaging through some old papers in my flat and happened upon this old leaflet...
- I hadn't really thought about Northampton as a place for tourism before. I don't suppose anyone sees their hometown that way. So, in the spirit of experimentalism, I resolved to take the "Historic Town Trail" and explore the town as though a visitor.Not content with broadening my own horizons, I figured I could open people's eyes to (what I hoped would be) the charms of Northampton. I would take photos of what I saw on the route and post the pictures to my Twitter account, creating a real-time "virtual walking tour".On a chilly Spring morning, then, I set out with a camera and notepad and pen to record the time each photo was taken. I followed the three mile route in a leisurely two and a half hours (slowed slightly by stopping to get my pictures, plus the occasional camera problem).Upon arriving home, I wrote up captions for my photos and noted the time at which they should be posted. The "virtual tour was ready to go.Come the following morning, here's how it went down...
The trail starts and ends at the former jailor's house turned visitor centre (now Italian restaurant - progress!). http://pic.twitter.com/xKN7XkxC
Turn around to see the 19th century Guildhall, built in Victorian Gothic style. It plays home to the town council. http://pic.twitter.com/TcJtTVxH
The Guildhall was extended in the early 1990s to include this courtyard section. Think it does the old section justice? http://pic.twitter.com/1DBZ3sAX
Head down Guildhall Rd, home to Northampton Central Museum and the world's largest shoe collection. http://pic.twitter.com/ZhCXqYbU- That photo caught the eye of someone at the museum...
@valerianforrest What a great picture! You'll have to pop in and visit us when we are open :-) #northamptonmuseum ow.ly/atACN- You should definitely check out the history galleries upstairs at the the Central Museum. They play this on a loop:
Further down Guildhall Rd is the handsome Victorian-era Royal Theatre, recently merged into the larger Derngate complex http://pic.twitter.com/5D1a8roB
The modern facade of the Derngate theatre is, oddly, hidden away on a sidestreet. http://pic.twitter.com/JaGJ4MwC- The trail then channels you through a car park for some reason. I think you'll have to close your eyes until we're somewhere nice again.
Aim next for Albion Place, described in the guide as "a quiet backwater" with "graceful Recency canopies and verandahs" http://pic.twitter.com/Ls9NKHR7
Turn right out of Albion Place onto Derngate. On the left is Bedford Mansions, a great Art Deco apartment building. http://pic.twitter.com/ZPKai4CQ
78 Derngate, with its modernist interior by Charles Rennie Mackintosh (rare in England), is open for public viewing. http://pic.twitter.com/92zhJ56B- I said it was "rare". I was corrected on this point by a source that knows a thing or two about the house...
Becket's Park on the corner of Derngate and Cheyne Walk connects Northampton to the River Nene. http://pic.twitter.com/rKM3srAl
Across from the park is Becket's Well where Thomas Becket supposedly hid after his 1164 trial at Northampton Castle. http://pic.twitter.com/pQW8jq79
Close-up of the mosaic inside Becket's Well, which (in its present form) dates from 1843. http://pic.twitter.com/LAMnaPeV- Head north up the not-especially-photogenic Cheyne Walk until you reach the crossroads.
On the corner of Northampton General Hospital is this monument to Edward VII, complete with St George/dragon statue. http://pic.twitter.com/54788R8r
Turn left onto Spencer Parade, where you'll see some eccentric Victorian villas. Seriously, battlements? http://pic.twitter.com/tqZsroSL
valerianforrest
Mark Smith
An alien who was lost in space and needed help from the human race. He found new energy at Northampton.
Share & notify
Notify
140
