Abington Park, Northampton. NN1 5LW      Tel: 01604 838110

Abington Park, in the Abington district of Northampton, has lakes, aviaries, and a museum, as well as trees and grassy open spaces.

The park contains the ruins of the former village of Abington, the site of a medieval manor house with a mill attached, mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086.

The Abington Park Museum features displays about the social and military history of Northampton and Northamptonshire. Exhibits include the Northamptonshire Regiment, local history, and changing exhibits of clothing from its costume collection. The museum also features displays of leather objects and artefacts from around the world from the collections of the Museum of Leathercraft.

The Church of St Peter and St Paul, Abington (known locally as ‘The church in the park’) is located in the middle of Abington Park, Northampton. It was built over 800 years ago and was built as a place of worship for the inhabitants of the manor house and the estate workers and their families

The park is named after Thomas A Becket, Henry II's Archbishop of Canterbury, who in 1164 went on trial at Northampton Castle before fleeing abroad. It used to be known as Cow Meadow, until the council changed its name in 1935. At the head of the park (just off the Bedford Road) is Becket’s Well, a spring at which he drank from on his exodus from Northampton.

The park is alongside the River Nene, and is a favourite spot for people to walk and relax on the grassy open spaces that run down to the new marina complex.

St.Giles Square, Northampton. NN1 1DE    Tel: 01604 838400

The Guildhall was built between 1861 and 1864 in a neo-gothic style. As well as housing Northampton Borough Council, it is also used for a variety of civic purposes, such as weddings or civil partnerships. The building also houses the records of births, marriages and deaths. Historically the building had a court, now used as a meeting room known as the court room and prison cells in the basement. There is an impressive Great Hall with walls decorated in 1925 by Colin Gill. These represent famous men connected with the town. There are also murals painted in 1949 by Henry Bird of "The Muses Contemplating Northampton".

Billing Aquadrome is a leisure park in Great Billing, in the eastern district of Northampton, England. Facilities within the 235-acre (1 km²) park, which is based around various mature gravel pits, include a caravan site, marina and funfair. It is also home to a variety of shows throughout the year, which are often car or motorsport related, such as the world's largest annual Land Rover show and the American Car Show. It also hosts the Northampton Balloon Festival.
At the edge of the park is Billing Mill, a family pub, which is housed in a converted water-mill.

Guildhall Road, Northampton. NN1 1DP      Tel: 01604 838111

The museum is home to a world famous shoe collection. Here the story is told why shoes are important to Northampton, how shoes are made and the history of shoe fashions. Famous shoe wearers and designers are featured in many displays. Other permanent displays include the history of Northampton from the Stone Age to the present day, and British and Oriental ceramics.

St. Giles Terrace, Northampton. NN1 2BN            Tel: 01604 682623
www.stgilesnorthampton.org.uk

The church is an 1800 year old building which has been reordered internally to be accessible to all.

London Road, Northampton. NN4 8AW                Tel: 01604 708675
www.delapreabbey.org

Delapre is one of the most beautiful public gardens in Northampton and its grounds and the gardens can be enjoyed at all times of the year.

This attractive area of 8 acres lies in the southern part of the town just off the main London Road, with open parkland of about 500 acres adjoining the Gardens.

Ornamental features include Delapre Abbey, walled garden, rock and water gardens, tree sculptures and Delapre Woods.

On the edge of Delapre Park is the Eleanor Cross. Built in 1291-1294 it is one of just three surviving crosses out twelve that were erected by King Edward I at the stopping places of the funeral cortege of his wife Queen Eleanor, on its way from Lincoln to London.

Abington Street, Northampton.

The steel sculpture, called Discovery, commemorates the life of one of the scientists who discovered the double helix structure of DNA.

Francis Crick was born in 1916 in Weston Favell, Northampton. As a student at Cambridge he and his colleague James Watson unlocked the key of life in 1953.

The scientists were awarded a Nobel Prize in 1962 for their work on DNA. Professor Crick died in 2004.
The statue was unveiled in 2005 and portrays the structure of DNA.

Becket's Park is at the heart of two navigations - the River Nene and the Grand Union Canal - and is perfectly placed to attract visitors to the town. The marina project was officially opened in March 2012, and has helped to transform this area of Northampton, creating a new leisure facility within a short walk of the town centre.

Further facilities, including a restaurant or cafe, new homes and offices, are proposed in the ongoing development along Northampton’s waterside area.

Guildhall Road, Northampton. NN1 1DP                Tel: 01604 624811

Royal & Derngate is the main venue for arts and entertainment in Northampton. The theatre offers two auditoria and Underground, a creativity centre that’s home to the Youth Theatre and a wide range of workshops and projects for the local community.

Royal & Derngate offers a diverse

George Row, Northampton. NN1 1DF        Tel: 01604 632194
www.allsaintsnorthampton.co.uk

Weedon Road, Northampton.

The National Lift Tower (previously called The Express Lift Tower and known locally as the 'Northampton Lighthouse') was a lift testing tower built by the Express Lift Company. The structure was officially opened by The Queen in November 1982.

The tower is 127.45 m (418.1 feet) tall, 14.6 m (47.9 ft) in diameter at the base and tapers to 8.5 m (27.9 ft) at the top. The only lift testing tower in Britain, it was granted Grade II listed building status on 30 October 1997, at the time making it the youngest listed building in the UK.

Following extensive renovation and repairs the tower is now used by various companies for research, development, testing and marketing, and over recent years several charity abseils have been hosted at the tower.