Wellingborough

The population of the borough is over 72,000 and the town itself has a population of more than 47,000.

Shopping facilities in Wellingborough are amply catered for at the Swansgate Shopping Centre and the town holds an open air market on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. There are also three major supermarkets.

Leisure facilities include the Redwell Leisure Centre and Weandel Leisure Centre with swimming pool, a golf course, indoor bowling and the Castle Theatre that caters for the arts. Schooling is provided on a two tier system with several primary and secondary schools in the area. The town boasts one of the best known independent schools in the Midlands, Wellingborough School. Tresham Institute offers further education.

Wellingborough History

The town is the only one in the borough and takes its historic name from five springs (or wells) Red Well, White Well, Stan Well, Burymoor Well and Rising Sun Well.

Early trades such as brewing, spinning, weaving and pillow lacemaking were widespread but declined and disappeared leaving boot making the main industry in the mid 1800's. An industrial Railway line corridor emerged with two blast furnaces, brickworks, engineering plants, ironstone quarries and flour mills. After the war the town expanded dramatically with an influx of people from London and other cities.

The boot and shoe industry was particular strong over the last century but this has now virtually disappeared leaving various manufacturing industries and warehousing & distribution as the most common businesses today. The east side of the town is about to undergo a huge expansion with at least 4,000 new homes planned, a rail freight terminal, a retail park and business parks.

Irthlingborough

The High Street offers many different shops, including a Post Office, supermarket, butchers, opticians, building society and various restaurants.

Schooling is provided by a two tier system at Irthlingborough Junior School and Huxlow Secondary School. Further education is available in the nearby towns of Wellingborough, Northampton and Kettering.

Whitworths, the home baking and healthy snack products company, which dates back to 1886, is the largest employer in the town with over 300 staff.

The main sports attraction in the area is Kettering Town football club who took residence of the former Rushden & Diamonds ground in August 2011.

Irthlingborough History

Formerly known as Artleborough (after the bridge) the town has grown from a village to have a population of 7000. It is situated just off the A6, which locally connects the A14 at Kettering to Bedford.

This is another town with strong boot and shoe making traditions. 200 years ago Irthlingborough was the third most prominent shoe making community behind Northampton and Wellingborough. Today very few factories exist and the dormant buildings have been converted to provide apartments.

It has a small town centre with local or independent shops and one supermarket. The Pinetrees residential housing estate was developed in the 1980's and is still being expanded further today with on going development.