Jobs in Northampton | Pictures of Northampton

If you are considering a move to Northamptonshire, the county town itself is without doubt the place that offers a faster pace of life than its Kettering, Wellingborough or Corby neighbours. Designated a ‘new town' in the 1960s, Northampton's population currently stands at around 203,000 and is anticipated to break the 300,000 mark by 2018-2021 with a number of new housing and retail developments over the next few years.

Unassuming yet steeped in a history that saw it positioned as the most important English city during Saxon times, Northampton is a modern town that is growing faster than anywhere else in the UK and proving to be an increasingly desirable place to live and work for shoe fetishists and everyone else alike.

Getting around Northampton
Northampton Castle Station has regular services coming from London and Birmingham , with frequent stops at Rugby , Long Buckby, Wolverton and Milton Keynes Central. The railway station is located approximately 15 minutes walk from the town centre.

Buses are predominantly operated by Stagecoach, First Group and MK Metro (Arriva) and pull into the main bus station on Greyfriars – a hideous 1970's structure that has been voted one of Britain 's ugliest buildings - just behind the Grosvenor Shopping Centre. Whereas bus routes across the county can be sporadic, commuting into Northampton from neighbouring villages and towns such as Daventry, Wellingborough, Rushden, Kettering , Corby and Market Harborough is facilitated by a number of services.

However, the morning rush-hour is prone to congestion - but at a lower level than that suffered by towns of a similar size - with much of the traffic exiting the M1 motorway ay Junctions 15, 15A and 16, all about 15 minutes from the centre of town (on a good day). At time of writing, the Council is looking to address this with a number of proposals being considered for a series of Park & Ride schemes throughout the area, at Weedon Road near the Princess Marina Hospital site and on the Harlestone Road near Harlestone Firs.

Eating, drinking and shopping in Northampton
Northampton is a compact town centre that boasts a harmonious mixture of both new and old architecture. Despite being a ‘new town', it has a significant number of classical buildings and fine architecture largely centred around the Market Square area – one of the largest market square's in England . And this area is the starting point for Northampton 's shopping experience.

The Grosvenor Centre contains a wide range of high street shops, department stores and many smaller individual speciality shops including Boots, Body Shop, BHS and Lush. Whereas it's neighbour, Peacock Place, offers much of the same but on a smaller scale and is home to such names as Laura Ashley and Next. And Weston Favell Centre, which has been refurbished in recent years, has over 50 shops – the majority of which are smaller, specialist stores.

But if you are looking for a bargain, Northampton Market is one of the oldest of its kind in the country and operates daily, out of Market Square , just off The Drapery and Abington Street .

For its size, Northampton has a good range of eateries and restaurants to suit any budget, from national chains to traditional pub grub. Head along Marefair, Kettering Road , Derngate and Wellingborough Road for the best choice of European, Oriental and other international cuisine in the town centre. And this is where you will find the greatest choice of pubs, clubs and modern bars.

Of all the towns in the county, Northampton certainly offers the best choice of things to do in your spare time. The Museum and Art Gallery is worth a trip and houses a collection of artifacts from Northampton 's past with particular homage to the shoe industry that caused the town to first boom, including some celebrity footwear such as the huge Doctor Martin's worn by Elton John in Tommy . Whilst the Royal Theatre and Derngate are central to Northampton 's cultural scene that play host to a full programme of arts, music, opera and drama productions throughout the year. And for film fans, there are two multi-screen cinemas close to the town centre – Vue is on Doddridge Street and UGC is in the Upton area.

However, if Northampton could claim to have a tourist industry then it would be thanks to nearby Althorp, family home to the Spencer family and final resting place of Diana, Princess of Wales. Indeed, the county's reputation as being one of ‘spires and squires' is manifested in a number of other stately homes in and around the region. Fotheringhay is where Mary Queen of Scots was executed, whilst Kirby Hall – the ‘jewel of the English Renaissance' - are also worth a visit.

When it comes to sport Northampton is first and foremost a rugby town, with the ‘Saints' plying their trade in the Guinness Premiership. Northampton Town FC is a mainstay of the third tier of English football whilst Northamptonshire County Cricket Club combine to form the best offering for armchair sports fans. But if you prefer to participate rather than simply observe, Esporta, Canon's, Virgin Active and Living Well are some of the health and fitness clubs in Northampton along with a number of leisure centres open to the public.

For motorsport fans, Silverstone, home of the Grand Prix, Santa Pod and Rockingham Speedway are all close at hand.

Main residential areas
Northampton 's population has increased greatly over the last forty years, largely due to planned expansion under the New Towns Commission in the early-1960s. And being within the Government's designated expansion zone, further development is underway with an additional 37,000 being built with some expansion already underway, with new roads and housing developments in West Northampton at Upton and St Crispins.

The most desirable places to live in Northampton include Weston Favell, Blisworth, Harpole, Harlestone, Roade and Dodford – characterised by traditional three and four bedroom houses.

If you're thinking of moving to the area, take a look at some of the current property available to buy or let in Northampton.

Take a closer look
A picture is worth a thousand words. You can see some images from in and around Northampton below.

Looking for local vacancies? See all current jobs in Northampton or find out more information on the local area.