Northamptonshire through time

‘Palaeolithic’ means ‘old Stone Age’ and is the earliest period in human history. In Britain, it begins around 800,000 years ago when Britain is still attached to continental Europe. Several ice ages cover Britain with glaciers and force humans to leave. They only live in Britain during warmer periods. Palaeolithic humans are hunter-gatherers and move over large areas. They make basic flint tools such as hand axes to help them. In Northamptonshire, some Palaeolithic artefacts have been found, showing human activity in the county.

​‘Neolithic’ means ‘new Stone Age’ and starts with the introduction of farming to Britain by migrants from continental Europe. The shift from roaming hunter-gatherer lifestyle to settled farming communities is one of the most important changes in human history and it is often called the Neolithic Revolution. Neolithic humans begin living in simple houses, producing pottery and more complex tools, and building monuments. In Northamptonshire, several monuments have been excavated and settlements found at Briar Hill and Ecton, along with Neolithic tools.

​The Bronze Age is the period in which bronze replaces stone as the main material for tools. Gold was also worked for decorative items. The development of weaponry suggests an increase in conflict and Bronze Age settlements are made up of round houses grouped together for defence. In Northamptonshire, settlements have been excavated at Thrapston and Stanwick. Elaborate ceremonial practices also appear. Early on, monument building continues. Late Bronze Age people begin cremating their dead. Hoarding, the ritual practice of burying metal and precious objects, also emerges. Round barrows (burial mounds) and Bronze Age artefacts have been found across Northamptonshire.

In AD 43, 40,000 Roman soldiers invade Britain. There is resistance in some parts of the country, but tribes in Northamptonshire do not contest Roman rule. As roads, planned towns, and stone villas are built, the county begins to feel Mediterranean. Towns such as Irchester and Lactodorum (now Towcester) act as commercial and administrative centres for the rural population. The Watling Road that runs north-south also connects Northamptonshire to larger urban centres. However, as Britain is repeatedly raided by the Anglo-Saxons and Italy is attacked by ‘barbarians’, the Roman Empire becomes too expensive to maintain. In AD 410, troops withdraw from Britain. Roman artefacts have been found across the county.

​The Middle Ages are a period of political crisis, war, and natural disaster. Northampton was important in medieval England due to its central location and Parliaments were held at Northampton Castle between 1131 and 1380. Consequently, many key events in the church-state struggle, the conflict between the Barons and the monarchy, and the wars for control over the throne, happen in Northamptonshire. Like elsewhere, the Great Famine and the Black Death decimate the population, and whole villages are wiped out. However, the smaller population allows women to play a larger role in society.

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​The 15th and 16th centuries are marked by religious division and violence. After the Pope refuses to annul his first marriage, King Henry VIII breaks with Rome and creates the Church of England. To reduce the power of the Catholic Church, he dissolves all religious orders and sells their land in what is known as the Dissolution of the Monasteries. In Northamptonshire, two thirds is bought by local men and a new gentry developed. Decades of religious tension follow and ordinary people are persecuted. England shifts between Protestantism and Catholicism as different monarchs struggle for power. Important national events, such as the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots and the planning of the Gunpowder Plot, take place in Northamptonshire.

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​In the 18th and early 19th centuries, Britain fights in several lengthy, international conflicts. These wars are financed by Britain’s flourishing new empire. The empire exploits colonies and black slaves for international trade, backed up by British sea power. Northamptonshire plays a big role in the history of slavery: many country houses use slaves, but many people fight against slavery in the county. By the end of the period, the British Empire covered a fifth of the world. At home, new manufacturing techniques are invented, factories are built, and transport is developed. This happens later in Northamptonshire than elsewhere. Industrialisation brings social changes too: cities and towns grow rapidly, the New Poor Law is introduced, religious Nonconformity increases, more men can vote, and women have more influence in political matters (but not the vote).

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​The 20th century is the bloodiest century in British history, but also one marked by huge social, political, medical, and technological change. Over a million British soldiers die in the First and Second World Wars and thousands die in multiple conflicts since. Northamptonshire plays an important role in the effort towards the world wars, making 50 million pairs of boots for Allied soldiers in the First World War and producing steel tubes used in the Normandy invasion during the Second World War. After 1945, immigration increases, making Britain more diverse. The Labour Party becomes popular and brings in many reforms, including founding the National Health Service and nationalising industries. Women gain the vote early in the century and Britain gets its first female Prime Minister in 1979. Margaret Thatcher reprivatises or closes many industries, provoking strikes such as the Miners’ Strike of 1984-85. The Corby Steel Works are shut down at this time. Northamptonshire’s economy diversifies and the boot and shoe trade is no longer the largest employer.