Desborough facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Desborough |
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 Desborough
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| Population | 10,697 (2011) |
| OS grid reference | SP805835 |
| Civil parish |
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| Unitary authority |
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| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | KETTERING |
| Postcode district | NN14 |
| Dialling code | 01536 |
| Police | Northamptonshire |
| Fire | Northamptonshire |
| Ambulance | East Midlands |
| EU Parliament | East Midlands |
| UK Parliament |
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Desborough is a lively town in North Northamptonshire, England. It sits in the beautiful Ise Valley, located between the towns of Market Harborough and Kettering. In the 1800s, Desborough was a busy place for making cloth and shoes. It also had a long connection with the Co-operative movement, which helped people work together.
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Discovering Desborough's Past
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Desborough has a very long history, going back about 4,000 years to the Bronze Age. People have found old pots from that time in and around the town.
Many interesting things have also been found from the Iron Age and the Anglo-Saxon period. Some of these, like the 1st-century Desborough Mirror and the Anglo-Saxon Desborough Necklace, are now on display at the famous British Museum.
The Domesday Book, a very old survey from 1086, called Desborough a "place of judgement." The town's name might come from 'Disburg', which meant a special, protected place. In the middle of what is now the Market Square, there is a stone pillar. People call it the Town Cross, but it might have been a gate pillar from Harrington Hall.
From the 1600s, Desborough grew because of its spinning and weaving industries. Factories in the town used local wool and flax to make fine cloth. Later, in the mid-1800s, silk weaving and shoe-making became very important industries here.
Getting Around Desborough
Desborough is about five miles (8 km) south-east of Market Harborough. It is also north-west of Kettering and south-west of Corby. A special road, the A6 Rothwell–Desborough bypass, opened in 2003. This helps traffic move more smoothly around the town.
Desborough used to have its own railway station from 1857 to 1968. It was part of a railway line that connected Leicester to Bedford and Hitchin. However, the station was closed down as part of changes to the railway system.
Desborough's Churches
Desborough has several churches. These include the Anglican parish church, St Giles's, a Baptist church, a United Reformed Church, and the Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Trinity.
St Giles's Church is the oldest building still standing in Desborough. It was built around 1225, and people believe it stands where an even older Saxon church once was. Inside, you can see parts of an Anglo-Saxon stone cross and a Tudor rood screen. There are also reminders of the English Civil War. Near the church is the 18th-century Church House, which is now called the Services Club.
Church Partnership in Desborough
Since 1969, the Anglican and Methodist churches in Desborough have worked together. A Methodist minister works with the Anglican vicar. St Giles's Church is part of a group of churches that includes Brampton Ash, Braybrooke, and Dingley. The church hosts regular festivals, including one of the UK's biggest Christmas tree festivals. This festival has over 100 trees decorated by local groups and families.
The Kettering part of the yearly Student Cross pilgrimage to Walsingham also starts near Desborough.
The Old Manor House
The Old Manor House on Gold Street still has parts from the late 1600s. Ferdinand Poulton, a Roman Catholic lawyer, owned the Manor. Some people believe he was involved in the 1605 Gunpowder Plot.
The Co-operative Movement
Local people started the Desborough Co-operative Society in 1863. They wanted to prevent workers from being treated unfairly. It began with local shops and a factory that made corsets and lingerie. Over time, the Desborough Co-op grew to include a department store, a bank, a supermarket, and other shops.
Today, the town is served by the Central England Co-op. Some of its older services, like the bank, have closed. However, a Co-operative undertakers has opened in one of the former shops.
The old Co-op Corset Factory is now owned by Wacoal Eveden Ltd. They make lingerie and swimwear there. The site includes the original Victorian factory and a factory shop. The former Co-operative Society Sports Ground, which had a football field and tennis courts, is now a housing area called Desbeau Park. Desbeau was a name for lingerie made at the factory.
Sports and Fun in Desborough
Every Saturday morning at 9:00 AM, you can join a free parkrun event. This 5km run or walk starts at the leisure centre. The course goes through The Plens nature reserve and the Green Space. This event began on July 20, 2024.
On Sunday mornings, local volunteers organize the Desborough Greenspace junior parkrun. This free 2km event is for children aged 4-14 years. It helps kids be more active and offers chances for people of all ages to volunteer. In 2019, it won the community project of the year award from the former Kettering Borough Council. It then won the countywide community project of the year award from Northamptonshire Sport.
In 2022, North Northamptonshire Council won an International Green Apple Environment Award. This award was for the Desborough Greenspace. This large 22-hectare area was created in 2012. It is a big, natural space for local people to enjoy and helps protect different types of plants and animals.
Desborough has a Non-League football team called Desborough Town F.C.. They play their games at Waterworks Field.
The town's leisure complex was built in late 2012. It has a gym, a café, a football court, a basketball court, and an outdoor skate park.
The Targetcraft Archers club meets at the nearby West Lodge Rural Centre.
Desborough in the Media
You can watch local news and TV shows from BBC East and ITV Anglia. TV signals come from the Sandy Heath TV transmitter.
Local radio stations include BBC Radio Northampton, Heart East, Smooth East Midlands (which used to be Connect FM), and Shire Sounds, a community radio station.
The town also has local newspapers like the Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph, Harborough Mail, and Northampton Chronicle and Echo.
Learning in Desborough
Desborough has primary schools for younger students. These include Loatlands Primary and the combined Havelock Infant and Junior schools. For secondary education, students usually go to schools outside the town.
Famous People from Desborough
Here are some notable people who have connections to Desborough:
- John Reynolds (who lived in the 1600s), also known as "Captain Pouch," was a leader of the 1607 anti-enclosure Midland Revolt. He was said to be from Desborough.
- Jane West (1758–1852) was a novelist, poet, and writer. She grew up in Desborough.
- Lewis Cave (1832–1897) was a judge. He was born in Desborough.
- Lawrence Holland (1887–1956) played cricket for Northamptonshire County Cricket Club. He died in Desborough.
- F. R. G. Heaf (1894–1973) was a professor of medicine and a researcher of tuberculosis. He was born in the town.
- Cecil Kilborn (born 1902) was a footballer for Bradford City from 1919 to 1924. He was born in Desborough.
- Reggie Meen (1907–1984) was a heavyweight boxer who won the British title in 1931.
- Andy Sawford (born 1976) is a Labour Party politician and was the MP for Corby. He was born in Desborough.
Images for kids
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The Celtic Desborough Mirror, now in the British Museum.
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The Cross, Desborough
See also
In Spanish: Desborough para niños
