Irthlingborough facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Irthlingborough |
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 St Peter's Church, Irthlingborough |
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 Irthlingborough
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| Population | 9,325 (2021) |
| OS grid reference | SP945705 |
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| Unitary authority |
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| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | WELLINGBOROUGH |
| Postcode district | NN9 |
| Dialling code | 01933 |
| Police | Northamptonshire |
| Fire | Northamptonshire |
| Ambulance | East Midlands |
| EU Parliament | East Midlands |
| UK Parliament |
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| Website | Irthlingborough Town Council |
Irthlingborough (/ˈɜːrθlɪŋbərə/) is a town located on the River Nene in North Northamptonshire, England. In 2021, about 9,325 people lived there. It was once known as the smallest town in England to have a team in the Football League, Rushden & Diamonds F.C.. The local church, St Peter's, has a special lantern tower. This tower is unusual for churches in Northamptonshire and was built to help guide travelers across the Nene valley when it was foggy.
The Irthlingborough railway station first opened in 1845. It stopped serving passengers in 1964.
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Exploring Irthlingborough's Past
The exact meaning of Irthlingborough's name is not fully known. Some people think it means 'ploughmen's fortification', suggesting that oxen (a type of cattle) were kept there long ago. Another idea is that it means 'fortification of Yrtla's people'. A third suggestion is that the first part of the name comes from an Old English word 'yrthling', which could be a type of bird like a Eurasian wren or a northern lapwing. Bird names were often used when forming names with the Old English word 'burh', meaning 'fortification'.
In the 8th century, Irthlingborough was called Yrtlingaburg. Later, in the Domesday Book of 1086, it was known as Erdiburn. Even later, it was called Artleborough. King Offa of Mercia, a powerful king from long ago, held court near Irthlingborough around the year 790.
John Pyel, who became the mayor of London in 1372, is thought to have been born in Irthlingborough around 1310.
Mining History in Irthlingborough
In the past, ironstone was dug up, or mined, near Irthlingborough. As part of the local ironstone mine, a tunnel was dug between Irthlingborough and the nearby town of Finedon. This tunnel still exists today. However, the Irthlingborough end has been covered over with land, and the Finedon end is sealed with concrete.
Iron ore mining began in Irthlingborough in 1918. The mine was owned by Richard Thomas & Baldwin's Ltd. The ore was sent to their steelworks in Scunthorpe. Miners dug the ore from tunnels about 80 to 100 feet (24 to 30 meters) underground. The mine closed on September 30, 1965, because it was no longer making enough money.
Quarrying and Nature Today
More recently, the flat areas near the River Nene, between Irthlingborough and Higham Ferrers, were used for quarrying gravel. A lot of quarrying happened in this area, stretching far to the west and north. After the gravel was removed, the quarries were left to fill with water, creating many artificial lakes.
In 2012, The Wildlife Trust took over this area. They have since turned it into Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows, which is now a beautiful nature reserve. This area will also be part of the Upper Nene Valley Special Protection Area, which helps protect important wildlife.
Main Roads Connecting Irthlingborough
The A6 used to go right through the town. However, a bypass was built in the 1930s to take traffic around the north of the town. The old route of the A6 is now called the B5348. The Irthlingborough Viaduct was built in 1936. It connects the town to Higham Ferrers and the busy A45. The A45 is a more direct and reliable road than the A6.
Local Businesses and Economy
Whitworths, a company known for home baking ingredients and fruit snacks, has been based in Irthlingborough since 1886. In 2024, about 200 people worked at their factory on the B571 (Wellingborough Road). Sonifex, a company that makes products for radio broadcasting, started in the town in 1969. Their research and manufacturing are located on Station Road.
Dr. Martens shoes also have a long connection to Irthlingborough. The manufacturer R. Griggs, owned by Max Griggs, had its main office in the town. However, shoe production moved to China in 2003 after the company faced big financial losses. The company's office is now in Wollaston.
Education in Irthlingborough
Irthlingborough has several schools. There is an infant school, which also has a nursery for younger children. There is also a junior school. For older students, there is one secondary school called Huxlow Academy. This academy has a sixth form, which is part of the East Northamptonshire sixth form college.
Media and Local News
Local news and TV shows for Irthlingborough are provided by BBC East and ITV Anglia. Television signals are received from the Sandy Heath TV transmitter. You can listen to local radio stations like BBC Radio Northampton on 103.6 FM, Heart East on 96.6 FM, and Smooth East Midlands (which used to be called Connect FM) on 107.4 FM. The town also has a local newspaper called the Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph.
Sports in Irthlingborough
Between 2001 and 2006, Irthlingborough was special because it was the smallest town to have a Football League club. This happened when Rushden & Diamonds F.C. moved up to League 2 (which was then called Division 3) after winning the 2000-01 Football Conference title. This success was partly thanks to Max Griggs, a local businessman who supported the club financially in the late 1990s. He later sold the club to a group of fans for just £1 in 2005.
The club was moved out of the Football League in 2006 and eventually went out of business in 2011 because of serious money problems. A new club, owned by fans, called AFC Rushden & Diamonds, was started two months later in July 2011. In its first year, it had an under-18 youth team. The club then joined the United Counties League (Step 6 in the FA Pyramid) and shared a stadium with Wellingborough Town. The team earned two more promotions, reaching Step 4. In 2018, the club moved up to the FA's Step 3 Premier Division Central of the Southern Football League. The original stadium, Nene Park, was taken down in 2017.
See also
In Spanish: Irthlingborough para niños
