Northampton

About Northampton

A town in the East Midland region of England, Northampton is situated on the river Nene. It is one of the largest towns in England and there is archaeological evidence to suggest that there has been a settlement, in one form or another, on the site since the Bronze Age. Northampton is famous for its shoe industry which spans back several hundred years. Two-thirds of the 70 million items of footwear required during World War One were made by local shoemakers thanks to the area’s thriving tanning industry.

How to get to Northampton

If you’re attending a training course in Northampton, you will find that it is easy to get to via a number of different transport options. There is no airport in Northampton itself, but the nearest ones are Luton, East Midlands and Birmingham airports. Luton is 40 miles from Northampton and has good connections to cities within the UK and also many Eastern European cities, and there are 33 daily buses connecting Northampton to Luton. East Midlands airport is 58 miles from Northampton and has connections to many major European cities. The best way to get to Northampton from East Midlands airport is by road with the journey taking just under an hour. Birmingham airport is the largest of the three closest airports and has connections to countries all over the world. There are regular buses and trains connecting Birmingham airport to Northampton with journey times for both taking under 1h 20mins.

Getting to Northampton by road is also an easy option, with the M1 running past the west of the town, connecting it to Sheffield in the North (2hrs) and London in the South (2 hrs 5 mins). There is also a good system of A roads connecting Northampton to other local towns and further afield via the motorway. Northampton is currently undertaking an extensive programme of investment that will see the installation of electric vehicle charging stations throughout the town.

With face-to-face project management courses in Northampton often scheduled to take place over several days, you may need to find somewhere to stay in the local area. Fortunately, Northampton has a great selection of hotels to choose from. Here are some of our favourites:

Holiday Inn Northampton West (NN7 4LP)

Located just a couple of miles from the M1, this hotel, which is located just outside Northampton, is easy to access by car and has a good amount of free public parking onsite. There is a good sized restaurant in the hotel offering a range of meal options. There is also a business centre and meeting rooms available for guest use, making this a great choice for anyone who might want to keep in touch with the office whilst they are away. It is also a good option for a venue for project management training courses.

Delta Hotels by Marriott Northampton (NN4 7HW)

Located just off junction 5 of the M1, this modern hotel has all of the amenities that you might expect from a hotel in the Marriott group. There is an onsite fitness centre for guests to use as well as a restaurant and a bar. The hotel offers a good amount of free onsite parking with accessible parking options available. The hotel has travel sustainable level 3+ which means that it has taken considerable measures to improve its sustainability. The hotel offers a number of business facilities all of which are available to guests at an additional cost.

Hilton Northampton Hotel (NN4 0XW)

Just 10 minutes from the centre of Northampton, this large modern hotel with plenty of onsite parking. It is important to note, however, that there is a daily fee. In addition to all of the usual amenities you would expect from a hotel of this calibre, there are a good number of local points of interest close by that are well worth a visit for those guests who get the chance. Charged WiFi is available in all of the rooms and the hotel has meeting room facilities available to hire.

Northampton is a welcoming town that has plenty to offer to its visitors in terms of entertainment too.

Restaurants

There is a good range of restaurants in Northampton offering plenty of different dining experiences for visitors to the area. There are also pubs offering traditional meals, as well as some that offer something a little more refined. With French brasserie style restaurants, Italian and even Caribbean food on the menu, there is something to suit every taste.

Whilst there are no Michelin star restaurants in Northampton itself, Evas in Castle Ashby has been deemed worthy of a mention in the Michelin Guide. Find it at The Falcon, Castle Ashby NN7 1LF – just a short 14 minute drive from the town centre. The restaurant creates outstanding dishes that showcase local produce sourced from gamekeepers and nurseries working within the Castle Ashby estate.

Within Northampton itself The Stuffed Olive (Wellington Road, NN1 4EB) offers a superb range of Mediterranean food with a particular emphasis on fresh ingredients and plenty of fish dishes.

For those who are looking for something a little spicier, the Caribbean Dutchpot (Abington Square, NN1 4AE) offers an exciting menu.

Entertainment

There are several theatres within the town centre all offering a very different selection of performances and music events. Royal & Derngate (Guildhall Road, NN1 1DP) is a theatre complex consisting of two theatres and a cinema. Here, you will find a good range of different evening shows with something for everyone.

In addition to the usual pubs you might expect to find in a town centre, you will also find cocktail bars and craft beer venues.

If, however, you are looking for something a little different to try in the evening, then why not head to Trapp’d (Connaught Street, NN1 3BP)? They offer a series of escape room adventures that are challenging, fun and great for a little additional teamwork.