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Kettering
is firmly at the crossroads of England, claiming access by road
to three-quarters of the UK population in two hours. Centuries ago,
it was the lush green fields that made the town prosperous.
From
footwear to posh frocks
Good
links: Kettering Railway Station. |
Four-hundred
years ago, woollen cloth was made in Kettering; later, silk and
a velvety-fabric called plush, were woven here. By
Victorian times, the main industry was leather. Boot and shoemaking
is still important but long-gone are the days when most people worked
in the industry. Footwear and other consumer goods are now rigorously
tested at the research and technology organisation, SATRA, based
on Rockingham Road.
Alfred
East statue. |
With
the arrival of railways in the 19th Century, other industries grew
up, such as engineering and clothing. The luxury clothing manufacturers
Aquascutum built their first factory here in
1909. The holiday time-share company, RCI, has its European heaquarters
in the town. Kettering
is now also a commuter town with links to London and the north of
England.
Claims
of a world first
| Kettering
People
|
| William
Carey (1761-1834) Kettering resident; co-founder of the
Baptist Missionary Society. |
| William
Knibb (1803-1845) Kettering born anti-slavery campaigner. |
| Sir
Alfred East (1844-1913)
Kettering
born landscape artist; the town's art gallery is named after
him. |
Thomas
Cooper Gotch
(1854-1931)
Kettering born artist. |
| John
Profumo (born
1915) Not
a local lad, but Kettering MP. The 1963 'Profumo Affair' sex
scandal forced him to resign. |
| Frank
Bellamy (1917
- 1976)
Kettering resident. Comic-strip artist behind Dan Dare and Garth. |
| Ron
Atkinson (born
1920) Not
from here but Kettering Town Football Club manager. He went
on to manage Man. United. |
Kettering
Town Football Club, known as The Poppies, are based at Rockingham
Road and play in the Doc Martens League Premier Division. A former
Poppies’ manager is Ron Atkinson, who later went on to manage Manchester
United, Aston Villa and Sheffield Wednesday.
Kettering
Leisure Village is on the outskirts of the town. Wicksteed Park
is a popular leisure park which has been open to the public since
1916. It was founded by Charles Wicksteed who made park benches
and playground equipment. Tresham
Institute provides further and higher education courses and hosts
the McKinlay Theatre.
The
Corn Market Hall was originally used for trading in corn, but is
now used for meetings, concerts and wedding receptions.
|
Birds
eye view of Kettering. 
View
