Kettering
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- This is an article about Kettering in England. For other uses see Kettering (disambiguation).
Template:GBmap Kettering is an East Midlands town in north Northamptonshire, England, situated on the River Ise, a tributary of the Nene with a population of approximately 85,000. [1] Kettering's dynamic economy is largely based upon service and distribution industries, after the decline of the boot and shoe industry in the latter part of the 20th century, and due to its central location and good transport links. There is a large and growing base of commuters, who take advantage of Kettering's position on a main line railway, although the town continues to retain an independent feel.
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History of Kettering
In 1887, John Bartholomew's Gazetteer of the British Isles described Kettering like this:"Kettering, market town and parish with railway. station, Northamptonshire, 8 miles N. of Wellingborough and 75 miles from London, 2840 ac., pop. 11,095; P.O., T.O.; 3 Banks, 2 newspapers. Market-day, Friday. Kettering is an ancient place, and was called by the Saxons Kateringes. The charter for its market was granted by Henry III. in 1227 to the monks of Peterborough. It is a fairly prosperous town, with tanning and currying, mfrs. of boots and shoes, stays, brushes, agricultural implements, and some articles of clothing. It has a handsome town hall, a cattle market, a corn exchange, and a grammar school. Many Roman relics have been found in the vicinity."
Kettering can trace its origins back to an early Roman British settlement. The local Roman industry is represented by the pottery kilns at Barton Seagrave and Boughton. In Saxon times, the town was known as Cytringan. The charter for its market was granted by Henry III in 1227. By the 17th century the town was a centre for the production of woollen cloth. The present town mostly grew up in the 19th century with the development of the boot and shoe industry, which had seriously declined by the middle of the 1990s.
In 1801 Kettering's population was 12,734. In 1901 it was 41,770. By mid-2003 the population of the Borough was 84,300. This is expected to rise significantly over the next 15 years. Kettering is due to see 13,100 new houses built during that period, with several thousands of houses thereafter. That will increase the number of houses and people in the borough by more than a third by 2021.
Economy of Kettering
Kettering has excellent transport links and lies on the Midland Main Line roughly halfway between Sheffield and London, and on the A14 East - West trunk road, approximately midway between the M1 and the A1. The town benefits from its "Heart of England" location on the busy A14 and is said to be within two hours drive of 75% of the UK's population.
Kettering's unemployment rate is amongst the lowest in the UK. A healthy 80% of it's adults are in full time employment. It is home to a wide range of companies including Weetabix Limited, Pegasus Software as well as Wicksteed Park, the United Kingdom's oldest theme park, which now plays host to one and a quarter million visitors every season.
It is the home of Kettering General Hospital, which provides Acute and Accident & Emergency services for the whole of North Northamptonshire. With almost 800 staff at 5 campuses, the Tresham Institute of Further and Higher Education is a significant employer as well as a seat of learning for local students of all ages. A new £20 million campus is under construction and due to open in 2007.
Culture of Kettering
Kettering's Heritage Quarter houses the Manor House Museum and the Alfred East Gallery. The magnificent Boughton House, Queen Eleanor Cross and the 1597 Triangular Lodge are local landmarks within the Borough.
Kettering is home to Kettering Town F.C.. The club currently play in the Conference North, which is in the second tier of the English non-league football structure.
In the book The Meaning of Liff by Douglas Adams & John Lloyd, described in a "dictionary of things that there aren't any words for yet", that Kettering is descriptive of the marks on one's bottom caused by sunbathing in a wicker chair.
The Kettering Leg of the Student Cross pilgrimage leaves from near Kettering (Desborough) every Year.
Politics of Kettering
In Parliament, Kettering falls wholly within the parliamentary constituency of the same name, which is currently represented by Conservative MP Philip Hollobone, who gained the marginal constituency from former Labour MP Phil Sawford in the 2005 general election.
In the European Parliament, Kettering falls within the East Midlands European Parliament constituency and is represented by 6 MEPs (elected in June 2004): - Derek Clark (UKIP / ID) - Chris Heaton-Harris (Conservaitve / EPP-ED) - Roger Helmer (Conservative / Independent (formerly EPP-ED)) - Bill Newton Dunn (Liberal Democrat / ALDE - Robert Kilroy-Silk (Independent (formerly UKIP and Veritas) / Independent (formerly ID) - Glenis Willmott (Labour / PES) - replacing former Labour MEP
In local government, Kettering falls within the areas of Northamptonshire County Council and Kettering Borough Council, which incorporates the towns of Burton Latimer, Desborough and Rothwell.
A key local issue relates to plans to construct at least 145,000 new homes within Northamptonshire, increasing the population by 50%, including significant development for the Borough of Kettering. A protest group entitled STOP ("Stop the Over-development Plans for Northamptonshire") has been established, which is officially non-partisan but incorporates several senior figures within the local Conservatives, which campaigns against what it fears will be the creation of a "linear city" blurring the boundaries between Kettering and the neighbouring towns of Corby and Wellingborough.