Northamptonshire Archives and Heritage Service

21/10/2026

17/10/2026

[𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁 | 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗘𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱]

🌍🏺 Happy World Archaeology Day!

There seems to be a day for just about everything these days, but this is one we’re delighted to celebrate.
To mark the occasion, we’d love to know: what’s your favourite archaeological site or find?
It could be somewhere you’ve visited, something you’ve researched, or even a discovery from your own back garden. Share your choice in the comments below 👇
Looking for inspiration? Explore the Historic Environment Record and see what catches your eye:
https://hbsmr-web-northamptonshire.esdm.co.uk

15/10/2026

The search continues - do you have the oldest photograph in Northamptonshire?

To celebrate the 200th anniversary of photography, Northampton Museum and Art Gallery are creating an exhibition to celebrate photography in Northamptonshire and we are looking to find the oldest photograph of a Northamptonshire subject to feature in the exhibition.

One of the oldest photographs we have found so far is held at Northamptonshire Archives. Taken in 1854, it captures Norman Ramsay, whose family lived in Brackley when he died abroad in the Crimean War.

On the reverse is written ‘Norman Ramsay, 34th Regiment, died of fever in Crimea R.I.P.’ Along with his photograph, Northamptonshire Archives holds two letters sent from ‘Camp before Sebastopol’ to Ramsay’s relatives, and the Crimea Medal with Sebastopol Clasp, awarded to Lt. Norman Ramsay, 34th Foot.
For more details, see Northamptonshire Archives Online Catalogue: https://wnc.ai/4xAke

Share your old photographs with us by email to [email protected].

10/10/2026

[𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁 | 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗘𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱]

Can I share something with the HER?
Absolutely.

Have you discovered something interesting, carried out your own local research, or come across a story, place, or piece of Northamptonshire's heritage that deserves to be recorded? We'd love to hear from you.

For World Mental Health Day, we're taking a moment to recognise the value of connection, reflection, and shared experiences. Exploring local heritage and preserving memories can be a meaningful way to reflect on the people, places, and stories that have shaped our lives and communities.

If there's something you'd like to share with the Historic Environment Record, please get in touch. Your information could help preserve Northamptonshire's history for future generations.

📩 Contact us to share your discoveries, research or local knowledge.

📍 Northamptonshire Archives
Wootton Hall Park
Northampton NN4 8BQ

06/10/2026

Since October is here, who doesn’t love a ghost story?

This statement written by William Blagrave to Sir Justinian Isham in 1674 reveals the strange tale of how a spirit allegedly led William Clarke, a husbandman from Harrington, to Southwark to find his long-lost fortune to give to his descendants.

Blagrave writes that Clarke’s children spotted a man outside of their house at night, “walking a long tyme about the close in blackish clothes” when Clarke attempted to leave the house to talk to him, he disappeared several times. When finally they had the opportunity to speak the spirit said “not to be afraid, for he would not hurt him nor his wife nor children, but he is the man that must doe his business”. “267 years, 9 months and 2 days ago he was murdered in the old days… by a servant thereof, was buryed in the close”. “You must forthwith to Southwarke” to the house the spirit’s wife and children once lived in at the time of his death. After initial avoidance, Clarke finally relented and followed the spirit to the house in Southwark, where he was let into the house and he dug where instructed until he, sure enough, found “old rusty money but not gold with a parchment”. The spirit left “several things in charge to those of the house and him” and the he did not return to Clarke’s house following the events.

Ghost stories have fascinated us for centuries, and the story at the time was a sensation in Oxford according to further correspondence with Sir Isham’s son.

Catalogue reference: IC/805

02/10/2026

[𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁 | 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗘𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱]

🎉 One year ago, the Northamptonshire Historic Environment Record (HER) website went live.

Over the past 12 months, more than 25,000 users have visited the website, using the HER to explore Northamptonshire's historic environment and access thousands of heritage records.

Since its launch, people from across the county and beyond have used the HER to discover prehistoric landscapes, Roman roads, medieval churches, industrial heritage sites and archaeological discoveries. One of the HER's priorities has been to make our data more accessible and easier to access online and it is rewarding to see the website helping to make that a reality.

Thank you to everyone who has visited the website, explored the records, shared our posts and supported the HER over the last twelve months.

Here's to another year of discovering, recording and celebrating Northamptonshire's past.

🔎 Explore the HER: https://her.northamptonshire.gov.uk/
💬 What's been your favourite HER discovery this year?

25/09/2026

[𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁 | 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗘𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱]

This September marks one year since Histories of Northamptonshire opened at Northampton Museum & Art Gallery.

The exhibition brought together 100 stories from across Northamptonshire, curated by a wide range of contributors. The Northamptonshire Historic Environment Record (HER) was pleased to take part as a guest curator, contributing to two of the stories featured in the exhibition and helping to share the archaeology, records and landscape history that shape our understanding of the county's past.

Although the exhibition closed at the end of February, its legacy continues online through the interactive timeline created as part of the project. The website allows visitors to explore the stories featured in the exhibition and discover the people, places and events that form Northamptonshire's history.

If you didn't get the chance to visit the exhibition, or would like to revisit some of the stories, the interactive timeline is still available here:

Welcome to the Histories of Northamptonshire interactive timeline, showcasing objects throughout history.

15/09/2026

If you missed us this morning, we will be at Kettering Library again on Friday afternoon, 1pm-3pm! As part of Heritage Week, this is a great opportunity to chat to some of our staff about the archives and the Historic Environment Record. We hope to see some of you there!

04/09/2026

Pictured here is Abington Street, Northampton c.1914, prior to the widening of the street and removal of the tramways. Horse-drawn trams were introduced in the town in 1881, and were phased out with the introduction of electric trams in 1901 when the Northampton Corporation Tramways bought the company. However with the introduction of motor buses in 1922, the tramways fell into disrepair until eventually in 1934, the tram system ceased completely. Abington Street was later widened and pedestrianised in the mid-20th century.

Document reference: NLS/PH/198/T/6