Rushden
Rushden is the largest town in East Northamptonshire and is located in the south of the District. It is well served by strategic roads. The A45 is situated to the north of the town, the A6 runs through the town and the A605 runs from the A6 to the A141, east of Peterborough.
Whilst archaeological evidence of settlements in the Rushden area goes back to the Iron Age and Roman periods, the origins of the town probably date back to the Saxons, who had a place of worship here. The Normans called the place 'Risdene' and built a church. The present church dates from the 13th Century. Rushden Hall has its origins in the 14th Century, but is mostly of a later date.
The town developed as a result of the mechanisation of the boot and shoe manufacturing industry. Footwear manufacture is still important economically, although the industrial base has diversified considerably in recent years. A major fire in 1901 destroyed many buildings in the old town centre, although rebuilding and new development has generally preserved the medieval street pattern, which is largely intact today. Rushden was the birthplace of H E Bates, the novelist.
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