MAKING THE PAST A PART OF OUR FUTURE 2024

Today, the 14th May 2024) West Northants Planning dept finally approved the plans for a Heritage Park on Chalk Lane. The aim is to provide a green open space, connecting the significant Grade 1 and 2 listed buildings around it –so that St Peters church, the Old Black Lion and Hazelrigg house on the one side of Marefair and Castle Hill United Reform on the other are enhanced. The space will also mean that we can trace through archaeological remains, the long arc of Northampton history. There were after all Northampton residents in the Neolithic and Bronze ages!



Friends of Northampton Castle will breathe a sigh of relief that this long awaited project is now finally moving on. We have been here before, back in 2011 when the then County Council agreed to buy the Castle House site on Marefair and create a heritage park dedicated to the long lost Northampton Castle.

The finances in place (£2million) from the Government , it does now seem possible that this park will become a very special part of Northampton’s future. It may even convince our Council leaders that the larger park originally envisaged is a better bet than an endless supply of very small flats without gardens.

We hope to publicise each new stage from this to completion, but also to ask for your help. Volunteers will be needed to assist in bringing the Park into being – to encourage its management and involve local teachers in explaining the events which took place here


Dr Marie Dickie OBE