Search

Watercolour painting of Abington Park

Watercolour painting of ‘Abington Park’ c. 1920, by Northamptonshire Artist, Thurston Laidlaw Shoosmith (1865-1933)

1920 Modern

Ironstone

Northamptonshire’s ironstone was formed from iron-rich sediments in the Jurassic period. Quarried since Roman times, ironstone has shaped our landscape, fuelled the county's industry and built our houses.

175 million years ago Geologic to Prehistoric

Jurassic Fossil Kallirhynchia sharpi

168 million years ago, Northamptonshire lay beneath a warm sea teeming with marine life, including this fossil brachiopod Kallirhynchia sharpi.

168 million years ago Geologic to Prehistoric

Dinosaur Footprint

This 166-million-year-old dinosaur footprint cast, found in Irchester, is Northamptonshire’s first dinosaur evidence, likely made by a Megalosaurus

166 million years ago Geologic to Prehistoric

Tomb of young girl, Elizabeth Follet, in Collyweston parish church

This tomb is believed to be that of a young girl, Elizabeth Follett, thought to be the daughter of John Follett  a stonemason in the employ of Lady Margaret Beaufort at her Palace in Collyweston. Elizabeth Follett was buried in February 1508.

1508 Medieval to Tudor

West Haddon Enclosure Award

Parchment copy of the West Haddon Enclosure Award of 1765. It details the allocation of land to each landowner in lieu of their previous holdings.

Georgian 1765 Stuart to Georgian

Military Cross

First World War Military Cross awarded to Lieutenant OK Parker for gallentry during what is often called the blackest day in the Northamptonshire Regiment's history.

1915 Modern

Treaty of Edinburgh - Northampton

In 1328, England's parliament met at Northampton Castle; where they agreed this peace treaty officially marking the end of the First War of Scottish Independence.

Medieval 1328 Medieval to Tudor

Tree Label

Tree label identifying a Hemlock spruce, part of the arboretum planted by the Sotheby family of Ecton Hall.

1902 Modern

Screw Pine Fossil

This screw pine fossil is a rare type specimen. Parts of Jurassic Northamptonshire were submerged in a shallow warm sea and tropical plants thrived on the nearby land.

168 million years ago Geologic to Prehistoric

Zeppelin Bomb

First World War incendiary bomb, dopped from a German military airship or Zeppelin as part of bombing raids on Britain.

1917 Modern

Spy Radio

Spy radio belonging to Swedish national and Nazi Sympathiser Gösta Caroli, recovered when he was caught parachuting into Northamptonshire in 1940.

1940 Modern

Binty Chicken

A Binty Chicken, created by anoymous grafitti artist Binty Bint and just one part of Northamptonshire's story in the 21st century.

2025 Modern

Diwali Paper Lantern

This hand-made paper lantern was created by local school children and held by Shanaya Singh in a recent Diwali lantern parade in Northampton.

2022 Modern

Roman Mosaic Floor Fragment

This fragment of Roman mosaic flooring is on display in Daventry Museum. It is part of a larger decorative floor, discovered in 1823 on Borough Hill, Daventry by historian George Baker, with a full excavation carried out in 1852 by Beriah Botfield, MP.

Early Roman Roman and Early Medieval