Editing Northampton (section)

== Geography ==
Northampton is formally in the [[East Midlands]] region but is also referred to in Government planning as being part of the [[South Midlands]] "growth area". The town is {{convert|30|mi}} south-southeast of [[Leicester]], {{convert|16|mi}} north-northwest of [[Milton Keynes]], {{convert|43|mi}} west of [[Cambridge]], {{convert|37|mi}} northeast of [[Oxford]] and {{convert|37|mi}} southwest of [[Peterborough]].

=== Areas and suburbs ===
[[File:Northampton from OpenStreetMap.png|thumb|300px|Map of the town suburbs]]
Northampton is subdivided into suburbs, [[Wards and electoral divisions of the United Kingdom|council wards]], [[List of United Kingdom Parliament constituencies|constituencies]], ecclesiastical [[parish]]es, and other less formal areas.

Suburbs and districts of Northampton include:

{{columns-list|colwidth=15em|
* [[Abington Vale]]
* [[Abington, Northamptonshire|Abington]]
* [[Billing, Northamptonshire|Billing]]
* [[Blacky More]]
* [[Brackmills]]
* [[Collingtree]]
* [[Collingtree Park]]
* [[Cotton End, Northampton|Cotton End]]
* [[Cultural Quarter, Northampton|Cultural Quarter]]
* [[Dallington, Northamptonshire|Dallington]]
* [[Duston]]
* [[East Hunsbury]]
* [[Far Cotton]]
* [[Grange Park, Northamptonshire|Grange Park]]
* [[Great Houghton, Northamptonshire|Great Houghton]]
* [[Hardingstone]]
* [[Hunsbury Meadows]]
* [[King's Heath, Northampton|King's Heath]]
* [[Kingsley, Northampton|Kingsley]]
* [[Kingsthorpe]]
* [[East Hunsbury|Merefield]]
* [[New Duston]]
* [[Queen's Park, Northampton|Queen's Park]]
* [[Round Spinney]]
* [[Shelfleys]]
* [[Sixfields]]
* [[Spinney Hill]]
* [[St James End, Northampton|St James End]]
* [[Upton, Northamptonshire|Upton]]
* [[West Hunsbury]]
* [[Weston Favell]]
* [[White Hills, Northamptonshire|White Hills]]
* [[Wootton, Northamptonshire|Wootton]]
}}

Concurrent with the abolition of the borough of Northampton in 2021, the [[unparished area]] of Northampton became parished with three new parish councils being established: A new Town Council covering the majority of the urban area of Northampton was established, whilst the areas of Kingsthorpe, and Far Cotton and Delapré also gained parish councils.<ref>{{cite web |title=Northampton Town Council |url=https://www.northamptontowncouncil.gov.uk |access-date=18 August 2020 |publisher=northamptontowncouncil.gov.uk}}</ref> In addition, there are nine registered [[parish councils in England|parish councils]] which predate the abolition of the borough of Northampton. These are Billing, Collingtree, Duston, Great Houghton, Hardingstone, Hunsbury Meadow, Upton, West Hunsbury and Wootton & East Hunsbury.<ref>{{cite web |title=Parish Councils in Northampton &#124; Other Councils &#124; Northampton Borough Council |url=http://www.northampton.gov.uk/info/200033/councillors_and_democracy/480/other_councils |access-date=29 August 2013 |publisher=Northampton.gov.uk |archive-date=2 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402133459/http://www.northampton.gov.uk/info/200033/councillors_and_democracy/480/other_councils |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Other settlements that the [[Office for National Statistics]] considers part of the Northampton urban area include Boughton, Ecton, Moulton, Overstone and Rothersthorpe.<ref name=Nomis2011>{{NOMIS2011|id=E34004611|title=Northampton BUA}}</ref> At the 2011 census, Harpole, Cogenhoe, Grange Park, Little and Great Houghton, Overstone and Sywell were just outside the Northampton built up area;<ref name=Nomis2011 /> this may change when the 2021 boundaries are released.

=== Compass ===
Northampton's nearest towns are [[Wellingborough]], [[Daventry]] and [[Towcester]]. The nearest cities are [[Milton Keynes]], [[Leicester]], [[Coventry]] and [[Peterborough]].

{{Geographic location
|title = '''Destinations from Northampton'''
|Northwest = '''[[Birmingham]]''', '''[[Coventry]]''', [[Rugby, Warwickshire|Rugby]]
|North     = '''[[Nottingham]]'''<br>[[Loughborough]]<br>'''[[Leicester]]'''<br>[[Market Harborough]],
|Northeast = [[Kettering]], [[Corby]], '''[[Peterborough]]'''
|West      = '''[[Worcester, England|Worcester]]''', [[Stratford-upon-Avon]], '''''[[Warwick]]''''', [[Daventry]], [[Long Buckby]]
|Centre    = Northampton
|East      = [[Earls Barton]], [[Wellingborough]], [[Rushden]]<br /> '''[[Cambridge]]'''
|Southwest = [[Towcester]], [[Brackley]], [[Banbury]]<br>'''[[Oxford]]'''
|South     = [[Aylesbury]]
|Southeast = '''[[Milton Keynes]]''', [[Bedford]], [[Dunstable]], [[Luton]], '''[[London]]'''
}}

=== Climate ===

As with the rest of the British Isles, Northampton experiences an [[oceanic climate]] with cool summers and mild winters. The official [[Met Office]] weather station for Northampton is the [[Moulton Park]] Weather Station at the [[University of Northampton]]. Situated at an elevation of around {{convert|130|m|0|abbr=on}}  [[Above mean sea level|above sea level]] compared to Northampton town centre at {{convert|50|to|60|m|0|abbr=on}}, it is one of the highest points in the town, and so may not be a perfect representation of Northampton as a whole. Its hilltop location means less pooling of cold air on calm clear nights, and lower maxima during summer. The absolute maximum recorded is {{convert|34.7|C|1|abbr=on}}<ref name="northampton1">{{cite web |title=Moulton Park Weather |url=http://www.northampton.ac.uk/appliedsciences/appliedscience/geoenvsci/climatological-station/temperature |access-date=23 February 2011}}</ref> on 3 August 1990. A high of {{convert|34.4|C}}<ref>{{cite web |title=19th July 2006 |url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/interesting/july2006/MaxTemp1907Points_jpeg.JPG |access-date=23 February 2011}}</ref> was recorded on 19 July 2006, However, a maximum temperature of {{convert|40.2|C|1|abbr=on}} was recorded on 19 July 2022 at [[Pitsford]], located {{convert|4.4|mi|1|abbr=out}} from the town centre.<ref>{{cite web |title=Unprecedented extreme heatwave, July 2022|url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/binaries/content/assets/metofficegovuk/pdf/weather/learn-about/uk-past-events/interesting/2022/2022_03_july_heatwave_v1.pdf|access-date=10 November 2022}}</ref> The absolute minimum is {{convert|-16.8|C}},<ref name="northampton1" /> recorded during February 1986. It is likely the absolute maximum in the town centre is a degree or so higher owing to the lower elevation, and absolute minimum on the eastern and western edges of the urban area around the Nene valley a couple of degrees colder due to katabatic drainage of cold air allowing a frost hollow effect. Most recently, the temperature fell to {{convert|-9.6|C}}<ref>{{cite news |last=Rogers |first=Simon |date=21 December 2010 |title=20 December 2010 |work=The Guardian |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2010/dec/20/winter-weather-coldest-places-britain |access-date=23 February 2011}}</ref> on 20 December 2010.

Rainfall, at around {{convert|650|mm|0|abbr=on}} per year is not high, though is often unpredictable, giving rise to flooding events such as 1998, but also short term droughts. Desborough Weather Station also supplies the public with a local weather service.

{{Weather box|location = Northampton ([[Moulton Park]]),{{efn|Weather station is located {{convert|2.6|mi|1|abbr=out}} from the Northampton town centre.}} elevation: {{convert|127|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1976–present{{efn|Extreme temperature were recorded at Moulton Park (1976–2018) and at Pitsford (2006–present).}}
| collapsed    = 
| metric first = y
| single line  = y
| Jan record high C = 14.9
| Feb record high C = 17.9
| Mar record high C = 22.6
| Apr record high C = 26.5
| May record high C = 28.0
| Jun record high C = 32.1
| Jul record high C = 40.2
| Aug record high C = 34.7
| Sep record high C = 30.3
| Oct record high C = 27.9
| Nov record high C = 17.5
| Dec record high C = 15.4
| Jan high C = 7.1
| Feb high C = 7.8
| Mar high C = 10.4
| Apr high C = 13.5
| May high C = 16.6
| Jun high C = 19.6
| Jul high C = 22.1
| Aug high C = 21.7
| Sep high C = 18.7
| Oct high C = 14.4
| Nov high C = 10.1
| Dec high C = 7.4
| year high C = 14.1
| Jan mean C = 4.3
| Feb mean C = 4.7
| Mar mean C = 6.6
| Apr mean C = 8.6
| May mean C = 12.0
| Jun mean C = 14.9
| Jul mean C = 17.2
| Aug mean C = 16.9
| Sep mean C = 14.4
| Oct mean C = 10.9
| Nov mean C = 7.1
| Dec mean C = 4.7
| year mean C = 10.3
| Jan low C = 1.6
| Feb low C = 1.6
| Mar low C = 2.9
| Apr low C = 4.7
| May low C = 7.3
| Jun low C = 10.2
| Jul low C = 12.3
| Aug low C = 12.2
| Sep low C = 10.1
| Oct low C = 7.4
| Nov low C = 4.2
| Dec low C = 2.0
| year low C = 6.4
| Jan record low C = -16.4
| Feb record low C = -16.8
| Mar record low C = -7.3
| Apr record low C = -5.8
| May record low C = -1.8
| Jun record low C = 1.0
| Jul record low C = 4.4
| Aug record low C = 4.0
| Sep record low C = 1.8
| Oct record low C = -3.9
| Nov record low C = -6.7
| Dec record low C = -12.2
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation mm = 56.2
| Feb precipitation mm = 44.6
| Mar precipitation mm = 40.4
| Apr precipitation mm = 46.9
| May precipitation mm = 53.6
| Jun precipitation mm = 52.2
| Jul precipitation mm = 51.7
| Aug precipitation mm = 59.6
| Sep precipitation mm = 55.7
| Oct precipitation mm = 66.7
| Nov precipitation mm = 61.6
| Dec precipitation mm = 60.1
| year precipitation mm = 649.2
| unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
| Jan precipitation days = 11.9
| Feb precipitation days = 9.9
| Mar precipitation days = 8.4
| Apr precipitation days = 9.5
| May precipitation days = 9.2
| Jun precipitation days = 9.2
| Jul precipitation days = 8.6
| Aug precipitation days = 9.0
| Sep precipitation days = 8.9
| Oct precipitation days = 10.4
| Nov precipitation days = 11.5
| Dec precipitation days = 11.4
| year precipitation days = 118.0
| Jan sun = 55.3
| Feb sun = 80.5
| Mar sun = 115.6
| Apr sun = 157.5
| May sun = 197.0
| Jun sun = 175.0
| Jul sun = 198.3
| Aug sun = 181.0
| Sep sun = 135.9
| Oct sun = 106.2
| Nov sun = 64.3
| Dec sun = 53.6
| year sun = 1520.0
| source 1 = [[Met Office]]<ref name="Met Averages">{{cite web |url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-climate-averages/gcr37upbm |title= Northampton, Moulton Park (Northamptonshire) UK climate averages |access-date=1 January 2022 |publisher=Met Office}}</ref>
| source 2 = Starlings Roost Weather<ref>{{cite web|url=http://starlingsroost.ddns.net/weather/ukobs/temp_month_record_tmax_map.php|title=Monthly Extreme Maximum Temperature|access-date=13 February 2023|publisher=Starlings Roost Weather|archive-date=1 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230201173843/http://starlingsroost.ddns.net/weather/ukobs/temp_month_record_tmax_map.php|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://starlingsroost.ddns.net/weather/ukobs/temp_month_record_tmin_map.php|title=Monthly Extreme Minimum Temperature|access-date=13 February 2023|publisher=Starlings Roost Weather|archive-date=1 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230201173844/http://starlingsroost.ddns.net/weather/ukobs/temp_month_record_tmin_map.php|url-status=dead}}</ref> Pitsford Weather Centre<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.northantsweather.org/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171128190657/http://www.northantsweather.org/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=28 November 2017|title=Pitsford Weather Centre|access-date=13 February 2023|publisher=Met Office}}</ref>

}}
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