[image] Kettering is an East Midlands town in Northamptonshire, England.
Kettering can trace its origins back to an early Roman British settlement. The charter for its market was granted by Henry III in 1227. By the 17th century the town was a centre for the production of woollen cloth. The present town mostly grew up in the 19th century with the development of the boot and shoe industry. In 1801 Kettering's total population was 12,734. In 1901 it was 41,770. By mid-2003 the population was 84,300.
Kettering lies on the Midland Main Line (and A6 trunk road), roughly halfway between Bedford and Leicester, and on the A14 East - West trunk road approximately midway between the M1 and the A1. The town benefits from its "Heart of England" location on the busy A14 and is said to be within two hours drive of 75% of the UK's population.
At 2.6%, Kettering's unemployment rate is amongst the lowest in the UK. A healthy 79.6% of it's adults are in full time employment. It is home to a wide range of companies including Weetabix, Pegasus Software as well as Wicksteed Park, the United Kingdom's oldest theme park, which now plays host to one and a quarter million visitors every season.
It is the home of Kettering General Hospital, providing Acute and Accident & Emergency services for the whole of North Northamptonshire. With almost 800 staff at 5 campuses, the Tresham Institute of Further and Higher Education is a significant employer as well as a seat of learning for local students of all ages. A new £20 million campus is under construction and due to open in 2007.
Kettering's Heritage Quarter houses the Manor House Museum and the Alfred East Gallery. The magnificent Boughton House, Queen Eleanor Cross and the 1597 Triangular Lodge are world-famous local landmarks.
Kettering is home to Kettering Town F.C., one of the best of the non-league football clubs. Its MP is Philip Hollobone, who took the seat for the Conservatives in the 2005 general election.
In the book The Meaning of Liff by Douglas Adams & John Lloyd, described as a "dictionary of things that there aren't any words for yet", Kettering is descriptive of the marks on one's bottom caused by sunbathing in a wicker chair.