History of Northampton – Gallery 1
Gallery 1 takes visitors on a chronological journey from prehistory to the Civil War. Highlights include artefacts from Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in the Nene Valley, the Iron Age hillfort at Hunsbury, and a Roman settlement at Duston. The gallery also explores an Anglo-Saxon settlement, the growth of the medieval town and its religious institutions, Northampton’s important royal castle, a Wars of the Roses battlefield, and the decisive Civil War battle fought nearby.
History of Northampton – Gallery 2
Gallery 2 continues the story from the Great Fire of Northampton and the town’s subsequent rebuilding. It explores the development of key local trades and industries such as shoemaking, lacemaking, and brewing. As transport links expanded, engineering and manufacturing flourished. The gallery concludes with modern objects that demonstrate how Northampton’s tradition of craftsmanship and high-quality, bespoke production continues to thrive today.
Shoe Gallery
The Shoe Gallery celebrates the fascinating world of footwear, placing people at the heart of the story — those who design, make, and wear shoes.
Visitors are taken on an engaging journey through more than 7,000 years of shoe history, from 5300 BCE to the present day. The gallery explores how footwear styles have continually evolved and been reinvented in response to new materials and technologies, shifts within the industry, and major world events.
A dedicated making section reveals how shoes are created, from handmade bespoke pieces and Northamptonshire factory production to large-scale mass manufacturing. The gallery also showcases the work of three diverse shoe designers, who share their inspirations and offer insight into their individual design processes.
Beyond how shoes are made, the gallery examines why we choose the shoes we do. Footwear protects our feet, supports comfort, and aids mobility — but our choices are also influenced by fashion, advertising, brands, celebrity culture, and the simple pleasure of shopping. A major theme of the gallery explores how shoes can express identity, status, and aspiration, communicating who we are, who we want to be, and how we wish to be seen. Powerful and personal, shoes can trace our journeys through life.
