Discover Towcester, Northamptonshire

Towcester, Northamptonshire, England: Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Watling_Street_Towcester_2008_05_18.jpg
Author: Cj1340


Towcester is a small town in South Northamptonshire, England. It has a population of some 10,000 people (2012 estimate). It is claimed to be the oldest town in Northamptonshire and possibly the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in Britain.

Archaeological excavations have provided evidence that people have settled in the Towcester area as early as the Mesolithic era. During the Roman occupation of Britain, the Romans established a town here called Lactodurum.

Towcester Town Hall: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Towcester_Town_Hall.jpg
Author: Cj1340


Many of the buildings in Towcester were built over Roman sites. Among them, the present-day St Lawrence's Church is said to occupy the site of a Roman civic building or temple. The fact that habitation of the area has been continuous from Lactodurum to present-day Towcester helped it to claim the position of being one of the oldest continuously inhabited towns in the country.

After the Romans withdrew in the 5th century, the settlement was taken over by the Saxon. It was absorbed into the Kingdom of Wessex, and then into the Danish territory of Danelaw. Control passed to the Normans in the 11th century.

St Lawrence's Church, Towcester: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St_Lawrence%27s,_Towcester_-_geograph.org.uk_-_143168.jpg
Author: Andrew Smith


Towcester was relatively insignificant for much of the medieval period. It became important towards the Georgian and Victorian periods, as it was used as a stopover for stagecoaches between London and Holyhead. Today Towcester is a small, historic town, visited mostly by history enthusiasts.

Visiting Towcester

Take the M1 motorway to Junction 9, then continue on the A5 road until reaching Towcester.

Places of Interest in Towcester

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