One of the places featured in the book Northamptonshire A County of Spires is Oundle.
Oundle has been described as one of the most charming towns in Northamptonshire’. It is an ancient market town known for its famous school which is one of the leading public schools in England. It has fine limestone houses, large parish church, three sets of almshouses, and old inns. The river Nene curves round the town.
The fine examples of Elizabethan and Early Stuart buildings are indications of how prosperous the town was from the sixteenth to eighteenth century.
In 1556 the Free Grammar School of Oundle was founded by the will of Sir William Laxton a London grocer.
In 1876 the school was divided into two parts Laxton Grammar School mainly for inhabitants of the town and Oundle School mainly for pupils from further afield, but to mark the millennium the two schools were re-united under the name of Oundle School.
Oundle has a marvellous variety of stone buildings and a unique atmosphere during school time when pupils of Oundle School can be seen passing on their way to various classes or other school activities, and the town has a variety of independent shops to explore and enjoy.
A town and school of exceptional elegance for its size. Like Cambridge meets the Cotswolds, with a realness. For me, however, I think its the plethora of verdant spaces around the school buildings and the centre of the town that sets it apart from many places.