Kettering is a market town in the centre of England, with good connections in all directions. The area historically had an agricultural economy. Access to leather and tanning skills led to the growth of the shoe trade, and Kettering is still known for its shoe making. The local hills are rich in iron which led to mining and iron production during Roman times, with the huge growth of the steel industry during the industrial revolution. Today, Kettering has a lot of light industry and acts as an ideal distribution centre for the rest of the country, given its good road and rail access to other parts of the UK. Ease of access to London and relatively affordable housing has resulted in a growing population. 

A local industrialist and philanthropist, Charles Wicksteed specialised in children’s play equipment and, in 1921, made available a large amusement park for the children and families of the area. His playground equipment and other products of the industrial revolution were exported all over the world.

Northamptonshire has the greatest concentration of stately homes in the country, making for good walking and leisure opportunities. 

Kettering was a prominent centre for the non-conformist movement of the 18th and 19th centuries. William Carey, known as “the father of modern missions” founded the Baptist Missionary Society here, and the town was known to be a place where people would walk from Northampton 18 miles away, just to be in the presence of God. The town has long had a strong history of sending people out to share Jesus with other parts of our country and world, and we long to be part of God’s future mission plans for Kettering.

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