Rushden Now

Rushden is situated in the County of Northamptonshire, approximately 16 miles from Northampton. The southern limits of the town border on the County of Bedfordshire and to the north lies the river Nene (locally pronounced Nen), which flows into the Wash. The parish of Rushden covers nearly four thousand acres and is governed by a Town Council of twenty members, which meets in Rushden Hall.

Rushden's roots and prosperity have resulted from a number of industries, including farming and lace making, but the mechanisation of the boot and shoe manufacturing industry and associated trades was responsible for the expansion of the town in the nineteenth century. In the industry's heyday there were over a hundred boot and shoe factories in Rushden. Today only a handful of these survive. Some of the redundant factories have been converted into flats. Today industry in the town is varied and mostly situated in an out of town industrial estate.

The town has three large parks and several "pocket" parks. There are many clubs and organisations appealing to different tastes and ages many of these take part in the "Party in the Park" every year. The annual Cavalcade of Historic Transport is deservedly popular and attracts people and their vehicles from all parts of the country.

As with most towns, shopping in Rushden has changed with the advent of out of town supermarkets but there are still many interesting small shops in the high street.

In 2001, according to the census, there were almost twenty-six thousand people living in Rushden, and with the new housing estates being built on all sides of the town the increase in population which began in the nineteenth century looks set to continue.