Towcester
Towcester makes claims for being the oldest town in the county, with some justification, as its site has occupied an important road junction since the Romans built Watling Street early in their occupation of Britain. Romans, Celts, Saxons and Normans have all contributed to the town's fortunes. Towcester sits on ancient Watling Street where the Romans built the walled town of Lactodorum . The latter has only been revealed in fragments, and is still being excavated; however, the foundations, some tessellated pavements, terra sigillata , Castor ware and coinage from most periods of history have been unearthed. Roman legions would have marched through Lactodorum on their way to construct the Great Wall of Hadrian. The fortifications of the old town fell into disrepair in the 4 th century AD with the withdrawal of Roman occupation, but there is evidence of a later Saxon settlement there. In fact, the Saxons built a church on the site and King Alfred's son Edward the Elder, issued a mandate for fortifying the town with a wall during conflicts with the Danes.
Through the 11 th and 12 th centuries it was the turn of the all-conquering Normans to impose their influence upon the town, as with the rest of Britain. Some little evidence of their masons' work may be witnessed in the Church of St Lawrence, most notably in the carving above the south arcade. The crypt, reached by a doorway from the sanctuary, is of the 13 th century, and the arcades with their lofty piers, originate in the 13 th and 14 th centuries. On the arch of the south chapel is a jester's head, probably some 600 years old. Both the clerestory and the massive tower, where a row of angels watch over the deeply recessed doorway, are some 500-years old, as is the church font. Most of the windows are medieval in origin, three at the East End of the sanctuary being of the 14 th century and several more of a century later.
Much of the woodwork in the church is old, roof beams bespeak their 17 th and 18 th century origins, while the chancel roof bears the date 1640. Some Jacobean panels have been worked into the modern pulpit and in the sanctuary stands a chair bearing the date 1627, carved with the initials of a bailiff who used to sit in it. A long stall, lined with carved panels, contains a series of valuable chained books, which include the Treacle Bible of 1568 and Bishop Jewel's Apology. Even more interesting is the 18 th century organ with its carved ornaments, French or Belgian in origin and bought by the Beckfords of Fonthill Abbey for £2000. Lord Pomfret later purchased the organ and presented it to Towcester in 1817. There is also an imposing monument in memory of William Spoone, Archdeacon of Norfolk and rector of St Lawrence from 1422-48; he was a great benefactor to the town and left a bequest to pave its streets.
During the Civil War, 1642-49, Towcester was the only Royalist stronghold in the county and the tides of changing fortune surged round it, finally to fall in favour of the Parliamentarians. In later coaching days the town was an important staging post between London and Holyhead - travellers would break their long journey here. Dean Swift was among the more famous travellers who rested-up at Towcester on arduous journeys to and from Ireland, staying over at the Talbot Inn, built in 1707, now alas a bank.
Apart from the church, few stones remain as witness to the town's long history, though there is a Tudor house in Market Square as well as some ancient ironstone dwellings in the main street. The Saracen's Head Hotel has an impressively long ironstone front and is famous for having been used by Dickens in his Pickwick Papers . Towcester, it is claimed, is Eatonswill of the same novel. Facing into the Market Square, beside the 19 th century Town Hall, is another ancient structure, the solidly built 15 th century Chantry House; it was founded by Archdeacon Spoone in 1448.
Lying on the outskirts of Towcester is a renowned racecourse, and just to the south is the famous motor-racing circuit at Silverstone, built around a disused airfield.