The Town of Higham Ferrers, although small (population is approximately five thousand) is one of the most historic places in Northamptonshire and one of the leading boot, shoe and leather towns in that county.

It is situated at the junction of the North-south A6 London-Carlisle road with the East-west A45 Birmingham-Felixstowe road, both of which form a single route through the centre of the town.

Standing loftily on a hill, looking across the valley of the River Nene towards Irthlingborough, this defensive position gave the town its importance in early times.  The boundaries reach eastwards from the Nene almost to the Bedfordshire border and the long southern boundary is with Rushden, a larger town whose urban development has merged with Higham Ferrers.

Higham Ferrers, despite its shoe and leather industry, is fortunate in having retained a great deal of its historic core around which much history was written.  The former borough’s greatest son, Archbishop Chichele, founded a college (ruins of which remain) and the Bede House, a unique building now restored.  The Bede House, together with one of the most beautiful churches in the Midlands and a gem of a Perpendicular Chantry Chapel (formerly The Grammar School) forms part of a corner that is not unlike the close of a cathedral city.

Although other beautiful old stone buildings surround the picturesque Market Square and adjoining streets, Higham Ferrers does not live in the past.  It is a major leather curing centre and turns out boots, shoes and slippers by the million.  Other industries include precision engineering, electrical components manufacture and more recent developments in the synthetic materials field.  It has a neat shopping centre and a range of good infant and junior schools, combined with modern housing developments.  The former Borough Council was responsible for providing nearly 600 council houses, including two schemes for the elderly with resident wardens and communal leisure facilities.  Sports and recreation facilities are well provided for and entertainment, again shared with Rushden, is not lacking in variety.

In short, Higham Ferrers has all the best features of an old-world town with a proud and independent history and combines them with the expected modern amenities.  This combination has produced a most pleasing town to visit and in which to live.