This is a new series that we are going to try and run on our website and on our Facebook and Instagram.
As probably most of us know, Hunsbury Hill Iron Age Hillfort (within Hunsbury Hill Country Park) is also known as Danes Camp, as evidenced from the above extract from the 1883 OS map of the area. Somewhat confusing for visiting history buffs who are directed to the Leisure Centre with the same name !
But why is it called Danes Camp (or, simply The Camp) ?
The most popular theory is that it is thanks to Sueno the Dane, who ransacked and then burnt Northampton town, before retiring to ‘Hunsborough Hill’ to enjoy the sight from his ‘Summer Camp’.
We have chosen this as our first Fun Fact of the Month, as Northampton is celebrating 350 years since the Great Fire of Northampton, which apparently started on 20th September 1675 in St. Marys Street.
However, according to a map of Northampton made in 1746 by Messrs Noble and Butlin, Sueno the Dane’s arson was in 1012, although in 1748 a Mr. John Noble (who had now presumably fallen out with Mr. Butlin) stated that Sueno “burned Northampton and ravaged that part of the country” in 921.
Assuming that Sueno only managed to burn Northampton town down once, as it is unlikely that he would manage it twice 91 years apart, then according to ‘A Timeline of Northampton‘ by Tim Lambert, there was a second burning of Northampton in 1516, so the one in 1675 now being celebrated by WNC was actually the third such event.
It could be said that to have a town burnt down once is unlucky, to have it happen twice is carelessness, but to suffer it three times is suspicious (with apologies to Oscar Wilde).