An ancient ceremony of thanksgiving at All Saints’ Church will commemorate Oak Apple Day and kickstart the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of Northampton.
The annual civic ceremony, organised by Northampton Town Council and the Lord Lieutenancy, remembers the generosity of King Charles II, who donated over 1,000 tonnes of timber to reconstruct All Saints’ Church and halved the town’s taxes for seven years following the blaze in 1675.
The event on Thursday, May 29 will see a detachment from the Honourable Artillery Company of Pikemen & Musketeers be accompanied by the ‘A’ Company LNR ACF Corps of Drums, with a parade and musket firing taking place on the piazza of All Saints’ Church around 12pm.
The civic procession will then enter All Saints’ Church for a thanksgiving service led by Father Oliver Coss.
The High Sheriff of Northamptonshire will then invite the Mayor to place an oak leaf wreath on the statue of Charles II, standing high on the church’s portico. A prayer of thanksgiving is then read by the Lord-Lieutenant, along with the playing of the National Anthem, a toast to the Mayor and a final blessing.
Cllr Jane Birch, Chair of the Community Services Committee at Northampton Town Council said: “This year is a particularly special Oak Apple Day marking the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of Northampton.
“Without the generosity of King Charles II all those years ago, Northampton may never have recovered from the impact of the fire, which ripped through the town centre. These civic traditions are a really important part of Northampton’s history and it promises to be an iconic occasion for the town. Everyone is welcome to attend and be part of this unique ceremony.”
The unusual name of ‘Oak Apple Day’ is derived from the restoration of the monarchy, when Charles II came to the throne on 29 May 1660. The future King famously hid in an Oak Tree, when he sought refuge from his roundhead enemies, following the 1651 battle of Worcester.
The Earl of Northampton, James Compton, appealed to King Charles II and the bill to rebuild Northampton was passed, with Crown Commissioners sent to oversee the works and ensure that the benefactor of a new Northampton was never forgotten.
Oak Apple Day formally signals the start of a six-month period of commemorative activity marking the anniversary of the Great Fire.
Cultural and historical groups are teaming up with partners including Northampton Town Council, West Northamptonshire Council and Northampton Town Centre Business Improvement District (BID), to put together a series of events to showcase the story of the fire and the rebuild that followed.
Northampton Town Council has commissioned a virtual trail as part of the celebrations, to transport users back to the day of the Great Fire, with characters telling the story of the catastrophic event as it unfolded.
Flames ripped through the streets of Northampton in 1675, destroying 700 of the 850 buildings in the town centre and claiming 11 lives.
The blaze is believed to have been caused by sparks from an open fire in a home on St Mary’s Street, near the former castle site. As the flames raged, residents were forced to flee while prominent buildings such as All Hallows Church were reduced to ashes.
While the Great Fire of Northampton caused immense destruction, it also marked a turning point in the town’s architectural development.
In a remarkable display of community spirit and determination, local residents and businesses rallied together, raising £25,000 to finance the ambitious reconstruction of the town centre, centred around the bustling Market Square.
The trail will be available on the Explore Northampton app, launching on Oak Apple Day itself, Thursday, May 29.
For more details visit www.discovernorthampton.co.uk/GFON350
Photo credit: Stu Vincent Photography
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