Duchess celebrates community spirit on county visit

The Duchess of Edinburgh with Chris Holmes with students from Boothville Primary School

A county's "unique history and creative energy" have been celebrated during a whistle-stop royal visit.

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh began a busy day of engagements at Northampton Bike Park, seeing the positive impact the development has had on the local community since it opened in 2022.

The park was given a £250,000 investment from Sport England on behalf of the Places to Ride programme.

Chris Holmes, chief executive of Northamptonshire Sport, said: "It was a real honour to welcome Her Royal Highness and to share the story of what has been a truly community-powered project."

"This space has been created by and for local people, with the support of national partners to provide a fun, safe and inclusive place for everyone to ride," he said.

The Bike Park opened two years ago and has various trails for different skill levels

The duchess met volunteers, local authority representatives and board members from Northamptonshire Sport - and spoke to pupils from Boothville Primary School.

Local riders performed a mountain bike skills demonstration and concluded with the unveiling of a commemorative plaque.

Nick Barr, head of participation at British Cycling, one of the funders of the bike park, said the long term goal of the facility was to achieve a "healthier, happier nation".

"Enabling more young people and riders from diverse backgrounds to access the full breadth of the cycling disciplines is central to our long-term strategy," he said.

Pupils from St Luke's Primary School presented the duchess with fire-themed art work and maps of the affected areas

During the duchess' visit to the county, she also marked the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of Northampton and was presented with fire-themed artwork from local schoolchildren at the town's Market Square.

She visited areas of the town centre linked to the fire's history, including All Saints Church. The duchess learned about its role in the town's recovery - and the connection to the annual Oak Apple Day commemorations.

"This was a truly special day for West Northamptonshire, shining a spotlight on our county's unique history, creative energy," James Saunders Watson Esq, Lord-Lieutenant of Northamptonshire, said.

Northampton Market Square reopened after its renovation in September 2023

The duchess also met girls from Northampton School rugby team to acknowledge the Women's Rugby World Cup coming to West Northamptonshire this summer.

The visit ended at Northampton's historic Guildhall, where the duchess joined community, heritage and voluntary organisations.