The ‘Needs to Know’
Distance: 4 miles (6.44km)
Time to walk: There’s no time limit on this one as there’s lots of stops opportunities etc
Difficulty: All on town paths
Dog Friendly?: Town path so your dog will be on the lead all the time
Parking: Carefully & considerately on the road near the start in Colwyn Raod
Postcode: Colwyn Road: NN1 3PU
What.3.words: pigs.diary.become
Public toilets: Cafes etc en route
Map of the route: From the leaflet which can be found at this link…
You can also navigate from the QR Code
In the 13 years I’ve been doing what I do, I’ve always tried my best to support & promote anything Northamptonshire. So when I heard there was a new Cabinet Art Trail I had to do it & give it publicity
The Chronicle & Echo ran an article on 22nd April 2026 which quotes the following background explanation to the project…
“Beautiful artworks have been popping up on the streets of Northampton as dark green, often graffiti-covered boxes are being transformed. The Cabinet Art Project, which was set up by Clare Butterfield last year, has received new funding from West Northants Council & joined forces with Red Rumpus Community Arts. It now extends along the Kingsthorpe Road/Barrack Road & into the Boot & Shoe Quarter with 25 new artworks completed or underway. It aims to ‘bring joy to Northampton one media cabinet at a time’ & local residents & passers-by have praised the work by local artists
The artists adhere to strict guidelines & submit designs for selection, which are then approved by West Northants Council & the relevant telecoms company. The designs celebrate the town, whilst some are more abstract encompassing a wide range of styles from 15 local artists, designers & illustrators”
The details in this walk follow the suggested route & quotes the explanations of each artwork directly from the instructions (in italics) – we just do it in our usual picture style
Let’s Walk!
1. After parking near the Kettering Road end of Colwyn Road the first cabinet is on the corner with Hood Street (the ‘what3words’ in the ‘Needs to Know’ above will get you there…
This is Boingg! (Abi Jackson)
“Celebrating vintage floral fabrics, this cabinet celebrates the other great Northampton industry of textiles!”
2. Facing the Cabinet turn right to the Kettering Road & then right again…
On the corner of Kettering Road & Clare Street you’ll find Tiles (Skulls & Robots)
“Traditional cultural motifs of some of the communties that live and work on the Kettering Rd. Themes of luck and prosperity”
3. Turn right along Clare Street & then bear 1st right…
…which is where you find Words of Fire (I think Jodie Made It)
“A line from Henry Carey’s poem ‘Ode To Eloquence’, reimagined to celebrate the spoken word artists of Northampton”
4. Continue around to the corner with Shakespeare Road…
…where you’ll find Though She be but Little (I think Jodie Made It)…
“A line from Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ about never underestimating small people!”
5. About turn & come back to Clare Street, turn right & walk to The Swan & Helmet. Built around 1876 this is still one of the best Irish pubs & ‘allegedly’ they still pour the best pint of Guinness in the town
Outside it you’ll find Essence (Red Rumpus)…
“A line from John Clare’s poem ‘The Flitting’ celebrating the Irish Community based at the Swan & Helmet pub”
6. Continue along Clare Street to the traffic lights at the crossroads & turn right along Hunter Street. Take the second right into Gray Street…
A few yards down on the left you’ll find Connect (Alexander Small)…
“Alexander’s signature cartoon style makes reference here to the interconnected creative communities of Northampton”
7. Retrace your steps to Hunter Street & turn left back to the crossroads with the traffic lights. Turn right, passing Clare Street Drill Hall
Over the road on the left’s Sunshine of Memory (Red Rumpus)…
“A line from John Clare’s poem ‘The Irish Emigrant’. A nostalgic view of the Balloon Festival and the Racecourse”
8. Bear right & almost immediately you’ll find Cabinet Cabinet (Skulls & Robots)…
“The ghost horses of the Racecourse are commemorated on this whimsical cabinet”
9. Come back & turn right along Duke Street passing the magnificent church on your right…
On the left side of the street’s Mrs Mackintosh’s Roses (Little Sausage Factory)…
“Celebrating Margaret, the often overlooked design and life partner of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Designers of the interior at No.78 Derngate”
10. Keep going down the hill passing the old Church’s factory…
At the junction turn left into Baliff Street. Walk along the right side where you’ll find Under the Arches (Joshua Ryan)
“Features the art deco arches of the Mounts Baths on a starry sky”
11. Turn left up Robert Street where, on the junction with William Street is Pigeon in Flight (Heather Everitt)…
“A Northampton pigeon in all its beauty!”
Walk up William Street & just past the garage is Squirrel (Skulls & Robots)…
“A cheeky squirrel from the Racecourse, relieved to have found his nut”
12. Come back out of William Street, turn left & carry on up Robert Street to the junction with Earl Street where, on the left’s Hayfever (Red Rumpus)…
“Sunflowers represent community and joy, here celebrating the disabled community of Northampton”
Turn right along Earl Street to the new supermarket on the junction with Upper Mounts. Turn left to find Sunny Side (Littlest of Then All)
“The art deco architecture of Northampton, as a classic sunburst design”
13. Continue to the junction & bear left & then left again into Overstone Road…
Almost immediately on the left’s Flax (Littlest of Them All)…
“The flax linen industry was huge in Northampton. This is a flax flower in a bold geometric design. Outside the former Linen & Thread Factory”
14. Walk down St Michael’s Road passing the world famous Trickers Factory on the right…
At the end on the left’s Bubble Boot (Helna Merin Joseph)
“Boots and shoes are a central feature of Helna’s work, here in the wash next to the launderette!”
15. At the junction with Kettering Road turn left & then first left again at the large church…
And then 1st left again into Alcombe Road…
On the left’s Rrrred (Helna Marin Joseph)…
“An iconic red boot that took Northampton onto the screen and the stage all over the world”
16. Retrace your steps back to Kettering Road. Turn right & cross Michael’s Road & then bear right towards the town. After passing the Gym on your right bear right into Kettering Gardens…
…where you’ll find The Lighthouse (The Rainbow Teapot)…
“The Lift Tower aka the Northampton Lighthouse (Terry Wogan quote!}. Lighting the way for weary travellers”
17. This is the last cabinet in this area of the town. To reach the next part walk towards the town & bear right & down The Upper Mounts, passing the swimming pool & fire station. At the crossroads turn right along Barrack Road stopping opposite the Northampton International Academy…
On your side of the road’s ‘The Five Rivers Inn’
18. Look around the corner of it to find Swansong (Red Rumpus)…
“The Nene River flows with memories of the old Post Office sorting depot (now NIA) and the Gibraltar barracks in the distance”
19. Continue along the Barrack Road to the entrance into The Racecourse…
On the right’s Dragon Mound (Caitlin Skye)
“Sunset over the popular Dragon Mound play area on the Racecourse”
20. The final cabinets now come thick & fast & involve a bit of road crossing but keep on the right for now. Walk past the Cathedral…
…& over St George’s Avenue. Look around the corner of the next street (St George’s Place’) on the right to find Floral Guardian (Helna Merin Joseph)
“Cheerful floral celebration of the boot and shoe industry of the town”
21. Almost next door’s Icons of Northampton (Ash Mason)
“The town’s historical features including the Rose of Northamptonshire, Grand Union Canal, Becket’s Well and the Lift Tower”
22. You can see the next cabinet over the road, so to get a closer view, cross carefully. This is Primroses & Bees (Monet Shot)…
“Primroses for Primrose Hill”
23. Back on the right side of the road look up the corner of Freehold Street to find Tram (Littlist of Them All)…
“One of the trams that ran between Kingsthorpe and the town centre at the beginning of the 20th Century”
24. Continue along what’s now Kingsthorpe Road & over the road again you’ll find Barratt Family Tree (Helen Verrill)…
“Boots and babies!! The Barratt family were philanthropists who built the boot factory (over the road) and maternity home in Northampton”
The factory is one of the town’s most splendid buildings
25. Walk along the left side of the road to find the final cabinet High Heel Bloom (Helna Merin Joseph)…
“Shoes and boots were the key industry for Northampton for many years”
So that’s it…what a great idea & certainly a good way to spend a bit of time finding these lovely pieces of artwork
Go Walk!