| | | Corby is synonmous with steel and an important part of British industrial history. |
| It was here that what was once a small village with a Royal Charter became a major player in steel production when Scottish firm Stewarts and Lloyds arrived in the 1930 sand built a huge steelworks. |
| For a while the area thrived and the population dramtaically changed, as the company took many of their Scottish workers to Corby. At one point more than 70 per cent of the residents of Corby were of Scottish descent. |
| Corby was designated a New Town in the 1950s and for many the investment in housing estates and the prospect of regular work was tempting. |
| But by the 1970s the industry was in decline and in 1980 British Steel closed the works, resulting in 11,000 people being made redundant. |
| The effect on the town was devastating but now the council are working hard to recover and bring industry back to Corby. |
| Large companies have moved to the area and the town still keeps up an unusual tradition - the Pole Fair, which is celebrated every 20 years. |
The original village area of the town becomes a carnival with lots of shows and
events. The Royal Charter is read out at toll gates and anyone who doesn't pay up is carried off to the stocks! |
Near Corby are a couple of stately homes well worth visiting - Kirby Hall - an Elizabethan house and Rockingham Castle, which has splendid rooms and views of five surrounding counties. |
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