“Inspired cooking”

Famed for being the home of the Army boot until the industry’s decline in the 1950s and 60s, Raunds was a hotbed of political activity in 1905, when a dispute over boot maker’s wages culminated in a march to London in protest.  A plaque commemorating the event is on show outside the historic Saxon Hall building, an impressive piece of architecture which dominates the southern end of the main street, Brook Street, and is so-called in reference to the Saxon roots of the town.  Also worth a look is St Peters church, which has been in use for at least 500 years.

Today Raunds is a small market town with a lively centre at weekends, and the shops and pubs are centred around the town square and along Brook Street.  The World Upside Down pub ‘on the square’ is lively and shows live football on Sky, BBC and ITV, and boasts a covered beer garden to the rear. The local Indian restaurant, the Mughal Dynasty - one of the best in the district – also on ‘the square’, is more than your average local curry house, offering lots of extra dishes you won’t see in many other places.  For a small town, Raunds has plenty to offer in terms of takeaway food, and Raunds Fish Bar has a fantastic reputation for quality and can be found opposite Europe’s smallest zebra crossing, in the corner of the square.  Pizza Max, further out of town by the Titty Ho Roundabout, specialises in pizza (no shocks there!), and is the place to go for great meal offers.  The football club is on the edge of the town but is only 2 minutes drive from the square, or ten minutes walk.