Kingsthorpe is a suburb and civil parish of Northampton, England. It is situated to the north of Northampton town centre and is served by the A508 and A5199 roads which join at Kingsthorpe's centre. The 2011 Census recorded the population of the district council ward as 4,477. For centuries, Kingsthorpe was a rural village, with a parish of and history dating back to the 9th century. In the 19th century, it was made a civil parish. Most of the parish was absorbed into the borough of Northampton in 1900; the remainder of it followed in 1931. Kingsthorpe continued to grow into the 20th century as residential development moved further northwards and either side of the A508 and A5199 roads. Kingsthorpe is now a large residential area of Northampton which is made up of several neighbourhoods that surround its central shopping front. In 2020, Kingsthorpe Parish Council was formed. Geography Kingsthorpe lies approximately two miles north of Northampton town centre as well as being placed to the west of Abington, to the east of Duston and to the south of Boughton. It is situated on sloping land overlooking the tributary of the River Nene called the Naseby Source, or Brampton Nene, which flows through the area to the west from north to south. The original village retains a semi-rural character, away from the main roads, overlooked by the parish church and vernacular cottages. The suburb's amenities are centred on the main A508 and A5199 roads that link central Northampton with Market Harborough and Leicester respectively. Areas considered part of Kingsthorpe have since grown around the original village, with residential development mainly to the north and either side of the A508 and A5199 roads. The parish of Kingsthorpe covers a large area split into 5 wards: Kingsthorpe, Obelisk, St Davids, Spring Park and Sunnyside. History Kingsthorpe was listed in the Domesday Book in 1085 as Torp; at this time it formed part of the demesne of the Crown. This evolved into Thorp during the 12th and 13th centuries. By the 14th century, it was known as Kyngesthorpe. The name is derived from the Old English cyning and Old Danish torp, meaning the King's hamlet or farmstead. The Domesday Book also made reference to three watermills, which were later known as North (or Farre) Mill (being furthest from the village), the Nether Mill in the village, and the South Mill nearer to Northampton.