In pictures: Oak Apple Day ceremony kickstarts 350th anniversary of Great Fire of Northampton

The annual ceremony took place at All Saints Church on Thursday (May 29) to honour the generosity of King Charles II, who donated more than 1,000 tonnes of timber to reconstruct the church and halved the town’s taxes for seven years following the Great Fire of Northampton in 1675.

Organised by Northampton Town Council, with the support of the Lord-Lieutenant, the event welcomed Honourable Artillery Company of Pikemen & Musketeers - a royally-warranted ceremonial unit dating from the 17th century. A civic and military parade also took place, and Mayor of Northampton Councillor Jan Birch placed an oak wreath around the statue of Charles II.

A thanks giving service led by Father Oliver Coss took place inside All Saints. Councillors, MPs, Charles Spencer and more were in attendance.

The ceremony marked the start of the 350th anniversary commemorations of the Great Fire of Northampton. There will be events throughout the year to mark the anniversary. A Great Fire trail has also been launched, which people can access on the Explore Northampton app. The trail will show the historic locations along the fire’s path of destruction.

Take a look at the Oak Apple Day ceremony in Northampton with the pictures below.