[4] Most of the village is on Blisworth Limestone or Upper Estuarine Series geology, though the church and castle are on river alluvium.

It produces the wheat, barley, sugar beet and some potatoes usual in eastern England The small Church of St Mary Magdalene has a notable Norman tympanum over its south door.

[5][6] It is built within the remains of the castle, which appears to have been a very early Norman bailey later developing into a strongly fortified manor.

[5][7][8] The village is dominated by a large industrial site, once the factory of Allis Chalmers, later Fiat-Allis.

[12] On 3 July 1938, north of Essendine and just over the border in Lincolnshire at Milepost 90¼, LNER Class A4 locomotive number 4468 Mallard set the land speed record for a steam locomotive, reaching 126 mph, unbeaten to this day.