The portion initially opened extended from the Racecourse along Kettering Road, Abington Street, Mercers’ Row, Gold Street, Marefair, Black Lion Hill, past Northampton Castle railway station, and over West Bridge to the borough boundary.

Major General Hutchinson of the Board of Trade inspected the works at 09.00 hrs on 4 June 1881.

Following some remedial works, there was an inaugural run for local dignitaries, and the tramway opened to the public on the same day at 18.00 hrs.

[2] A trial run over the extension from All Saints’ Church to St George Terrace, Leicester Road was conducted on 23 September 1881 by Mr. H. Goulston, the manager in car number 5.

[4] The entrance to the depot was through a narrow passageway, but the land at the back provided space for 31 horses, 8 cars, a smithy, granary and fodder store.

There was also initially a paddock and small grazing area for sick animals, but this was later built on with extensions to the depot.

They were built of brick with red tiles to the designs of Mr. T. Floyd C.E., with stabling initially occupied by 54 horses.

There was a separate building for storing hay and corn, and for the cutting of chaff, which was done using a Phipps and Son gas engine.

[6] The first route ran from All Saints church in the town centre, along Abington Street and Kettering Road to the White Elephant (then the Kingsley Park Hotel).

Major General Charles Scrope Hutchinson of the Board of Trade inspected the extension on 16 May 1893.

The company took drastic measures to achieve this, having replaced many of the poor quality horses, they dismissed all of the conductors and employed 14- to 16-year-old boys who worked for 7 shillings per week.

Six cars were ordered initially from the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company at Smethwick.

A gas powered locomotive, designed and built in December 1882 at Mobbs' Vulcan Ironworks, Guildhall Road, Northampton was tested on the company tracks.