Settling in · Irchester
Landing in Irchester? Start here.
The first fortnight in Irchester, in order: the paperwork that has to happen, then the places that make it feel like somewhere you could stay.
Week one and two
The order to do things in
1
Ring your Sama contact when you land
Whoever placed you. Tell them you arrived and that you are all right.
2
Apply for your National Insurance number
You can start work before it arrives, but do not leave it: your tax will be wrong until you have it.
3
Open a bank account
Passport, visa or share code, and proof of address. A letter from your employer usually does it.
4
Get a UK SIM
A local number makes the bank and the GP straightforward.
5
Register with a GP
Free at the point of use. Do it in your first week.
6
Check your tax code with HMRC
Get on the right code early or you will be paying too much for months.
7
Save your share code
You will be asked to prove your right to work and rent more than once.
8
Find the nearest shop, place of worship and club
The part that decides whether you stay, and the part no handbook covers.
Official, and free
Official finders
Run by the State, so they stay current. Search each one for your own town.
Find a GPThe NHS list of GP surgeries, searchable by postcode.Apply for a National Insurance numberYou need one to be taxed correctly. Apply once you are in the UK.Find an NHS dentistHarder than the GP. Start early and ring around.Check your visa and BRP or eVisaView and prove your immigration status online.Find your local police stationEmergency is 999 or 112. Non-emergency is 101.Understand your tax codeCheck what HMRC thinks you earn, so you are not overtaxed for months.Driving on a foreign licenceHow long you may drive on it, and whether it can be exchanged.Renting: know the rulesYour rights as a tenant, deposit protection and what a landlord may and may not do.Citizens AdviceFree, independent help with anything at all.Public transportNational rail and bus times and tickets.
Near you
74 places in Irchester worth knowing in week one
From OpenStreetMap, the map that locals build, plus places our team knows. Every card has a map link. If one has closed or moved, WhatsApp us and it comes down.
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Places of worship
Every faith near you, listed so people can find a community when they arrive. Sama Talent Group is not affiliated with any religion or religious organisation.
Churches
Rushden Salvation Army
Christian, Salvation army
16-18 Church Street, Rushden, NN10 9YT
About 3 km away
Rushden Full Gospel Church
Christian
60 High Street South, Rushden, NN10 0QX
About 3 km away
Wellingborough United Reform Church
Christian, United reformed
High Street, Wellingborough, NN8 4HW
About 4 km away
Isham Independent Wesleyan Church
Christian, Methodist
Church Street, Kettering, NN14 1HD
About 9 km away
Mill Road Baptist Church
Christian, Baptist
Mill Road, Wellingborough, NN8 1PF
About 4 km away
Mosques and prayer rooms
Iglesia ni Cristo
Iglesia ni Cristo, Milton Keynes
About 32 km away
Fenny Stratford Community Centre, 13 George St., Milton Keynes, England, MK2 2NR
Worship services: Thu 7:00pm · Sat 6:00pm
Iglesia ni Cristo, Peterborough
About 37 km away
Colonel Dane Memorial Hall, Church Street, Alwalton, Peterborough, PE73UU
Worship services: Wed 7:45pm · Sat 7:00pm
Addresses and worship service times from the Iglesia ni Cristo directory, checked October 2026. Times can change, so check the locale's own page before you go. directory.iglesianicristo.net
Shops from home
Food and takeaways
Yumeijin
Chinese. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Sa 12:00-14:30,17:00-23:00; Su 12:00-16:00,18:00-22:00
58a-59 Oxford Street, Wellingborough, NN8 4JJ
About 4 km away
The Spice Lounge
Indian. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Su 16:30-22:00
22 High Street, Rushden, Higham Ferrers, NN10 8BL
About 4 km away
Nando's
Chicken, portuguese. restaurant
West Terrace, Rushden Lakes, Rushden, NN10 6FT
About 2 km away
Oriental Gouemet
Chinese. takeaway
45b High Street, Rushden, NN10 0QE
About 3 km away
Wishbones Kebab House
Kebab. takeaway
62 High Street, Rushden, NN10 0PJ
About 3 km away
Wok inn Chinese Take away
Chinese. takeaway
134 High Street, Rushden, NN10 0PD
About 3 km away
Hong Kong Chinese Take Away
Chinese. takeaway. Hours: Su-Mo, We-Th 16:30-22:00; Fr-Sa 16:30-22:30
5a High Street, Rushden, Higham Ferrers, NN10 8BW
About 4 km away
Sports and clubs
Rushden and Higham Rugby Club
Rugby union. Sport club
Bedford Road, Rushden, NN10 0SA
About 4 km away
Raunds Town Cricket Club
Cricket. Sport club
Marshalls Road, Wellingborough, Raunds, NN9 6ET
About 10 km away
Rushden and Higham United Football Club
Soccer. Sports centre
Hayden Road, Rushden, NN10 0HX
About 4 km away
Santa Pod Raceway
Drag racing. Sports centre
Airfield Road, Hinwick, NN29 7XA
About 6 km away
Bodyworks Gym
Sports centre. Hours: Mo-Fr 06:30-21:30; Sa 10:00-16:00; Su 10:00-14:00
31 Alma Street, Wellingborough, NN8 4DH
About 4 km away
Driving schools
Community and support groups
Victoria Centre
Community centre
46-50 Palk Road, Wellingborough, NN8 1HR
About 4 km away
Park Road Baptist Church Community Halls
Community centre
Park Road, Rushden, NN10 0LH
About 4 km away
Great Doddington Memorial Hall
Community centre
42B High Street, Wellingborough, NN29 7TQ
About 4 km away
St Barnabas Church Hall
Community centre
St Barnabas Street, Wellingborough, NN8 3HA
About 5 km away
Hemmingwell Community & Skills Centre
Community centre
127 Nest Farm Crescent, Wellingborough, NN8 4TU
About 5 km away
Barbers and hair specialists
Barbers and salons
Cutting Edge Hair And Beauty
Hairdresser
1b Queen Street, Rushden, NN10 0AA
About 3 km away
Nxtgen.co
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo,Tu 08:00-18:00; We 09:00-18:00; Th,Fr 08:00-19:00; Sa 07:30-19:00
52 Oxford Street, Wellingborough, NN8 4JH
About 4 km away
Men’s Secret
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo-Sa 09:30-17:00
51 High Street, Rushden, NN10 0QE
About 3 km away
Wright Image
Hairdresser. Hours: Tu,We 09:00-18:00; Th,Fr 09:00-20:00; Sa 09:00-16:00
1 Newton Road, Wellingborough, NN29 7QN
About 3 km away
Cinemas and libraries
Wellingborough Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo-Fr 08:00-18:00; Sa 09:00-17:00; Su 13:00-16:00
Pebble Lane, Wellingborough, NN8 1AS
About 4 km away
Irthlingborough Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo-Fr 14:00-18:00; We,Sa 10:00-14:00; Su 11:00-14:00
High Street, Wellingborough, NN9 5PU
About 5 km away
Finedon Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: We,Sa 10:00-14:00; Th,Fr 14:00-18:00; Su 11:00-14:00
Berry Green Road, Wellingborough, NN9 5JL
About 7 km away
Irchester Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Tu-Fr 13:00-18:00; We 08:45-14:00; Sa 10:00-14:00; Su 10:45-14:00
High Street, Wellingborough, NN29 7AA
Rushden Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo-Fr 09:00-18:00; Sa 09:00-17:00; Su 11:00-14:00
Newton Road, Rushden, NN10 0PT
About 3 km away
Wollaston Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo 10:00-12:00; Tu 13:00-16:00; We,Sa 09:30-12:00; Th 14:30-16:30
21 Newton Road, Wellingborough, NN29 7QN
About 3 km away
Earls Barton Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Tu-Fr 13:00-18:00; We 09:00-14:00; Sa 10:00-14:00; Su 11:00-14:00
Broad Street, Northampton, NN6 0ND
About 7 km away
Burton Latimer Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Tu-Fr 09:00-18:00; Sa 10:00-14:00; Su 11:00-14:00
High Street, Kettering, NN15 5RH
About 9 km away
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. We do not make places up: if the map has it wrong, fix it on openstreetmap.org and it comes through at the next refresh.
Saving money
What locals use to spend less
The shops and sites people here use for cheap clothes, second-hand furniture, a car, and the weekly shop. We are not paid to list any of them.
Facebook Marketplace and GumtreeSecond-hand furniture, bikes, tools and cars, often for very little. Meet in public, and never pay before you see it.Freecycle and OlioThings people give away for free, and food from neighbours and shops that would otherwise go in the bin.Too Good To GoSurprise bags of food from cafes, bakeries and supermarkets at the end of the day, at a fraction of the price.PrimarkCheap everyday clothes, work basics and bedding.Aldi and LidlThe cheapest big supermarkets for the weekly shop.B&M and Home BargainsCleaning products, kitchen kit and household bits for less.Charity shopsClothes, coats and furniture, and the money goes to a good cause.MoneySavingExpertFree guides to cheaper phones, energy, bank accounts and sending money.
Getting around
Getting around from Irchester
TravelineBus, coach and train times for the whole of Great Britain.National RailTrain times, tickets and railcards.Transport for LondonThe Tube, buses and the Oyster and contactless fares.
Driving here on your licence
Once you live in Great Britain you can drive a car or motorcycle on your full, valid licence for 12 months. After that, a licence from a designated country can be exchanged for a GB licence; from other countries you apply for a provisional licence and pass the theory and practical tests. Lorries, minibuses and buses have stricter rules: check before you drive one.
Check your licence on GOV.UK Exchange a licence
Hiring a car
Each rental company sets its own rules on age, how long you have held your licence and which licences it accepts, and young drivers often pay more. Check those rules before you book, and bring your licence and passport to the desk.
Driving rules taken from the official pages linked above, checked October 2026. They change, so the official page is the one to rely on.
While you are here