Conservation Area: All Saints Conservation Area (DNN12349)

The Conservation Area was designated on 20th January 1976, and since then, the boundary has not been altered. All Saints’ church marks the centre of the town and the Conservation Area. The Conservation Area covers a wide area, and from the church, the area extends down Bridge Street to the south, Gold Street to the West, the Drapery and Sheep Street to the north and along George Row and St. Giles’ Square to the east, where it adjoins the Derngate Conservation Area. The area also includes the Market Square and part of Mercers Row to the northeast and the Guildhall along St. Giles’ Square. History and Development The All Saints Conservation Area lies in the heart of the town centre, forming the main part of the town’s retail core. The Saxon part of Northampton was concentrated around Marefair and its surrounding area, but Norman and Medieval development eastwards saw All Saints and the Market Square becoming the central focus of the town by the time of the Civil War. The development of burgage plots helped influence the layout of the medieval town, although after the 1675 fire, it is only the road pattern, which largely survives intact today. This part of the town has been the heart of commercial activity, although the focus of this activity has shifted from Gold Street to shops along the Drapery, around the Market Square, and Mercer’s Row. Mercer’s Row then runs into Abington Street, most of which is outside the Conservation Area. Architectural and Townscape Character The town centre is the place that sees the majority of change within any town, and Northampton is no exception. There is not one style of architecture that dominates or unifies the town or streetscape. This provides visual diversity to the area. The character of the area is defined by the uses within it and how people use and move within this space. The All Saints Conservation Area is a vibrant part of the town, which is actively used by both pedestrians and vehicles. Although many of the buildings have been adapted to accommodate modern shopping trends, there are many fine examples of traditional shop fronts. This enhances the townscape, and although many examples are not on listed buildings, their retention is key in maintaining the character. Insensitive shop fronts can be found, and these have a detrimental effect on the character and appearance of the Conservation Area. Building Ages and Primary Uses Much of the architectural heart of the town centre was destroyed by the Great Fire on 20th September 1675. This fire took with it all but three of the churches (St. Peter’s, St. Giles’ and the Holy Sepulchre) and most of All Saints, along with over 600 dwelling houses. Only two dwelling houses survived the 1675 fire, one of which, The Welsh House, is situated within the Conservation Area. The other is Hazelrigg House, which is just outside of the Conservation Area on Marefair. Due to this, there are a variety of building ages, with buildings dating from the 17th century to the 20th century. The majority of the buildings, however, date from the 19th century, although to accommodate the modern, the town centre has lost some lovely examples of 19th century architecture, such as the Emporium Arcade. As expected of a town centre, the buildings have a variety of uses, although the majority of uses are divided between shops, financial and other professional services and food related businesses.

Record last edited

Apr 23 2025 3:05PM