Monument record 7203/95 - William James Ltd. (Formerly W.W. Chamberlain, Ashford & Campion Ltd. Cut Sole Dept.)

A small leather factory dating from the early 20th century and built around a house of circa 1895. In the mid 20th century it was the Cut Sole Department of Ashford & Campion Ltd

{1} Industrial building, Sartoris Road. Small scale industrial building on Sartoris Road behind shoe factory. Attached to houses to the side. Now used by 'Ashford and Campion Ltd Cut Sole Department.' Film 14, photo 9.

{2} 1896 Not identified (LT)
1899 House & buildings in yard shown (05 1:2500, 40.9)
1906Not identified (Kelly’s)
c1913 Business of W W Chamberlain established (SLN, xcv)
1916 W W Chamberlain, leather factor, currier & stiffener mfr (SLN)
1922 W W Chamberlain, leather dressers & heel mfrs, Sartoris Rd (LT)
1923 ‘Leather Dressing Works’ shown built around house (OS 1:2500)
1937 As 1922 (LT)
1974 ‘Cut Sole Factory’ (OS 1:1250)
? Ashford & Campion Ltd, Cut Sole Dept (painted sign)
1999 William James Ltd
The house was in existence by 1899, when buildings were also shown in the rear yard sufficient to indicate an industrial concern of some type, but it has not been identified. The firm of W W Chamberlain was established circa 1913, possibly on this site, and was certainly present by 1922. The works was considerably expanded, probably early in their occupancy, and certainly by 1923. It is not known whether this was the only factory operated by the firm. By 1974 the works was run as the Cut Sole Department of Ashford & Campion Ltd, also heel manufacturers and leather dealers, whose main premises were at Newton Road in 1916.
The double-pile house, which faces Sartoris Road to the north, has two storeys, a central stack and a white-painted two-bay front with a cogged eaves. The ground-floor windows have segmental arches with hood moulds, while the first-floor windows have stop-chamfered lintels. On the east return, overlooking a yard entrance that dates from the original layout of the site, there are arched first-floor windows with stone springers.
Three single-storey north-lit bays were attached to the west gable of the house (at a straight joint) and wrap around it to the rear. A fourth was added before 1923. The north front has an original entrance and a small office window with margin glazing towards the west, and a large loading doorway and a long window with a high sill to the east. All these features appear to be original. There is a single-flue stack on the west gable of the front range.

{3} The factory was previously surveyed by English Heritage (Rushden Site 6). Late C19th maps show that this part of Rushden was mostly undeveloped at that time. Only 15 years later on the Second Edition OS maps (1900) a rapid period of growth had begun with a system of streets laid out and developed. A detached house with two substantial outbuildings to the rear are shown on the site, the latter may have functioned as garden workshops thus suggesting that the original house may have been associated with the boot and shoe industry from its construction. The early history of the buildings is unknown but by 1913 the company of W.W.Chamberlain was based at Sartoris Road. (Chronological development is presented in tabular form on p.5.)

The house comprises a two storey, two bay property with no direct access in the front elevation. An original yard access is located on the south-east elevation, now beneath a flat-roofed, corrugated iron porch, boarded up and not accessible from the outside. The porch provided direct access into the factory sheds to the rear by means of a large wooden sliding door.
The house is of cream/white painted red brick laid in Flemish bond with courses of alternate stretchers and headers and queen closers at each corner, and with a cogged eaves course. The roof covering is Welsh slate with ornate clay ridge tiles. There is a central chimney stack.
There are arch-headed windows beneath a segmental brick arch with drip mouldings above on the ground floor. The windows are wooden sash with single large panes of glass above and below. First floor lintels have ogee mouldings with stopped chamfers. The sills are of stone. The windows themselves have been removed and are boarded up.

All four ranges of the factory were brick-built with concrete floors and north-light roofs. Intermediate timber columns support the iron and timber roof structure. The roof is glazed on the north side with probably Trafford tile on the south. Internally the south side is clad in tongue and groove timber. All fixtures and fittings have been removed. More details are given along with plans, elevations and photographs.

By 1926 the house had been incorporated into a series of factory buildings which surrounded it on three sides. Subsequent to this date there appears to have been little external alteration.

More details are given along with plans, elevations and photographs. Descriptions are given on a room by room basis.

{3} A two storey, two bay property with no direct access in the front elevation. An original yard access is located on the south-east elevation, now beneath a flat-roofed, corrugated iron porch, boarded up and not accessible from the outside. The porch provided direct access into the factory sheds to the rear by means of a large wooden sliding door.
The house is of cream/white painted red brick laid in Flemish bond with courses of alternate stretchers and headers and queen closers at each corner, and with a cogged eaves course. The roof covering is Welsh slate with ornate clay ridge tiles. There is a central chimney stack.
There are arch-headed windows beneath a segmental brick arch with drip mouldings above on the ground floor. The windows are wooden sash with single large panes of glass above and below. First floor lintels have ogee mouldings with stopped chamfers. The sills are of stone. The windows themselves have been removed and are boarded up.
More details are given along with plans, elevations and photographs. Descriptions are given on a room by room basis.

{4} The factory and house appear to be demolished on recent aerial photographs taken in 2016.

<1> Ballinger J., 1999, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Industrial Period, (unchecked) (Digital archive). SNN4.

<2> ENGLISH HERITAGE, 2000, Northamptonshire Boot and Shoe Survey, Site 6 (checked) (Catalogue). SNN105075.

<3> Walker C., 2014, Archaeological Building Recording at 65 Sartoris Road, Rushden, Northamptonshire June 2014 (Report). SNN109743.

<4> Vertical Aerial Photograph, EARTH.GOOGLE.COM 12-AUG-2016 ACCESSED 25-MAR-2019 (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN112695.

<5> Historic England, Undated, Former Ashford and Campion Ltd. cut sole works, 65 Sartoris Road, Rushden, BF103650 (Archive). SNN114100.

Record last edited

Sep 15 2022 1:06PM