Building record 1301/39/1 - Shoe factory, Grove Street

A three storey boot and shoe factory built on the north side of Grove Street. Originally with an 'L' shaped plan this brick-built factory has slate-covered pitched roofs. Ordnance Survey maps suggest a building date c.1890

{1} Building shown on map of 1900 and as a shoe factory on map of 1926. The building is still in existence and is now partially converted to flats on the top floor and garage / storage space on ground floor. On the top and bottom floors details such as window openings etc have been changed, whereas on the middle floor (which is currently out of use) the original details remain.

{2} This former boot and shoe factory was built, according to a series of barely legible stone tablets set in the Grove Street elevation, in 1882. At first the factory had three storeys and an L-plan consisting of a three-bay front range facing Grove Street and a seven-bay rear range projecting flush with the west gable of the front range. The northernmost bay of the rear range has scarring which may be associated with an attached range, now demolished, dating from map evidence to 1899-1924.

It is unclear to whom this factory belonged: early directory entries lack addresses and later entries suggest two possibilities (Regulation Boot Co. (Raunds) Ltd or Owen Smith, boot and shoe mfr).

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

<2> ENGLISH HERITAGE, 2000, Northamptonshire Boot and Shoe Survey, Raunds /site 15 (Catalogue). SNN105075.

<3> Historic England, Undated, 1 Grove Street, Raunds, BF103544 (Archive). SNN115680.

Record last edited

Nov 29 2023 3:29PM