Monument record 7198/45 - Avon Leather Works, Avondale Road

The site was probably developed for the leather merchants Geary, Askew & Goodman. A three-storey leather works located on the north side of Avondale Road. The works is built of brick with slate covered roofs. Ordnance Survey maps and other sources suggest that it was built circa 1890.

{1} Avon Leather Works, Avondale Road
Factory / office buildng for Avon Leather Works survives and is in use by Avondale Timber. Small structure located adjacent to the main building. Film 7, photo 2,3,4.

{2}The leather warehouse situated on Avondale Road commenced trading c 1899 under the auspices of Askew, Geary and Goodman. After Geary left the business, Askew and Goodman continued until, c1937, when the company was sold and became known as the Avon Dale Leather Warehouse. It was used as such until c. 1980. The Leather Trade yearbooks of the mid 1960s highlighted the product ranges of Avon Dale Leather, such as calf leathers and linings.

Prior to 1887 the area of Avondale Road was green fields. By 1901, Avondale Road appears to have been partially built and the leather warehouse appears as a small 'L' shaped building. By 1927, the warehouse has been extended creating a mirror image of the earlier building. The OS map for 1952 indicates that there have been no major changes to the structure. The infilling of the rear of the warehouse, on the eastern side, was undertaken in the latter part of the 20th century when that side of the building became a timber warehouse.

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

<2> Looker, J., 2004, Archaeological Buildings Survey: Avon Dale Leather Factory, Kettering, (unchecked) (Report). SNN104642.

<3> ENGLISH HERITAGE, 2000, Northamptonshire Boot and Shoe Survey, Kettering site 22 (Catalogue). SNN105075.

<4> Bellamy B, 1993-4, Boot and Shoe factories in Kettering, p 9 & 10 (Photographs). SNN111256.

<5> Historic England, Avon Works (formerly Avon Leather Works), Avondale Road, Kettering, BF103560 (Archive). SNN115148.

Record last edited

Jun 1 2023 4:42PM