Building record 1160/145/1 - Nos.18, 18A, 20 & 20A Sheep Street

Late 17th century. Formerly an inn and then the town house of the Earl of Halifax. After 1740 it was the seat of Dr Doddridge's Academy for Dissenting Ministers.

{2} C17th, heightened C18th by addition of top floor. Ashlar up to 2nd floor, stucco above. Welsh slated roof. 7 windows to each upper floor. Late C19 or early C20 shop fronts. 1st floor simplified Ionic pilasters under cornice moulding; 2 niches at No 20. May have been town house of Earl of Halifax. Plaque commemorates Dr Doddridge's famous Dissenting Academy here circa 1740-52. Formerly included No. 24, now demolished.

{4} Late 17th century, of ironstone. Heavily tapered Ionic pillasters on the first floor. The main motif, left of centre, is the niches flanking a window (altered). This was once an inn, then the town house of the Earl of Halifax, and, after 1740, the seat of Doddridge's Academy for Dissenting Ministers.

{5} Two photos dated 1990;

{6} Research by Brian Giggins includes:
1- The 1745 will of Jonathan Warner, states that the premises were acquired from the Earl of Halifax.
2- By 1785 it was divided into two messuages in the occupation of Beatrice Watts and George Thompson, having previously been in the tenure of Rev Phillip Dodderidge and before that was an inn called the Rose and Crown in the occupation of Srah Delawall. The inns gardens, stables, barns, buildings and yard were in Bearward Street (Sources- NBC deed safe file 18-22 Sheep Street c1980)
3- Ground and first floors contain pre-1675 fabric, upper floors an 18th or early 19th century addition. Façade originally asymmetrical, having an off centre access to the rear courtyard.
4- Repositioning of first floor Ionic pilasters on 28 Sheep St destroyed original pilaster setup (NBC Architects plan dated June 1975 CD/15c/3a)

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 1/81 (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> 1976, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), H14 p.121 (checked) (Catalogue). SNN116960.

<3> Page W. (ed), 1930, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire- The Borough of Northampton, p.38 (unchecked) (Series). SNN100370.

<4> Bailey, B, Pevsner, N, and Cherry, B, 2013, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p. 447 (Book). SNN111989.

<5> Photographs of buildings in Northampton (Photographs). SNN114989.

<6> Northamptonshire HER, Unknown, Oral information, correspondence (not archived) or staff comments (Oral Report). SNN115011.

Record last edited

May 7 2026 3:54PM