Building record 1681/0/24 - No. 1 (Market House) and No. 5 Church Street

House and shop. Originated in the mid 16th century as an open hall house with cross wing, with significant 17th and 19th century alterations. Summary from record 1681/1/3: The house called Leigholme should ideally be the subject of detailed survey to determine if any structural evidence remains which might confirm that it was one a market house.

{1} House and shop. Probably mid C17 and C18 remodelled C19. Squared coursed limestone with slate roof. Originally 2-unit plan, then L-shape. 2 storeys. 3-window range at first floor, of casements, with glazing bars, under wood lintels. 2 C19 casements at ground floor are also under wood lintels. Central 6-panel door, with glazed toplights, has C19 lattice porch. Bay to right breaks forward with a lean-to roof and has a C19 shop front at ground floor. Shop window has glazing bars. Brick stack at end. 2-window range attached at right angles to rear is probably of C17 origin, remodelled C19. Interior: room to rear has C18 corner cupboard, salt cupboard and Bible cupboard. C17 staircase with splat balustrade. Cruck roof structure. (Alcock N.W., The Council for British Archaeology: Catalogue of Cruck Construction, p.133).

{4} Level III building recording undertaken during renovation of the property. The survey revealed that, although the building has undergone significant alterations, the core was an open hall with cross wing of mid 16th century date. Late 16th or early 17th century diagnostic features include the use of deeply chamfered binding joists to support the first floor structures and common floor joists, laid flat section but of lighter scantling. The roof structure over the cross-wing, now fossilised beneath later re-working, is a side purlin roof, which date from the 15th century, but more common by the mid 16th century. The cross-wing is abutted to the east by a former open hall entered through an ornate doorway with a three-centred head and deep stopped chamfers, which would not be out of place during the 16th century. Little of the open hall survives as it was later floored and re-roofed, although a cruck blade delineates the eastern end of the hall. A large inglenook was inserted into the former open hall in the mid 17th century. The inglenook has since been removed, but the stub of the southern wall supporting the bressumer beam remained as did a scar in the ceiling. The inserted first floor was built using much lighter scantling deep section joists than those in the cross wing and was reached via a winder stair embellished with splat balusters of a design similar to a dated, mid 17th century example in the county {5}. Further major alterations in the 18th and 19th century centuries include its reroofing in Welsh slate. The roof over the cross wing was built to a slacker pitch, with the elevations raised to provide a proper first floor. Many of the windows were refenestrated and the large shop window added. The basement appears to have been excavated from within the house during the 19th or early 20th century. Plans, photos;

{6} Undated photo and photo dated 11.01.01;

{7} There is a local tradition that the remains of the old market house were incorporated into the house by the market cross now called Leigholme, a building said to be the oldest on Hall Hill. This is a possibility, and if so it would be an extremely important survival. There is however no mention of a market house in any of the rentals or surveys. Given the very modest scale of marketing at Brigstock there may never have been a market house similar to that seen in larger towns.

Loxston, Rev. G.R., 1977, Church of Saint Andrew, Brigstock, (unchecked) (Guide). SNN108952.

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 15/48 (checked) (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), G09 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN41470.

<3> Alcock N.W., 1981, Cruck Construction: An Introduction and Catalogue, p. 133 (Report). SNN75501.

<4> Matthews, C., 2018, Historic Building Recording of No. 1 Church Street (Market House), Brigstock, Kettering, Northamptonshire, NN14 3EX (Report). SNN111479.

<5> Alcock N.W.; Hall L., 1994, Fixtures and Fittings in Dated Houses 1567-1763, p. 6 (Series). SNN70958.

<6> Photographs of buildings in Brigstock (Photographs). SNN111673.

<7> Foard G, 1999, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Brigstock (Medieval + Post Medieval), (unchecked) (Digital archive). SNN100441.

Record last edited

Sep 13 2022 9:21AM