Building record 1160/155/2 - 85 Abington Street (Goodyear Chambers)

A large commercial chambers connected with the shoe trade. The building is located on the corner of Abington Street and the Lower Mounts. This three storey structure is built from brick with stone details, such as platt bands and has a slate covered roof. Date stones show that it was built in 1891 and extended in 1931. It is now the location of BBC Radio Northampton. Locally Listed building.

{1} The present building was constructed in two phases: the original building on the corner of Abington Street, with a warehouse to its rear on Lower Mounts, was built in 1891. A carefully extension dated 1930 extended the building to the west along Abington Street. The decoration, location and the name (Goodyear Chambers) suggest the building was originally built as chambers, prestige offices and perhaps a showroom for the products of the Goodyear Comapny who were introducing their now famous Goodyear welting system to the Northampton trade at this time. A frieze at first floor level formerly carried lettering, some of which can be made out in a photograph of 1916: 'International Goodyear Shoe Warehouse'. The westernmost of the windows facing onto Abington Street replaces an entrance- perhaps the entrance to the Goodyear Chambers- shown on the 1916 photograph. A tall shaped gable surmounted by a sandstone half-shell and incorporating a datestone with the legend 'R.P 1891 A.D'. The seven bays on Lower Mounts are plainer, compared to the elaboration of the other elevations. The five-bay 1930 extension westwards along Abington Road is almost identical in detail to the 1891 building.

{2} A large commercial chambers connected with the shoe trade, located on the corner of Abington Street and the Lower Mounts. This three storey structure is built from brick with stone details, such as platt bands, and has a slate covered roof. Date stones show that it was built in 1891and extended in 1931.
The Goodyear Chambers, built for the Goodyear Shoe Machinery Company in 1891. It is now the location of BBC Radio Northampton.

{4} It became BUSMCo in 1899 and in the second half of the 20th century it became headquarters of the Northampton and County (now Nationwide) Building Society. BBC Radio Northampton since 1982.

<1> ENGLISH HERITAGE, 2000, Northamptonshire Boot and Shoe Survey, Site 162 (Catalogue). SNN105075.

<2> Morrison K.A.; Bond A., 2004, Built To Last? The Buildings of The Northamptonshire Boot and Shoe Industry (Book). SNN104903.

<3> Undated, Broadcasting House, Abington Street (formerly Goodyear Chambers, 85 Abington Street), Northampton, BF103523 (Archive). SNN113662.

<4> Perkins, P, Whittaker, R and Denton, A, 2022, A Guide to the Industrial Heritage of Northamptonshire, p. 58/Site 254 (Book). SNN113793.

<5> West Northamptonshire Council, 2024, Local Heritage List, November 2024, p. 27 (Report). SNN116732.

Record last edited

Mar 5 2025 3:00PM