Monument record 953/15 - Regent Belt Company Ltd (Formerly Fredrick Cook Ltd, Long Buckby Shoes)

{1} Erected in 1903 the factory was owned by the London firm of Fredrick Cook Ltd. The factory closed in 1933, but was re-opened in 1935 by the Kettering firm 'Bryant's' and the name changed to Long Buckby Shoes. Now being utilised by 'Regent Belt Company Ltd'.

{3} The factory was constructed as a single structure in 1903 by Frederick Cook Ltd of Regent Arcade House, Regent Street, London. Cooks employed over 200 workers. From the beginning the factory was called either ‘South Place Works’ or ‘The factory in a garden’ and the factory itself figures in advertising copy of the 1920s and early 1930s (The Shoe and Leather News, November 21st, 1929). Cooks ceased trading, however, in 1933 and the factory closed. It re-opened in 1935, occupied by Bryants, a Kettering firm of shoemakers forced to find alternative accommodation following a fire at their own factory. The ‘South Place Factory’ was re-named ‘Long Buckby Shoes’ and remained in production until 1958.
The factory was sold to Golden Wonder crisps and the interior was substantially remodelled. During the late 1970s and 1980s extensions were constructed at the rear. Detailed consideration of this phase of activity is outside the scope of this report but it is significant that the main hall of the early 20th century factory was entirely covered in white ceramic tiles, and other parts heavily painted, whilst the floors had been retiled masking any details of early machine mountings. A series of plans from 1977 to 1986 detail some of the structural changes taking place at this time.
The last owners were the Regent Belt Company who left in April 2000 when the factory was demolished.

{6} History:
1893 Frederick Cook established at Broad St. Northampton
1899 F Cook listed at South Place Factory, Connaught St, Northampton
1903 South Place factory under construction in Long Buckby by Frederick Cook, boot & shoe mfr
1906 Not listed (Kelly’s)
1929 View of works published
1933 Firm of Frederick Cook closed
1934 Reopened as Long Buckby Shoes Ltd
1937 Long Buckby Shoes Ltd
1958 Long Buckby Shoes closed; replaced by potato crisp factory
1972 ‘Potato Crisp Factory’ (OS 1:2500, SP 62/63 67)
1999 Regent Belt Co Ltd; closure announced
2000 Demolished

<1> BALLINGER J., 1999, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Long Buckby (Industrial), (part checked) (Digital archive). SNN100506.

<2> Foard G.; Ballinger J., 2000, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Long Buckby, (unchecked) (Report). SNN101574.

<3> Dawson M., 2000, Buildings Survey Of The Former Regent Belt Works, Long Buckby Northamptonshire, p.8 (checked) (Report). SNN100603.

<4> Northamptonshire Industrial Archaeology Group, 1996-2013, Northamptonshire Industrial Archaeology Group Newsletter, Issue 112 p.7 (unchecked) (Newsletter). SNN55360.

<5> Greenall R.L., 1977, The History of Boot and Shoemaking at Long Buckby, (unchecked) (Article). SNN107174.

<6> ENGLISH HERITAGE, 2000, Northamptonshire Boot and Shoe Survey, Long Buckby site 6 (checked) (Catalogue). SNN105075.

Record last edited

Jan 5 2011 4:16PM