Building record 1160/17/1 - No.5 Sheep Street (Formerly Part of The Red Lion Inn)

The surviving western portion of the Red Lyon Inn, largely demolished in the 1930s to build the Fishmarket. Probably built in the late 17th or early 18th century.

{1} The surviving western portion of the Red Lyon Inn, demolished in the 1930s to build the Fishmarket. The complete Red Lyon building was of architectural significance with its balanced façade and detailing. It would have had a frontage of 25.5m, dominated by a pedimented central section which extended above the three-storey eaves line and slightly to the front. The pediement was defined by a moulded string course with a central 'bulls-eye' window and protected by a copoing. Of particular interest were the swags used as decoration above the three 2nd floor windows of the central section.
The external evidence would suggest that the building was probably built shortly after the fire of 1675 - the architectural style is that of the late seventeeth and very early eighteenth centuries.
The surviving No. 5 has a slate roof and is vertically demarcated from No. 7 by narrow and wide chamfered 'quoins' of regular depth which are probably constructed from plaster. There is a moulded architrave beneath the eaves and the second dloor fenestration comprises two double-hung sash windows set in projecting plaster surrounds which are 'eared' at the soffit level of the windows. The projecting plaster surrounds extend downwards to create panels above the first floor windows. These lower windows also have 'eared' surrounds to and repeat the decoration of the windows above. All of the windows have small projecting keystones and those above the first floor windows are surmounted by a narrow projecting band.

{2} In c.1885 Nos. 5 and 7 Sheep Street were joined and remain so today. There is a possibility that Nos. 3 and 5 were also joined in the late 19th century and remained so until No. 3 was demolished to make way for the Fishmarket.
Building recording: The ground floors of 5 and 7 Sheep Street had both latterly been used for retail and therefore did not retain any original or early features, though there was a greater preservation of original fabric on the upper floors. Both buildings were in a very poor state of repair. At first and second floor level the buildings had been knocked through, so that the space was shared between the properties. Detailed external and internal descriptions.

{3} No.5 Sheep Street formed the western two bays of a larger, more imposing building that was mostly demolished to make way for The Fishmarket.
Giggins (2011) suggests that the building may have been built shortly after the Great Fire in 1675. (The style of remaining windows bear some resemblance to those of The Sessions House, completed in 1678. Furthermore the central pediment of the original building was decorated with swags above the uppermost windows.) This dating has yet to be proven and it may still be of a later C18th date.
There is no doubt however that the building once formed part of the Red Lion, documented from 1752 and 1766 onwards. Further details of ownership/tenure given. In 1937 a plan of No.5 shows the alterations to be carried out as a result of the construction of The Fishmarket.
Descriptions of the buildings Nos.5-7 Sheep Street and details of their construction are given, prior to their demolition, along with a photographic record.

<1> Giggins B., 2011, 5 Sheep Street, Northampton: Historic Building Assessment, (checked) (Report). SNN107614.

<2> Bassir A.; Upson-Smith T.; Holmes M.; Walker C., 2012, Building Recording of the Former Fishmarket and 5 & 7 Sheep Street, Northampton, and Archaeological Evaluation of Land at the Northampton Bus Interchange, p.5 (checked) (Report). SNN108436.

<3> Upson-Smith T., 2013, Archaeological Investigation And Recording at The Former Fishmarket and 5-7 Sheep Street, Northampton, January to April 2013, p.5-6+12-18 (checked) (Report). SNN109904.

<4> Upson-Smith, T, Walker, C and Holmes, M, 2021, Archaeological investigation at the former Fish Market and 5-7 Sheep Street, Northampton (Article). SNN112919.

<5> Bailey, B, Pevsner, N, and Cherry, B, 2013, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p. 447 (Book). SNN111989.

Record last edited

Mar 25 2025 11:01AM