Building record 1624/27/1 - 88 Finedon Road

Copeman and Hart and company is a three storey boot and shoe factory at 88 Finedon Road. It consists of a twelve by three bay block of two phases of c.1890 and c.1910. A privy tower has been built on the rear.

{1} Former cardboard box manufacturers. Red brick building of 3 -4 storeys . The frontage has been painted over, but the rear is of red brick construction. Now in use by 'Copeman Hart Organ Builders Established 1960'. The structure has a small workshop building associated with it to the rear. Film 2, photo 6.

{2} 1884 Not Shown on OS 1:2500 (SheetXXXIIL13)
1899 Shown on OS 1 :2500 (Shett XXXIII.13)
1922 H W Chapman Ltd, Cardboard Box Maker
1924 Shown on OS 1:2500 (Sheet XXXII1.13), annotated Cardboard Box Factory
1937 H W Chapman Ltd, Cardboard Box Maker
2000 Copeman Hart, Organ Builders
This twelve-bay factory consists of two storeys over a basement. The map evidence shows that in 1884 the factory had not been built, but that it was there by 1899. The six bays to the southwest (nearest the road) are original. In the southeast elevation, one of the bays is blind; this relates to the position of a stack. In 1899 the factory appears to have had a narrower projection to the rear; by 1924, on map evidence, this had been replaced by the existing rear extension of six bays, with windows grouped in pairs. The privy/stair tower on the northeast gable was added at the same time; it can be seen projecting slightly to the northwest on both the 1924 and 1963-4 OS maps. In
the angle formed between the northeast gable and the privy tower there is evidence for a fire escape of an earlier date than the existing one. The possibility of an early fire escape in this position may help to explain why the privy/stair tower is offset to the northwest, and also why this offset is not shown on the 1924 OS map.

Originally, the factory presented a four-bay gable end to Finedon Road. However, between 1924 and 1963-4 (on map evidence) the building was extended to the northwest. Although the façade has been rendered, a change in roof pitch resulting from this addition can clearly be seen.

Although there are no basement windows in the southwest gable, as the ground slopes away to the northeast the basement becomes a ground floor. There is no sign of a taking in door, but there may have been one in the rendered gable or on the unseen northwest elevation.

There is an oculus in the northeast gable, lighting the attic. All windows have cast-iron fenestration and segmental heads; those in the original phase have blue brick sills, while the ones in the later build have concrete. At an uncertain date, a doorway has been inserted into the southeast elevation and the basement windows have been blocked.

Historic England, Undated, Copeman Hart & Co Ltd, 88 Finedon Road, Irthlingborough, BF103687 (Archive). SNN114095.

<1> Ballinger J., 1999, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Industrial Period, (unchecked) (Digital archive). SNN4.

<2> ENGLISH HERITAGE, 2000, Northamptonshire Boot and Shoe Survey, Site 10 (checked) (Catalogue). SNN105075.

Record last edited

Sep 14 2022 4:32PM