Building record 1160/0/340 - Church's Shoe Factory, St James Road

This working shoe factory was established as the Moccasin Works of Padmore & Barnes in the late 1890s, and was considerably extended in the early 20th century. The original factory, principally of two storeys, survives relatively intact, and incorporates an elaborate office front, remodelled and extended before 1923. Later ranges include three-storey warehouses (?) and single-storey sheds. Churches & Co acquired the site in the 1950s.

{1} Large factory established in the 1890s as Padmore & Barnes' Moccasin Works on the site of the Scrap Forge Works and subsequently acquired by Church's in 1956/7. Church & Co still occupy the factory. The original factory, which survives substantially intact, was two-storeyed throughout and comprised a five-bay frontage to St James Road and a long rear-range with nine gables to Sharman Road. The factory was extended in the early 20th century, doubling in length and extending westwards as far as Lincoln Road, with further additions to the south creating a frontage to Spencer Road. The earliest of the additions was probably a three-storey range on Sharman Road. Church's have continued to expand the site since acquisition.

{3} The frontage is 1905 by Mosley & Anderson; There is a three-storey entrance feature with curved glazed two-storey oriel above a doorway with characteristic Anderson lettering and two roundels with American 'Red Indian' heads, the motif of Padmore and Barnes.

<1> ENGLISH HERITAGE, 2000, Northamptonshire Boot and Shoe Survey, Northampton Site 160 (Catalogue). SNN105075.

<2> Historic England, Undated, Church's shoe factory (formerly Padmore & Barnes' Moccasin Works), St James' Road, Northampton, BF103591 (Archive). SNN113870.

<3> Bailey, B, Pevsner, N, and Cherry, B, 2013, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p. 482 (Book). SNN111989.

<4> Perkins, P, Whittaker, R and Denton, A, 2022, A Guide to the Industrial Heritage of Northamptonshire, p. 69/ Site 305 (Book). SNN113793.

<5> West Northamptonshire Council, 2024, Local Heritage List, November 2024, p. 28 (Report). SNN116732.

Record last edited

Mar 3 2025 3:31PM