Building record 1160/486/1 - Grove Works

Grove Works (G.M.Tebbut & Sons Ltd.) (aka Brook Factory, Clare Street?). A large thee-storey boot and shoe factory built on the corner of Grove Road and Clare Street. This `L' plan factory is built of red brick with slate covered pitched roofs. The factory has two main phases: the original building on Clare Street and a later extension on Grove Road. Ordnance Survey and other mapping, shows that the original factory was built c.1880 and the extension c.1929.

{1} C19th (late) factory - poss early C20th visited in response to application to convert into flats. Brick built with mostly timber windows and some later flat roof extensions and possible inclusion of existing buildings to form one site - evidence of up to four different building styles. Making room with north lights to rear. Little evidence of earlier use as shoe factory. Subsequent/ last use appears to have been as clothing manufacture. Contained karate school on first floor at southern end of Grove Road façade at the time of inspection! In parts the factory proved to be in very poor condition and home to colonies of pigeons (yuk!!!).

{2} 33 slides taken of the site.

{4} G.M. Tebbutt and Sons was founded in 1872, and lasted until 1968. It demonstrates both phases of machine-made shoe manufacture, the earlier multi-storey factory and the later single-storey building with glazed roof lights.

{5} " So great was the influx of Weapons and Stores at this Period [WW2- at Weedon Depot] that Sub Depots or Relief Depots as they were called were opened at.." list of 6 follows including Brook Factory, Northampton in 1943. "These Relief Depots were concerned with receipt and storage of weapons etc..".
Suggest use contemporary local directories to establish location. D Smith advised in Feb 1997 that there were two Brook Factories, including this one on the corner of Clare Street and Grove Road (SP76106120), still standing but undergoing conversion (2003).

<1> ELLISON M., 1999, SMR REPORT FORM- Grove Road Works, (unchecked) (Notes). SNN49151.

<2> ELLISON M., 1999, PHOTOGRAPHS, (unchecked) (Photographs). SNN51661.

<3> ENGLISH HERITAGE, 2000, Northamptonshire Boot and Shoe Survey, Site 65 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN105075.

<4> Palmer M; Neaverson P., 1992, Industrial Landscapes of the East Midlands, p.195 (checked) (Book). SNN3691.

<5> 1996, A Short History Of The Technical Stores Depot Weedon, p.20 (unchecked) (Article). SNN100254.

<6> Historic England, Undated, Grove Works, Grove Road/Clare Street, Northampton, BF103499 (Archive). SNN113497.

Record last edited

May 23 2022 3:01PM