SNN116663 - Historic Building Research: A part of the former Standard Works Carey Street, Kettering Northamptonshire

The report presents a historical account of part of a former footwear manufactory building thatstood at Carey Street, Kettering Northamptonshire from 1913 until 2022/23. Since all but a portion of the building’s shell remained in 2024, the report was compiled in lieu of a conventional Historic Building Record, a condition of the planning permission. Owned and operated by F. Wright & Co. Ltd., the building was once a part of a greater complex, known as the Standard Works. The company was one of the region’s most-renowned footwear manufacturers, and for more than seven decades was one of Kettering’s major employers. Publicly-available documents relating to the factory’s history are variable, while photographs are scarce. Nonetheless, the report greatly expands the existing record of the company - its proprietors and directors, products and operations- from information drawn from trade directories, trade journals, newspaper archives, old maps, and local knowledge.The report is accompanied by a partly-reconstructed drawing of the front elevation of the building and a series of photographs taken of surviving elements of the structure in 2024.