SNN117053 - FORMER FACTORY BUILDING AT, 60 QUEEN STREET, DESBOROUGH, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE: Historic Building Recording

This report presents the results of a programme of historic building recording undertaken by Witham Archaeology at 60 Queen Street, Desborough, Northamptonshire. The project was commissioned by Desborough Developments Ltd in response to a condition attached to planning permission granted by Kettering Borough Council. The scheme entails conversion of the building into eight apartments. The building was constructed in 1895 according to a datestone on the Queen Street elevation. On the Ordnance Survey 1:2500 map of 1926 the earliest part of the building is identified as a corset factory. The 1914 edition of Kelly’s Directory mentions two corset manufacturers in Desborough – the Cooperative Wholesale Society and Reynolds, Waterhouse and Co. As the Co-operative Society’s premises are still standing on Rothwell Road it seems that the factory was occupied by Reynolds, Waterhouse and Co. The survey revealed a number of phases of construction commencing with the original, rectangular block facing onto Queen Street. It seems that a small, rectangular block was added to the rear of the building at an early stage (probably prior to 1900), along with a larger extension situated immediately to the north-west. Another extension to the rear of the building on the south-east side was added prior to 1970. The annexe or extension on the north-west side appears to have been demolished (probably in the late 20th century) and has been replaced by new structure built in concrete blocks with an outer skin in brick. The ground floor level of the extension on the south-east side of the building has been incorporated into a later two-storey structure apparently constructed after the extension to the north-west. The survey revealed little in the way of evidence relating to the original use of the building. However, a number of original features previously obscured by later alterations were identified through inspection of the fabric of the building.