A Short History of Housing in Kettering

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From rooms to let, to converted flats, terraced houses and family homes, Ashan Property has a number of houses and apartments for rent in the Kettering area. Some of these have a fascinating history, which can be traced back to when the town was known on an international scale for the manufacture of high quality boots and shoes. Many of these factory-related properties were built in the Victorian or Edwardian period and included terraced homes for the labourers, larger terraces for the managers and spacious houses for the factory owners.

This article gives a short history of the different types of rental housing in Kettering, and gives brief information on the styles of properties available to rent through Ashan Property letting agents (such as the terraced property above).

Terraced Homes

In the 1850s to 1870s, several red brick terraces were built to the north east of Kettering town centre. These terraced homes were designed to house factory workers, many of whom worked from home and allocated a small space for a workshop area in the corner of their front room or bedroom.

By the late 19th century, a number of terraced houses were built with the addition of small, detached workshops. These single-storey workshops could be found behind the terraces and some were generally accessed via a narrow walkway leading to the back of the houses. Indeed, some of these can still be found in the grounds of properties in the Havelock Street and Wood Street area today; and many of these old brick-built buildings have now been converted into sheds.

Workshops of this nature continued to be built in Kettering right up until the start of the First World War, but, as the town expanded in the 1890s, many factory-related homes began to be built in the suburbs. In contrast to the properties nearer the town centre, these terraces often had front gardens and were situated in avenues, due to the ample availability of green space.

At Ashan Property, we always have a good selection of terraced homes to rent on our books. These are suitable for professionals or families and you can click here https://www.ashanproperty.com/property-to-rent-in-northamptonshire/ to view our properties and see what is available.

Converted Flats

Although a handful of footwear factories were pulled down after they fell into disrepair, some still remain and have a wide variety of uses. While a number of single-storey buildings have been converted for commercial use, some of the multi-storey factories have been transformed into flats. For example, the attractive 19th century built Spence & Page’s Compton Works on Field Street, with its Italianate frontage, has been converted into housing. Some of these converted apartments come up for rent via Ashan Property, and can be found on our website. If you can’t find what you are looking for, however, please give us a call and we can help you find your perfect home.

Large Family Homes

In contrast to the workers, the owners of the footwear factories lived in substantial family homes. Many of these homes can still be seen today in the Rockingham Road and Headlands area of Kettering. Occasionally these types of houses do come up for rent via Ashan Property. Customers who rent these properties benefit from spacious accommodation with multiple bedrooms and bathrooms, as well as generous grounds and off-road parking.

If you are searching for family rental properties, this part of the town also has some superb schools including St Peter’s School, an independent co-educational preparatory school, and Bishop Stopford School, a secondary academy with an excellent reputation. Both these schools are based at Headlands.

We have a wide variety of properties to rent in the Kettering area, so wherever you would like to live in the town, we can find you the ideal property to suit your requirements, and your budget.

About Ashan Property

Meanwhile, if you are looking for rooms to let in Kettering, (link to https://www.ashanproperty.com/) or family rentals, Ashan Property letting agents can help. Contact us today to find out about our rental properties, or just click on the link above.