Joseph Cheaney And Sons

This is a boot and shoe factory, built in 1896 with a significant extension in the 1930s, and a further addition likely dating to the 1970s. It was developed for the world-famous Joseph Cheaney and Sons company, who established their business in Desborough in 1893.

The building is constructed of red brick with a concrete tile roof to the 1896 section, and brown brick with a flat, parapeted roof to the 1930s range. The 1896 section, which fronts Regent Street, has an 8-window arrangement at the first floor, featuring cast-iron framed windows with round arches above. The ground floor has a central entrance with an altered window to the left, likely steel-framed and under a flat lintel, mirroring the style of the 1930s range to the left. This section comprises a 5-window range and returns to connect with the probable 1970s extension. The Rushton Road frontage is also from the 1930s, displaying a similar style with a 5-window range on the left of the central goods entrance and a 3-window range to the right, housing the offices, with a central entrance. A defining feature is the austere brickwork paneling, emphasizing horizontal lines.

The factory’s interior retains a strong impression of a traditional boot and shoe factory layout, with a ground-floor making room, a soaking pit for leather, a humidifier room, a first-floor clicking room, a conveyor belt system in the finishing room, last racks, a hoist mechanism, and a leather storage loft.

The company, Joseph Cheaney and Sons Ltd., was founded in 1886 and has been operating on this site since 1896. Further extensions were made by 1924, followed by a major addition in the 1930s and a smaller one in the 1970s. In 1967, the firm merged with Church's of Northampton and continues to produce high-quality men’s shoes. The factory represents a characteristic example of industrial expansion, extending to accommodate workforce needs rather than relocating. Its longevity and original interior make it particularly significant within the shoe-making industry.