Grade II listed former shoe factory in Northampton being converted into 89 stylish apartments nears completion

A prominent Grade II listed former shoe factory in Northampton being converted into 89 apartments is just one month away from completion.

Developers OEH Group have been working for nearly two years to convert the former GT Hawkins Factory, on the corner of Overstone Road and St Michael’s Road, into studio, one and two-bedroom accommodation — named Hawkins Court.

The building, which was built around 1880 and once made riding boots for Queen Victoria, had its scaffolding recently removed, unveiling the brand new stylish look.

Daniel Sutton of the OEH Group sad: “We’re on target for the completion date we set for January 2024. Sales are decent, tenants are finalising mortgages, and we’re looking to start getting people in towards the end of January. All the apartments are painted. All the kitchens are complete. It’s the communal area we’re working on now. The car park’s getting done by the end of this year.

“We’ve been working on this for about 20 months in total so far. The whole team is really happy with the progress that’s been achieved here. It was a really big project to undertake; no one wanted to touch it. It’s been sitting there [for years]. It had been on our minds for a while, and we took it on.

"Everyone is pretty proud of the outcome, certainly when the wrap and scaffolding came down. I know it sounds cheesy, but it’s Northampton’s biggest Christmas present this year. It felt that way when it was all unwrapped. It looks fantastic. We’re in for a really exciting final reveal [in January]. It’s a shame we couldn’t do it all at once, but unfortunately, you can’t build that way. I think everyone has got a taste of what’s to come. The external looks fantastic, but wait till you see inside.”

Asked what the new building brings to the area, Daniel said: “We’ve got a really prominent location for young professionals to come and reignite the local businesses. The demographic of people that are going to be living in this property is really going to enhance local business. This property is all about the memories that were once had in there, but also how we allow people to create new memories without losing the old ones. We’re excited for people.

Daniel added: “It’s very satisfying seeing it now. This is what we’re passionate about. We do a very good job to a very high standard. That’s what we’re delivering here once again. As we exit this project, we move on to the EMF Building in Dunster Street, the property that links on to the GT Hawkins Building, turning it into 39 apartments.”

According to OEH, almost 70 per cent of the ‘rundown’ building’s brickwork had to be redone.

Connells’ new homes area manager, Georgia Gill, previously said: “Hawkins Court occupies a fantastic location in Northampton, immersed in the rich history of the town’s iconic boot and shoe factory quarter. All apartments are a unique design from one another with a wealth of character including high ceilings and large windows. Some apartments also benefit from their own gardens.

"This is a landmark renovation of an important building entrenched in the town and country’s culture, and we’re pleased to bring to market these new and exciting homes for a wide range of buyers such as first-time buyers, families, and investors. Northampton is a hugely popular town and, with this being one of the most unique collections of new homes in the area for a number of years, we expect to see a lot of interest from buyers.”

Labour councillor Danielle Stone (Castle ward) said: “I am really pleased, that after many years of neglect, this beautiful heritage building has been refurbished for residential purposes. I hope the developers invite me to a viewing.

“What we need now is to turn the road into a neighbourhood friendly one lane road with wider pavements and planting.”

The former GT Hawkins factory was built around 1880 and once made riding boots for Queen Victoria. But it had stood empty and falling into disrepair since it shut down in 1995.

The factory, once an essential boot supplier for the British Military in WW1, also provided walking and riding boots worn by Queen Victoria and Princess Anne — as well as Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay when they scaled Mount Everest in 1953. It is one of the many historic buildings within the town’s Boot and Shoe Quarter Conservation Area, established in 2011.