Relief for owners of fire-ravaged Northampton town centre building returned to former glory

The owners of a building in Northampton town centre are both delighted and relieved to see it returned to its former glory after a devastating fire.

The Old Chapel at 114-116 Abington Street has reopened with shops on the ground floor and a collection of flats above following the blaze in 2018.

Nick Lees, whose family has owned the prominent building for 70 years, said coronavirus put the work back by a few months but the businesses and residents returned in August.

"We've still got one or two flats available but we breathed a bit of a sigh of relief when the shops and residents returned," he told the Chronicle & Echo.

"We got knocked sideways by the lockdown for coronavirus, not so much that if you had an electrician working alone, that was fine.

"But the problem was that the builders' merchants were all shut and we were at the stage when we needed things like kitchen sinks and units.

"So everything came to a halt but we only lost about three-to-four months, and we've got a couple more things to do before the scaffolding completely comes down next week."

The fire broke out on the first floor of the building at the top of Abington Street, opposite BBC Radio Northampton, on June 17, 2018.

York Road was closed while firefighters tackled the blaze, which caused the timber-framed roof to collapse as well as significant water damage.

Mr Lees said: "It was built in around 1870 as a Baptist church so it's an old building.

"But it's been completely renovated so it should last another 50 years before it needs any more work - it will definitely outlive me!

"It's one of those things where if someone had said to me two years ago after the fire not to worry as it will look great once it's refurbished, then I would've been happy."

Mr Lees' grandfather William Lees bought the building to use as a tobacconist and confectionary wholesaler and retailer in circa 1947.

They also used a collection of other buildings next door which were demolished to widen the junction with York Road in 1965.

The renovation for the building, which has previously been a bookmaker's and a roller-skating rink, took around two years, which Mr Lees was happy with.

But the owner admitted he felt guilty for all of the scaffolding around the building which took up part of Abington Street.

"We're very pleased to have it finished and we feel guilty for everyone else on Abington Street for all the scaffolding," he said.

"But the issue was that we only needed a smaller lot of scaffolding but the council was worried about the front wall not being strong enough to hold the ceiling so they insisted on having more scaffolding.

"In the end, it didn't move an inch but better safe than sorry I suppose. It should all be gone next week though after the final touches are completed to the outside of the building."