Chesham House, Lower Street, Kettering

Design and Technology Centre

By Greg Ward

History really does repeat itself!

Proof of this can be seen with Kettering Borough Council's 2008 purchase and refurbishment of Chesham House to become a Design and Technology Centre for start up and fledgling Businesses. An almost identical set of events occurred some 32 years ago when Chesham House was last unoccupied but at that time could have been lost forever (See the press article below from the late 1970's).

During the Council's current building works to re-establish Chesham House as a valuable local asset, a chance meeting with the previous owner (who happened to be on a short visit to Kettering from Western Australia!) archives another chapter in the history of one of Ketterings most interesting buildings.

Through the very generous loan of his own photographs, taken from 1976-1979, the original transformation of Chesham House can be followed. On completion at the end of the 1970's the building provided Office accomodation for a range of important organisations and services.

Kettering Borough Council's 2008 refurbishment to provide Office Suites, this time for the Design and Technology sector, proves that History really does repeat itself!

Photo: Illustrative image for the 'Chesham House, Lower Street, Kettering' page
Photo: Illustrative image for the 'Chesham House, Lower Street, Kettering' page
Photo: Illustrative image for the 'Chesham House, Lower Street, Kettering' page
Photo: Illustrative image for the 'Chesham House, Lower Street, Kettering' page
Photo: Illustrative image for the 'Chesham House, Lower Street, Kettering' page
Photo: Illustrative image for the 'Chesham House, Lower Street, Kettering' page
Photo: Illustrative image for the 'Chesham House, Lower Street, Kettering' page
This page was added by Greg Ward on 07/05/2009.
Comments about this page

I remember when this was a hotel in the 1960's run by Mr. Farr - there was Don and Dave father and son. One of them (cannot remember who) worked on the railways with my uncle Dennis. My father Sid Smith used to rent some property in the grounds for his auto-electrical business "Vehitrix". I used to take the rent up to the house - it was very grand inside. Also in the grounds was a manufacturer of bacon slicers and then a man ran a garage doing MOT's - I cannot remember his name (Ivor I think) but he moved up to Telford Way. Everyone then had to move out when the buildings were demolished.

By Sheila Line (nee Smith)
On 19/11/2008

This Hotel was in fact run, (with an iron hand), by my Grandmother Lisa Farr and my Grandfather John Farr. The Farr family boasted a large number of children, As far as I can recollect there were, Jack, Mark, Bill, David,and George. Excuse me if I have missed some out. Girls, Ivy Lillian (my mother), Elsie, Rosa, Pansy, Violet, Mary, and Rene, I'm sure there are more. Some boys died in the war. I have fond memories of the old Hotel and other memories of a foreboding Grandmother, she always walked with a walking stick with a silver band just under the handle. I can say it now she's gone, " A real old tabby cat". David and Jessie his wife worked hard to run the place, I'm not sure if they were recompensed for all the hard work they did in poor circumstances with Lisa looking over their shoulders, I can only hope in my twilight years that they were not badly treated. Quite and big slice of my past to recall.

By Eric Tarry
On 29/04/2013

I went to school with Sheila Farr who's Dad ran it in the 50s, I know she had a brother.

By kathy forsyth-smith
On 13/01/2014
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