We repaint shopfronts, pub frontages and other business premises in Long Buckby, NN6, about 9 miles north-west of Northampton. Most of the village's commercial frontages are in the 2021 conservation area, so Dean plans colours and materials around the appraisal's guidance on timber shopfronts.
A Victorian trading centre on a medieval street plan
Long Buckby had a market by 1280, and the open space it used survives as Market Place. The businesses around it and along High Street, King Street and Church Street occupy what the conservation area appraisal describes as a 19th-century commercial centre. Many still have timber shopfronts with a fascia, cornice, pilasters, corbels, mullions and a stall riser. The appraisal wants those kept, encourages sympathetic repainting, and criticises the uPVC shopfronts and large window decals that have replaced or covered some of them. Regular repainting is the simplest way to keep a timber shopfront sound, and it’s the work this page covers. The general approach is on our shopfront painting page.
Each part of the frontage, and how it fails
| Element | What usually goes first | How we deal with it |
|---|---|---|
| Cornice and fascia | Water sits on the top edge and opens the joints | Rake out, fill, prime bare wood, finish in exterior gloss |
| Pilasters and corbels | Moulded detail clogged with old paint | Careful scraping to keep the profiles crisp |
| Stall riser | Splashback from the pavement, scuffs and damp | Hard-wearing finish, often a darker shade |
| Mullions and glazing bars | Cracked putty and exposed end grain | Sealed and primed before neat cut lines to the glass |
| Shop door | Wear around the handle and kick area | Extra coats where hands and feet land |
Colour, consent and signage
The appraisal asks for traditional, sympathetic colours on historic shopfronts. In practice that usually means a deep, muted body colour with the name kept to the fascia, rather than vinyl spread across the glass. Listed premises need consent for any change of colour or appearance. Several commercial buildings are locally listed, such as the former Co-operative Hall of 1910 on the corner of High Street and Church Street, now a health and leisure club. Even where consent isn’t needed, it’s worth speaking to West Northamptonshire Council before a big colour change, and new signs may need advertisement consent. We can paint the fascia ground ready for your signwriter, and our colour and finish advice can help shortlist shades.
Pubs, halls and whitewashed fronts
Not every commercial front in the village is a shop window. The Peacock Inn is whitewashed with a slate roof, and its walls should be recoated like for like in limewash or a mineral paint. The Old King’s Head on West Street is Grade II listed and thatched, with its ironstone rendered to the front, so its walls need lime-compatible products and consent for any change of finish. The Community Centre on Station Road occupies the former Fall’s or Pinafore shoe factory. A former factory of that size has more joinery at height than a shop, so we plan it as part of our wider commercial painting work.
Painting around trading and parking
Most frontages open directly onto the footway, and the centre of Market Place is used for parking, so van space and room for a tower can both be tight. We agree working hours with you so the entrance stays usable, schedule the dustiest preparation for quieter parts of your week, and sign wet paint wherever customers might brush past. On this hilltop, frontages facing south or west weather faster and usually need attention first. We cover Long Buckby from our Northampton base, about 9 miles away; our Long Buckby page has more on the village’s buildings.
Last updated by Dean, DH Painter & Decorator.
