DH Painter & Decorator paints shopfronts in Wootton, the NN4 village 2.4 miles south of Northampton town centre. Most of its shops line the historic High Street in or beside the conservation area, so colours and methods have to suit the setting.
A short historic High Street
Wootton’s shops are not in a parade or retail park. They are spread along the High Street, a winding through route lined with stone cottages, and most of them are in or next to the conservation area. Among them are the corner shop at 40 High Street, with its yellow and blue brick band, a butcher, a chemist, an opticians, the medical centre, the Working Men’s Club and the Yeoman of England pub, which is a Grade II listed building dated 1715. In 1899 the street had three pubs, two butchers, a bake house and a blacksmith, so trading premises here have long shared space with houses. A shopfront in Wootton has to look right next to ironstone rubble and slate as well as attract customers.
The grain store frontage and older shopfronts
The conservation area appraisal singles out the former grain store at the crossroads of High Street, Water Lane and Sunnyside because its original shopfront is largely intact. Traditional timber shopfronts are built from parts a modern aluminium front lacks, such as stallrisers, pilasters, a moulded fascia and glazing bars, and each holds water at its joints. On a historic frontage we:
- scrape and sand by hand, keeping the mouldings crisp rather than filling them with paint
- cut out soft timber in the sill and stallriser and get it repaired before painting
- use a microporous or linseed-type system that will move with old joinery
- keep putty and glazing bars sound, since cracked putty lets water into the frame
The appraisal treats this frontage as a heritage feature and lists 40 High Street among candidates for the local list. Repainting is maintenance, but if you plan new signage or a different colour scheme, speak to West Northamptonshire Council first, as signs and shopfront changes in a conservation area may need consent.
Colours that sit with ironstone and slate
In Wootton the backdrop is warm, iron-rich stone, pale limestone and grey Welsh slate. Deep greens, dark blues, ox-blood reds, stone tones and off-whites tend to work with that, while bright corporate colours across a whole frontage can clash with the street. A strong brand colour usually works better on lettering or a door than spread over the fascia. If you are unsure, our colour and finish advice can help you choose a scheme that suits both the business and the setting. The general method is on our main shopfront painting page.
Painting while the shop trades
High Street premises front straight on to a footway that people use all day, with double yellow lines and overhead wires, and in places a raised pavement. That rules out leaving a ladder base in the walkway for long or parking outside to unload. We agree in advance where the van can wait, work in sections so the door stays usable, and put up clear barriers and wet-paint signs. We fit the work around your opening hours as far as the weather and drying times allow, and we leave the frontage clean and clear at the end of each day.
The parish also has larger premises near the A45 and Newport Pagnell Road, such as the Queen Eleanor and Premier Inn, Waitrose and the garden centre. Those are bigger commercial jobs rather than village shopfronts. Our Wootton area page covers the parish as a whole.
Last updated by Dean, DH Painter & Decorator.
