Sister project of Park Campus Memories (PCM)
An Introduction to Avenue and the ACM Project
Last page revision: Dec 2024
Firstly, a very warm welcome to this website, and thank you for your interest in Avenue and ACM.
Our hope is that this page - made with love for Avenue - will provide you with a flavour of the campus and its history. We have blended key and interesting facts, text from other sources, choice observations and anecdotes, and a generous helping of photographs and scanned documents. Included are references to, and details about, important people in the life of the campus, as well as other sources of information that are available. We hope the varied content will inspire you to find out more, and maybe join our friendly Facebook forum.
In this column, the main text is provided in the form of answers to various frequently asked questions - based on queries we have been asked during the project thus far. A historical timeline of Avenue Campus can be found on the right, along with details about further sources of information, and a list of key people from the history of Avenue. Photo credits are at the end of the page.
If you spot a mistake or gap in our knowledge, please email us with details. As you will see, we do give our views, as well as sharing those of others. In our work, we always strive to be as accurate and fair as possible, sticking to the facts, as known.
As new or updated information comes to our attention, there will be updates to this page. As with our other pages, please refresh your browser screen to see the latest version - the latest revision date is given at the top.
What was Avenue Campus?
A site of the University of Northampton (UON). The land was originally acquired by the local council in 1924, and opened in 1932 as Northampton College of Technology - which had moved from Abington Square. In 1937, the Northampton School of Art also relocated to the campus - from Abington Street.
In 1975, both colleges merged with the Northampton College of Education (NCE) at Park Campus, to form Nene College.
What is Nene and how should it be pronounced - neen or nen?
The college was named after the River Nene, which flows through Northamptonshire and the county town. In Northampton, the accepted pronuciation is 'nen', but by the time the river has meandered to Peterborough, 'neen' is preferred. In practice, both are used. Google Maps offers an alternative, 'nenny'!
On page 194 of the excellent book, An Ever-Rolling Stream (see more details below on the right) Richard Fox states that:
'We have the authority of the BBC, on the occasion of 'Any Questions' being held in the college, that there are 17 'correct' ways of pronouncing 'Nene'. Official policy is that the current Chairman of the Governors is infallible in this respect.'
The name was chosen by Dora Oxenham, Chairman of Governors 1975-1977 and Chairman of the County Education Committee.
The morning of the official inauguration day of Nene College - 13th October 1975. Northampton College of Technology (NCT), School of Art (SOA) and Northampton College of Education (NCE) at Park Campus, merged to form one institution.
Arriving are, in the middle, Dora Oxenham (first Chairman of Nene College, 1975-1977 and Chairman of the Local Education Committee, 1974-1977). On the right is Dr. Eric Ogilvie (Director, 1975-1989). The gentleman on the left has yet to be identified.
During the 1990s, Further Education courses were transferred to Northampton College, Booth Lane, with Avenue (and Park) concentrating on Higher Education. In 1999, Nene changed its name to University College Northampton (UCN) and again to the University of Northampton (UON) in 2005.
UON opened a new campus, Waterside, in 2018, and sold most of its Park Campus in 2018, and most of Avenue in 2021 and all by 2023.
The sale / move from Avenue (and Park) was - and remains - controversial and, from our experience of talking to many people - current and former staff and students, local residents and others - unpopular too.
Of course, out of bad has come good - the ACM project. It must be said that, had Avenue been retained, ACM - if it had existed - would not necessarily have been opposed to demolition on the site. As with Park Campus, we believe that a better and more financially prudent way to modernise, would be to build new on the existing site, move contents, demolish the old structure and continue, as neccessary.
What is Avenue Campus Memories?
Avenue Campus Memories (ACM) is a voluntary and independent tribute project for devotees of the former University of Northampton (UON) Avenue Campus, St. George's Avenue, Northampton, UK.
It encompasses a friendly Facebook group, as well as a collection of photographs, video footage, scanned documents - rescued, loaned or donated - and other knowledge related to Avenue Campus - from before, during and after its time as a seat of learning, though chiefly from the college / university era.
Our raison d'être is to help preserve and promote the memory of Avenue, collating resources, offering free online resources and guidance on the subject. Where we can, we donate items that have been scanned to the UON Archive.
ACM also lobbies on behalf of the project's aims, as well as the Facebook group membership.
How did ACM begin?
The project was started by former UCN undergraduate and student campus tour guide, James Lund, who had also set up a similar project about Park Campus. Once again, despairing at the plans for the sale / destruction of one of the university sites, James realised that, using his photographic and camerawork skills, he could do something positive about the situation.
Inspired by a project to document the demise of most of the BBC Television Centre in London - and the subsequent successful tribute / fan Facebook groups - in 2017, James began to document Park in photos and video, gaining official permission. On the day Park was sold, the Park Campus Memories (PCM) project was born! With the associated Facebook group proving very popular and successful, and encouraged by members of staff, James started to photograph Avenue in a similar way.
Sadly, he found the university authorities were not as welcoming as before - chiefly, as James had exposed wastefulness and other bad practice in the move from Park, as well as questioning the decision to relocate, and discussing the sometimes inferior facilities at Waterside, with embarassing snagging issues at the new site. James was blocked from venturing onto the Avenue site - even from the paving slabs at the front of the main building entrance! However, with members of staff risking their jobs to help, he had already visited on various occasions to photograph and inspect the buildings. After his site 'ban', James continued to visit to record as best he could from the public pavement until UON sold much of the site.
On 18th June 2020, ownership transfered to NPH, and on 29th, NPH permitted James onto site to take photographs whilst accompanied. That same day, the ACM Facebook group launched. The visit, by kind permission, was a success and proved most useful to the ACM project. ACM then developed a good relationship with NPH demolition contractor, Ron Hull, and supervised visits continued - this kindness greatly helped the ACM project. James documented the demolition, and continues to monitor activities on site - though little has changed since April 2023.
James Lund covering the sad demolition of the front infill of Maidwell, on a cold 30th January 2023.
Was the former Northampton Grammar School for Girls / Kingsley Park Middle School part of Avenue Campus?
Yes, it became part of the university estate in 2007, when UON bought the Grade II-listed 1915 building, renamed it Newton, and converted the facility to house the School of Science and Technology, for a total cost of £11 million GBP. In around 2017-18, the building was again converted for administrative staff transferred from Park Campus, when most of that was sold for housing.
Interestingly, after Park was closed, and before the demise of Avenue, many of the central and essential services of the university were transferred to Newton, including Admissions, Payroll and Finance, Estates, IT, Quality and Marketing, as well as the secure store for the university mace and regalia, and the UON Archive.
What eventually happened to Avenue?
In summer 2018, UON opened a new £330 million GBP campus, Waterside, and most of Park was closed in November that year.
Along with the central administrative functions listed above, the Institute of Creative Leather Technologies (ICLT) also relocated to Avenue (Walgrave and Maidwell) for most of the 2018-19 academic year, whilst their new building was constructed at Waterside.
Elsewhere on site, areas were gradually closed / mothballed, with academic teaching ending in 2019. Various mothballed rooms were used to store materials from Park, such as hundreds of computers and monitors, excess fire extiguishers, and property from the former Vice Chancellor's grace and favour house opposite Park.
Newton became the chief building, with main reception transferred there. During the 2020 Covid Pandemic, most non-teaching Avenue staff were forced by UK Government restrictions to work from home. Most never returned to the site, save for collecting personal belongings, as their functions were moved to Waterside or the Development Hub in that year.
By Christmas 2020, the site was mostly empty. During this time - though still with UON security on duty, the Maidwell building was subject to - we believe - multiple break-ins. A significant theft of metal materials took place, including various 1930s vintage brass handrails. To date, no-one has been charged or prosecuted with the crime(s), and the rails and other items have not been recovered.
On 18th June 2021, UON sold most of Avenue to Northampton Partnership Homes (NPH) - an arms-length organisation that manages homes on behalf of West Northamptonshire Council (formerly the borough and county councils).
NPH had been scheduled to purchase the Newton for its offices. However, the council decided against the move, and the building was retained by the university until its sale.
So Newton was sold separately?
Yes, it was first rented by, and then sold to, Bosworth Independent School as their main base. The sale was in January 2023, marking the end of UON ownership at Avenue.
And did NPH demolish the other buildings at Avenue?
The demolition process began on site in June 2022, with Ron Hull Demolition as contractor, working for NPH. Many of the structures were demolished.
Demolition, as pictured on 7th Dec 2022. Back buildings have been destroyed, with work continuing apace on Maidwell. Note: The structure top right is not part of the site.
The very sad scene on 20th January 2023, as the Maidwell main entrance is pictured mid-demolition. It had been opened in 1961.
Demolition continued through 2022 and into 2023, and ACM continued to document progress at regular intervals and, with kind permission, was given privileged access to photograph from on the site.
The west and rear sides of Maidwell on 11th April 2023.
How much was destroyed?
All of Isham, the Students' Union (former Pavilion), Walgrave, Heyford (built within the previous 15 years), the Maidwell Annexe / Portfolio Innovation Centre - the link being the first part of demolition - and the back, infill front and some of the sides of Maidwell.
The site on 14th June 2023, with the extant Newton building - by then owned by Bosworth Independent School - bottom right.
What about asbestos - wasn't there a lot on site?
Yes, there was - particularly in Isham, Walgrave and Maidwell. Ron Hull staff worked within guidelines to extract and dispose of the asbestos correctly and safety. We can confirm that health and safety matters were taken seriously, and closely monitored.
Hadn't the asbestos been a danger over all those years?
No, not unless it was disturbed. We believe some asbestos had been removed under university ownership. Asbestos was once commonly used in construction, and remains in situ in many buildings across the UK.
I've heard that the plans for the site have changed since NPH bought the site and demolition occurred?
Yes. On 12th June 2024, the Northampton Chronicle and Echo posted an informative report online
here.
This is a copy of the text, written by Nadia Lincoln:
Concerns raised as council approves plans to sell off University of Northampton building earmarked for affordable housing
Longstanding plans to convert a large former University of Northampton campus into 170 affordable homes have been watered down as the viability of the project has been called into question.
In a U-turn on proposals for the brownfield site, which were approved by West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) in June 2021, a vacant student residents block will now be sold on by the authority instead of featuring in their social housing scheme.
The decision to dispose of the Bassett-Lowke building comes after Northamptonshire Partnership Homes (NPH) warned WNC that their original housing project was no longer viable as a result of changes to the construction sector and housing market.
Talks to acquire the site originally started with Northampton Borough Council, but were passed onto the new West Northamptonshire Council in 2021 when it secured ownership of the facilities. The site benefitted from a hybrid planning permission for up to 170 homes at the time of its purchase.
It later received reserved matters permission in 2022 which gave consent for 162 homes.
Cllr Bob Purser said: “This is a project that has suffered through the creation of WNC and the transfer between the two authorities.
“Surely if we’ve got a publicly owned piece of land historically and public funding to make social housing we can do it. It just frustrates me that we’ve got a system that seems to defeat us in doing what we want to do.
“I do want to be assured that at the end of this that we are going to end up with social housing because I’m really concerned. I really hope that the end result of this is not that we provide housing within the commercial sector that doesn’t meet the needs of people on our housing waiting list.”
The Bassett-Lowke building was originally flagged to be refurbished whilst the other two areas of the Northampton Campus on St George’s Avenue would be demolished to make way for new housing. The intention was to maximise the council’s stock of affordable housing, however the scheme in its initial form was later deemed unviable by NPH.
The council has now received approval from the cabinet to dispose of the 248-bed student building to help improve the financial viability of the rest of the scheme. The Council has already received an offer for the site and the adjacent Quinton Building.
Leader of WNC, Cllr Adam Brown clarified: “At this stage, the assurance we can give is that we’re working to provide as much either social or affordable housing as possible but we do have to meet viability on any of these sites.
“We have to take a responsible approach to the public money we are handling.”
A further plan identifying the strategy for the rest of the site will be presented to Cabinet later in the year.
The council has said that eliminating the old student accommodation unit from their plans is “essential” in ensuring that the rest of the scheme at the University campus is deliverable.
So Bassett-Lowke Hall is being sold on by NPH?
Yes. As above, plans have changed. The 1998 building's future seems secure, as another potential buyer is standing by to purchase, and the plan is to refurbish and use the building.
What is the plan for the parts of the site that NPH own?
Social housing eventually, though - as detailed above - progress has been slow since demolition.
The university sold Avenue, but didn't they propose a multi-million pound masterplan for the campus not so many years ago?
Yes, and there was various publicity about it. The plan was being discussed around the time the institution was awarded full university status in 2005 - see image and caption below.
Part of a Northampton Chronicle and Echo souvenir supplement to mark university status, published on 15th Oct 2005.
The two top pictures on either side show artist impressions of plans for Avenue at this time - see following enlargements.
A proposed new building to replace the 1959 front infill.
Possible enclosure of the Maidwell courtyard with high roof.
The plan had included redevelopment of the Maidwell Annexe to become the Portfolio Innovation Centre, and the article notes that work was already underway at that time. It was completed with 20 start-up and pre-start-up business units created.
The rest of the plan remained on the drawing board. However, by 2009 things were moving forward apace, with a competitive process to choose a winning design. The following two images and article text give more details.
From the 2009 plan, with futuristic buildings. Note the difference in the proposed Maidwell frontage design when compared with the 2005 drawing.
2009 proposal for the Maidwell courtyard, featuring a huge space with pools of light from circular skylights. Note the difference when compared with the 2005 drawing.
Here are parts of an interesting 2009 article - possibly provided by UON - published by e-architect.com, credited to Adrian Welch, and posted on 24th September of that year.
Avenue Campus Winner – University of Northampton Competition
University chooses team for Campus design
The University of Northampton has selected Alison Brooks Architects as the winner of a two stage Master Plan competition for architects to plan future developments at its 14.5 acre Avenue Campus on St. George’s Avenue in Northampton.
Gill Winder, Director of Estates at the University, said: “We are delighted to have reached the end of this Design Competition, which was supported by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). “The process brought us many excellent schemes to consider and the final choice was carefully reviewed by jury panel members. We now look forward to the next exciting challenge of developing design ideas and concepts into a visionary Master Plan that meets our future ambitions as a University.”
The Master Plan aims to predict the development of The University of Northampton’s Avenue Campus over the next 15-20 years, embracing short term accommodation needs and longer term plans for growth and enhanced excellence in Arts, Sciences and Technology, community facilities and business engagement”.
The two academic Schools based at Avenue Campus are Arts and Applied Sciences and the two respective Deans, Paul Middleton and Kamal Bechkoum, are determined to fully exploit this opportunity to build a revitalised campus that has local, regional and national impact.
Paul Middleton stated “This is an exciting time in the School of The Arts’ history as we develop our teaching, learning and research to meet the needs of a rapidly changing and challenging world. The School of The Arts embraces new technologies in a dynamic cross-discipline mix that will drive our vision for a creative technologies campus. I believe the chosen proposal by Alison Brooks Architects will provide a powerful statement which captures and projects our collective values and ambitions.”
Kamal Beckhoum added: “It was a thorough and extremely informative process with lots of good ideas and some exciting proposals about how to shape our Campus of the future. The design presented by Alison Brooks Architects is definitely the most encompassing of the University’s vision for tomorrow’s Avenue Campus”.
The successful Architects Alison Brooks Architects Ltd (ABA) commented: “We are delighted to have won this competition which we hope will be a landmark project for The University of Northampton and UK Higher Education facilities in general. Our scheme proposes a collection of new buildings around a series of landscaped courtyards and a complete transformation of the Maidwell Building into a ‘Forum’, conceived as the new heart for the Campus. We look forward to working with the University to strengthen the Campus’ identity and provide excellent new facilities for students, staff and Northampton’s wider creative business community.”
ABA will be working on the Avenue Campus Master Plan with a design team comprising AKT Consulting Engineers Limited (Structural Consultants), Davis Langdon (Quantity Surveyors), Grant Associates (Landscape Architecture consultancy), Max Fordham (Mechanical & Electrical & sustainability) and Steer Davis Gleave (Transport Consultants). ...
The chair of the jury panel Roger Hawkins, of Hawkins Brown Architects, was appointed by the RIBA to lend his expertise as an Architect to the decision making process said: “There was a high standard of work throughout this competition which serves to illustrate the quality of Alison Brooks’ proposal”.
A key element of the selection criteria was environmental sustainability. BRE supported the University by providing a team of its experts to review the final submissions. Kevin Scobell from BRE, also a jury panel member, commented: “The University of Northampton have assembled a world-class team to deliver their ambitious vision for future. BRE has been greatly impressed with the work and progress so far and is delighted to be working with architects of such renown as Alison Brooks.” ...
The next phase of work on the Master Plans involves further development of the concepts and consultation with students, staff, local residents and key stakeholders such as local planning officers and business to ensure the plans developed have taken into account the views from a broad spectrum of groups.
The University hopes to finalise its plans in 2010.
The plans never came to fruition. A new Vice Chancellor, Prof. Nick Petford was appointed in 2010. The scheme was abandoned sometime after that.
So who was actually responsible for selling Avenue?
The then Vice Chancellor (VC) of UON, Prof. Nick Petford, championed the creation of Waterside Campus and the sale of, and move from, Avenue and Park. He drove through the plans, and as the senior person at that point, is ultimately responsible.
However, it takes more than one man to make such a decision possible, and therefore collective responsibility also lies with the rest of the senior management team, the governors, as well as local planners.
The sobering thought is that if Nick Petford had not been appointed, it is likely that Avenue (and Park) would be open as usual today.
Left: An official portrait of Nick Petford in 2011, taken by Jo Fraser (Fraserface).
The original plan was to relocate most of the university to one site. However, this never happened. For financial reasons, the Waterside plans were revised, with UON renting an existing building about 10 minutes walk from Waterside, called the Development Hub. We believe the Waterside halls of residence plans changed, with accommodation at Park Campus retained instead.
The university wished to dispose of the Newton building at the same time as the rest of Avenue, but the sale fell through when the local council vetoed the idea of NPH being based there. Newton was actually sold during the time of Petford's successor, Prof. Anne-Marie Kilday.
Wasn't Nick Petford nicknamed 'The Wolf of Northampton'? Why was that?
Yes, he was called that by the media - and later by a spoof Twitter / X account. The nickname - referencing the film, The Wolf of Wall Street - came in the wake of a UON Stallions Sports Awards event, held at Northampton Saints Rugby Club on 20th March 2014.
A comedian encouraged VC, Nick Petford, Chief Operating Officer, Terry Neville, and Director of Student and Academic Services / Academic Project Manager for Waterside, Jane Bunce, to participate in alcoholic drinking games. Petford and Bunce then 'crowd-surfed' - held aloft, and carried supine by, and over the heads of, audience members. Petford is reported to have continued to drink alcohol, and bought shots for students.
The event made local and national media headlines, with photographs published - see below.
During our work on the ACM and Park Campus Memories projects, we have spoken to tens of members of current and former members of staff at different levels of the organisation, as well as other interested parties. Many have been keen to tell us that they took a dim view of the behaviour of senior staff at the event.
If the UON Board of Governors had dismissed the participants, the Waterside plan might have been able to be stopped or amended, and the sale of Avenue, and much of Park, might not have happened. The story is therefore relevant to this project, as well as being of public interest - the individuals were some of the top officials at a publicly-funded major education provider. The story and images are also already in the public domain through media coverage at the time and since. In addition, the awards ceremony, and what happened at the event, along with the people concerned, are part of the university's history.
Three of the most senior UON staff, Jane Bunce, Terry Neville and Nick Petford engaging in a drinking game, whilst representing the university at the 2014 student awards. This picture features in the newspaper report in the link below.
Nick Petford's now infamous 'crowd-surfing'. Picture sourced from report in the link below.
Read how the Daily Mail newspaper reported the event here.
So what happened to the senior UON staff in post when the final decision was made to sell / move / build Waterside?
Most have now left the university. It is alleged - commonly believed by many, according to our anecdotal evidence - that Nick Petford was set to leave UON for a more prestigious competitor, but that late on in the selection process, the job offer was withdrawn. Importantly, we are told that Nick's planned move was after the Waterside plans had been approved, but prior to the university relocating in 2018.
Nick Petford left UON in July 2022, having been Vice Chancellor since 2010.
Terry Neville was Chief Operating Officer for 11 years. He was also a director of the bus company, Uno, that had the contract to operate services for the university. Neville retired in July 2022.
As Academic Project Manager for Waterside, Jane Bunce was responsible for many of the key decisions relating to the site, its fitting out, and the move from Avenue and Park. She retired in July 2019.
'The sobering thought is that if Nick Petford had not been appointed, it is likely that Avenue (and Park) would be open as usual today.'
Should Avenue have been sold?
In our opinion, absolutely not. As with Park Campus, we believe the sale of Avenue was a tragic and a grevious loss for the university. The full cost of the new site, Waterside, will not be repaid - if ever - for decades to come. Along with other factors, the loan is now causing financial difficulties for UON.
As stated above, a more financially prudent way to have modernised, would be to update or build new on the Avenue site, move building contents, demolish the old structure(s) and continue, as neccessary.
And what did the university say about the move?
We asked the institution to provide our Facebook group with a written statement justifying the move. In July 2022, the university press officer replied by sending us a link to a local newspaper article!
The 28th Oct 2020 Northampton Chronicle and Echo report is available here.
As the years pass by, it will be interesting to see whether new senior UON management continue to believe the move from Avenue and Park was a good thing. Of course, a growing number will not have experienced the old campuses. That is where we come in! Our hope is that people will browse the ACM and PCM web pages, read about the history of the former sites, and see how good they really were. Yes, there are always going to be some issues, but Avenue and Park were excellent.
As an aside, in Dec 2023, it was announced that the £5.5m Waterside ICLT was to close after just four years on the site - closure to take place in 2026.
Can I visit Avenue?
To visit the Newton building (still named so), please contact Bosworth Independent School via their website here.
For queries regarding the rest of the former site, contact Northampton Partnership Homes (NPH) here.
At the time of writing - Dec 2024 - most of the NPH area is visible from the public St. George's Avenue road, allowing people to keep an eye on progress. It is important to say that there is no public access to the site itself, nor parking on St. George's Avenue. There are free parking spaces on nearby Trinity Avenue.
What was on the Avenue Campus site before the college?
The historical information that we have comes from maps available from the National Library of Scotland website, with two examples shown below. It appears to have been woodland with brick fields and kilns on the west of the site and beyond.
Ordnance Survey map published in 1887 (area surveyed 1883) pre-St. George's Avenue (that would run along the south line of the field area). Compare with map below.
Ordnance Survey map that was revised in 1899 and published in 1901, superimposed onto a modern aerial image of Avenue prior to demolition. Compared to the 1887 map, St. George's Avenue is now in place. It would be 14 years before the Newton building would be constructed in 1915.
Part of an official plan of Avenue Campus in 1970. The Annexe and walkway is already shown (opened in 1973). Playing Fields are shown to the left, and out of frame top.
Title - 'College of Art, Printing Department, Block Plan' (area of interest marked with an 'A')
Scale: 1:500
Date: 29.1.1970
Drawing: 637-5-4
Version: unknown
Design: Leonard Howard, Borough Architect and Town Planning Officer, County Borough of Northampton Education Committee
Part of Isham, Maidwell Annexe (Portfolio Innovation Centre) with walkway to main building, Bassett-Lowke Hall, and a little bit of Quinton (formerly known as Sports Hall) far mid-right. Newton is the tall red brick building in the background. The view is looking east, and the picture was taken in 2021. Compare with the 1970 plan above.
Items that also relate to both Avenue and Park Campuses, such as post-1975 paperwork and prospectuses, can be found in the downloads page of our sister project, Park Campus Memories (PCM) under Download Central. If you can help fill any gaps, please get in touch! Your copy of a course leaflet, staff newsletter or SU newspaper may be the only one left!
Photo credits:
As well as our own pictures, on this page we have reproduced various images from the UON Archive - with grateful thanks.
Other pictures are from Northampton Chronicle and Echo, Alison Brooks Architects Ltd., Jo Fraser (Fraserface), Caters News Agency, Charlie Trotman / Newsteam, and Pinter Publishers Limited
Vintage maps reproduced for educational purposes with the permission of the National Library of Scotland.
1970 plan of Avenue with thanks to Northampton Partnership Homes (NPH).
Thank you to all.
Return to the ACM Homepage
.
The campus in Sept 2009. The large mobile building top right was later moved to Park Campus, where it became the MX Mobile. The white snake-type object on the Racecourse park is a piece of art, designed by an Avenue student.
THE HISTORY OF
AVENUE CAMPUS
Selected Key Dates
With grateful thanks to the UON Archive for many of the vintage pictures and scans.
1924
Education Committee acquires 39 acres of land on St. George's Avenue at a cost of £7,000. Nine acres transferred to Northampton School for Girls (from 2007 part of Avenue Campus) with approximately two-and-a-half acres at the front transferred from the school for use of the college.
Architect of the original 1930s Avenue buildings, T. Keightley Cobb.
December 1930
Education Board approves plans for the new college - tender from Messrs A. Glenn and Sons at £79,850. In addition, equipment and furniture costs approximately £14,000, with loan equipment for the buildings of £10,000.
The Borough Engineer and Surveyor to the Education Committee was A. Fidler.
February 1931
The first sod was turned. Also in 1931, 20 acres of land was levelled, with football and hockey pitches, and tennis courts constructed.
3rd December 1931
Foundation stones laid.
1932 sketch of the proposed combined College of Technology and School of Art by Avenue architect, Keightley Cobb, featuring the originally planned central section. It would be 1959 before a front section was constructed, and that infill development was very much different.
17th November 1932
Official opening of the College of Technology building.
HRH The Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth) with Mayor, Councillor P. F. Hanafy, at the 1932 opening ceremony.
Brochure featuring a picture of the back
of Maidwell in the early '30s.
Around the mid-1930s, with Newton on the left and the west side of Maidwell seen on the right of frame. Compare with the previous view from this direction that featured on the front of the Senior Full Time Day Course in Housecraft brochure. That picture cannot have been taken later than September 1933, so this must be summer 1934 at the earliest, as the trees are in leaf. However, if the extension under construction was part of the School of Art, it might be 1936. The School of Art wing (or spur as viewed from this angle) was ready by September 1937.
1935
Plans approved for new Art School building (replacing premises in Abington Street) appoved by Board of Education.
17th September 1937
Official opening of the School of Art building (linked to the College of Technology, as detailed above) The cost was £14,645.
The plans to join the technology and art wings of the building, with a construction of a similar style, do not materialise.
Northampton Technical College S.A.F.C. 1950-1951. The team were runners up in Division 3A Northampton Town League in the 1950-51 season. The gentlemen are posing at the rear of the Maidwell building. What later became a car park and other buildings was a field at this point.
1957
Revised plans for a front infill between the two existing entrances of the College of Technology and School of Art, and an extension at the rear with new workshops. Design prepared by County Borough Architect, Brian Bunch. Contract for frontage awarded to Bernard Sunley Limited, and for the workshop block to Messrs A. Glenn and Son Limited.
Construction of Maidwell front infill, with College of Technology entrance in the background, 1959.
26th January 1961
Official opening of new £365,000 front infill main entrance, and workshop block (later named Walgrave). Guest of honour, Director of Education for Derbyshire, Jack Longland.
Maidwell restaurant around 1960.
College of Technology awards design for ceremony on 2nd March 1966.
1968
Opening of the curved roof Sports Hall building (later named Isham and divided into two large teaching and exhibition spaces). We believe the construction cost was £9,557. The cost of the works, combined with the 1973 extension was £176,557, and the latter figure was £167,000 (source: An Ever Rolling Stream book - see bottom of page).
September 1973
Work completed on three-storey extension (Maidwell Annexe - much later, known as the Portfolio Innovation Centre). Opened on 24th March 1974 by Gerald Fowler MP, Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science. The facility was designed by Brian Bunch, built by Messrs A. Glenn and Sons Limited and cost £167,000 (check£176,557). It was constructed to house teaching facilities for leather and footwear, motor engineering, science, general studies and engineering. A coffee bar was also included on the ground floor.
September 1975
Amalgamation of College of Technology and School of Art with College of Education (at Park Campus) to form Nene College.
Official ceremony day: 13th Oct 1975 - plaque on easel unveiled in ceremony in Sports Hall at Park.
Les Skelton, Chief Administrative
Officer of Nene College 1975-1987,
pictured likely circa mid-1980s.
Les was also Chief Administrative
Officer of Northampton College
of Education (NCE) (Park Campus)
1971-1975. Les died aged 87 in 2010.
Nene College Degree and Higher
Diploma prospectus cover 1984,
featuring the classic Nene 'N' logo.
September 1989
Nene College leaves Local Authority ownership / control following the Education Reform Act 1988, and becomes Nene College Higher Education Corporation.
21st Nov 1990
What will later become the Newton building receives its Grade II listed status (no. 1371879).
1992
Decision made to transfer most Further Education courses to Northampton College (Booth Lane) as Nene College / Avenue expands its Higher Education provision.
Nene College prospectus cover 1991.
Nov 1993
Privy Council grants Nene College the power to award its own taught BA, BSc, MA and MSc qualifications - previously awarded via the University of Leicester.
Feb 1999
Nene College renamed University College Northampton (UCN) following Privy Council agreement. The title University College had been defined in the 1998 Teaching and Higher Education Act.
Photograph that accompanied the 2000 UCN part-time prospectus entry for HNC Engineering: Electronic, Electrical. The image was taken in Maidwell, likely in the early-late 1990s.
ca. 2005 - ca. 2010
Plans for redevelopment of Maidwell building - ultimately shelved. See details and article to the left.
July 2005
UCN becomes UON - University of Northampton. A special ceremony officially launching UON, took place at the Sunley Management Centre, Park Campus on 14th October.
2006
Refurbishment works to the Maidwell Annexe are completed - it is rebranded as the Portfolio Innovation Centre.
2007
UON acquires the Grade II-listed former school building that adjoins Avenue, and it is named Newton. Work begins on the convertion to house the School of Science and Technology, with laboratory equipment moved from the Ashton building at Park Campus. The process takes three years and costs £11 million.
Newton frontage in 2019.
28th September 2010
HRH The Princess Royal officially opens Newton.
Summer 2011
Major refurbishment of the Students' Union (formerly Student Pavilion).
SU refurb in the summer of 2011.
Circa 2017-2018
Work to convert Newton's science laboratories to offices, to accommodate staff that will be moved from Park when the campus is sold in 2018.
2018
New Waterside Campus opens on Bedford Road. Most of Park Campus sold for housing development. Many UON key services transferred to Newton building at Avenue, along with Institute of Leather Technology (ICLT) which is awaiting the completion of its base at the new site. Some courses move to Waterside, but other teaching continues on the Avenue site, as there is not space for all at Waterside!
2019
ICLT moves to Waterside, marking a return of leather teaching to the site.
Development Hub - a converted council building - opens along the Bedford Road from Waterside, with the remaining Avenue courses moving there. End of teaching at Avenue
2019-2020
Relocation of staff and equipment to Waterside and Development Hub - largely during Covid Pandemic. Avenue buildings left vacant.
Art and Design printing machinery moved by specialist firm to new premises at Waterside - located in a failed coffee shop area that has been refurbished less than two years after the new campus opened!
The interior of one half of Isham during the moving process. The more modern black flooring has been removed, revealing the old sports hall surface beneath. Date: 19th Nov 2020.
18th June 2021
Most of Avenue Campus sold to Northampton Partnership Homes (NPH) but Newton remains UON property.
January 2023
After a period of renting, Bosworth Independent School purchase Newton, ending UON ownership at Avenue.
One of the popular Ward model locomotives, on display on the second floor of Newton in 2019.
Sidney James Ward (died 1952) was a Northampton engineer and amateur model maker. The first of his creations arrived at Avenue in 1939, with others joining it in later years. The locos were were gifted on indefinite loan to the School of Technology of Nene College, under conditions agreed by the Northamptonshire County Council's Further and Higher Education Sub-Committee on 27th Feb 1980 (the council owned the college until 1989). At least some of the models were displayed in the Park Campus library foyer in the early 2000s, before being transferred back to Avenue. The lovely items were located in Newton in the last years of the campus.
Some of the models are currently on display in the Creative Hub at Waterside Campus.
More details can be found on pages 98-99 of An Ever-Rolling Stream - see information below.
FINDING OUT MORE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF AVENUE (AND PARK CAMPUS)
Feel free to contact us with general queries, or post them in our Facebook group for members to consider and assist.
For more in-depth knowledge and access to historical college records, documents and photographs, we recommend getting in touch with the UON Archive - see our Links page.
An excellent book that has proved an invaluable resource for the ACM project and this website, and that we thoroughly recommend is:
An Ever-Rolling Stream
The Ongoing Story of the Development of Higher Education in Northampton and Northamptonshire
Compiled by David Walmsley
1989
Pinter Publishers Limited
ISBN 086187 787 X
The cover of An Ever-Rolling Stream, 1989,
featuring the period Nene College logo top right,
and a photo of the front of Maidwell.
David Walmsley, compiler of An Ever-Rolling Stream, was Chairman of the Governors of Northampton College of Technology between 1969-1971, Chairman of the Governors of Northampton College of Education (NCE) 1971-1974, and Chairman of Nene College 1977-1981.
He was a member of the college / university court, a Pro-Chancellor and Vice-Chairman of the University’s Council.
David served on Northampton town and county councils, was the 567th Mayor of Northampton and, in 1988, became the 14th Freeman of the Borough.
Nene College awarded him an Honorary Doctorate (of Laws) (Leicester) in July 1994.
David Walmsley died on 17th July 2008, aged 81.
The photograph is likely circa late 1980s.
Another source of useful information is:
The Business Environment
Challenges and Changes
Second Edition
By Ian Brooks and Jamie Weatherston
1997 (second ed. 2000)
Pearson Education Limited
ISBN 0-273-64690-7
Specifially:
Part II - Case Studies
Growth and Dynamism In Higher Education
The Case of University College Northampton
(pages 375-384)
By Diane Hayes
KEY AVENUE PEOPLE
Principals, Northampton Technical College / Northampton College of Technology, at Avenue 1932-1975
John Blakeman, 1911-1941
Oliver Bailey, 1946-1955 (Acting Principal 1941-1946)
Eric Jewitt, 1955-1973
Ron Garnett, 1973-1975 (thereafter served as Deputy Director, Nene College, 1975-1977)
John Blakeman, Principal,
Northampton College of Technology
1911-1941. Photo likely taken early
in his time in post.
Eric Jewitt, Principal
Northampton College of Technology,
1955-1973.
Eric lived a long life, passing away
in 2004.
Principals, Northampton School of Art, at Avenue 1937-1975
Lewis Duckett, 1925-1937
Frederick B. Courtney 1937-1946
Howard Buckley, 1946-1949
Arthur Beavan, 1949-1975 (thereafter served as Assistant Director, Nene College, 1975-1977)
Arthur Beavan, Principal,
Northampton School of Art
1949-1975, and Assistant Director,
Nene College 1975-1977.
Directors, Nene College
Eric Ogilvie, 1975-1989
S. Martin Gaskell, 1989-1999 (thereafter Rector, UCN)
Eric Ogilvie, circa mid-1980s.
A great educationalist, Eric
had been Principal of Northampton
College of Education (NCE) at
Park Campus 1971-1975.
He lived long enough to be an
active and very valued member
of the Park Campus Memories
Facebook group.
Eric died in 2019 aged 94.
Chief Administrative Officer, Nene College
Les Skelton, 1975-1987
Chairmen of Governors, Nene College
Dora Oxenham, 1975-1977
David Walmsley, 1977-1981
Jack Morrish, 1981-1985
Gina Ogden, 1985-1989 (thereafter not under Local Education Authority control)
Rectors, University College Northampton (UCN)
S. Martin Gaskell, 1999-2002
Ann Tate, 2002-2005 (thereafter Vice Chancellor, UON)
Dr. S. Martin Gaskell, Director, Nene College
1989-1999, and Rector, UCN 1999-2005
An official photo circa 1998.
Ann Tate, Rector, UCN 2002-2005
and Vice Chancellor, UON 2005-2010.
Photographed at the Sunley
Management / Conference Centre,
Park Campus, in May 2007.
Vice Chancellors, University of Northampton (UON)
Ann Tate, 2005-2010
Nick Petford, 2010-2022 (majority of site sold in 2020)
Anne-Marie Kilday, 2022- (last building sold in 2023, thereafter no UON ownership at Avenue)
The lovely Maidwell Gallery in 2019. Sadly this building was destroyed in 2023 demolition.
GETTING INVOLVED WITH ACM
Whether you are a former or current student or member of staff, a local resident or an interested party, you are very welcome to join our friendly Facebook group. If you are already a member, please use the Invite function to add friends who you think would also enjoy the group. Our strength comes from your support, so please spread the word!
Do you have any photos, cine film or video of, or relating to, Avenue? Perhaps you have some paperwork, student newspapers or suchlike. We would be very interested in copies of any of the above. We can also scan / digitise items for you.
Below: A sticker celebrating 10 years of Nene College in 1985.
