Retirement for Kettering town architect who built a legacy for borough

A community architect who help shape and preserve the face of Kettering and its surrounding towns and villages has hung up his drawing board and mechanical pencil.

Paul Ansell, owner of Kettering Community Architects practice in Headlands, has provided the plans for numerous buildings including houses, sheltered accommodation, a museum and even a bus stop.

As borough architect with Kettering Borough Council for many years, he designed many civic buildings in the area and remodelled the interiors of many well-known Kettering landmarks, including the Manor House Museum.

He said: "My favourite thing was the range of housing. I was happy to be part of what was happening in the Kettering, Burton Latimer, Desborough, Rothwell and Broughton areas."

Mr Ansell was born and grew up in Weston Favell. He studied at Northampton Technical School and the town's college of art before moving to Oxford School of Architecture.

After five years he completed his training back in his home town before moving to a practice in Bedford, prior to moving in 1978 to work for Kettering Borough Council's inhouse team of architects. He set up his own business in 1996.

He said: "There were perhaps a dozen in that department but times changed and I, in effect, became a sole practitioner."

While working for Kettering Borough Council Mr Ansell remodelled the interior of the Manor House Museum. He also helped convert the Sawyers Almshouses into two homes.

Other notable buildings were many sheltered accommodation facilities including Castle Gardens in Geddington, The Lawns and Windsor Gardens in Kettering and Yeoman's Court in Burton Latimer.

A project that he remembers fondly is the bus stop in a Northamptonshire village.

He said: "They wanted a new bus stop in Hollowell. It was a real community effort. One person did the thatching, one person provided the stone, everyone worked together - the whole village. It was very special. "

Although retired from his architect work he will still be devoting his time to Kettering Civic Society, having been its chairman since 2000.

Monica Ozdemir, secretary of the Kettering Civic Society, said: "There are not many buildings in the town that he has not measured. His expertise in planning and his knowledge of the town and area have been a great asset to the society."

Not content with just gardening with wife Margaret or meeting up with his four children and eight grandchildren, Mr Ansell will be continuing a new renovation on a cottage next to his house in Twywell.

He added: "I'm going to be working on the project. I like to be hands on but I'll also be gardening and travelling."