What the houses are like

Towcester is one of the oldest towns in the country and the modern street pattern still follows the Roman road. The centre is a conservation area, and the older buildings are a mix of local limestone, ironstone and brick, with the town spreading out into modern estate housing towards Wood Burcote and the Tove.

Planning authority: West Northamptonshire Council

Doorway in a stone cottage propped and stripped back before structural repair

Archaeology can be a real factor here

Because Towcester sits on the Roman town of Lactodorum, groundworks in and around the historic core can attract an archaeological condition on a planning permission. In practice that might mean a watching brief while trenches are dug, or occasionally an evaluation before work starts. It does not stop a project, but it can affect the programme and the budget, so it is worth establishing early whether it applies. West Northamptonshire Council can confirm the position.

Ironstone and limestone

Northamptonshire ironstone weathers to that deep orange brown and is comparatively soft. Repairs generally call for matched stone and a soft mortar, and modern cement can damage the face over time. Limestone in the same wall behaves differently again. This is careful work rather than fast work, and it is worth using someone who will take a sample and match it rather than guess.