The Church of St Peter and St Paul at Preston Deanery — a hamlet within the parish of Hackleton — was built in the twelfth century. After the Reformation it fell out of use. The bells and lead were sold, the building was partly demolished, and what remained found other purposes: the chancel became a dog kennel, the tower a pigeon house. What interests me as an architect is that the building survived this. Extensive repairs around 1622 brought the church back into use, and further restorations followed in 1808, 1854, 1901 and 1976. The church, Grade II* listed and now in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust, demonstrates that even a building reduced to sheltering animals can be recovered — if someone takes it seriously enough. The parish sits south-east of Northampton.
Award-winning Architects in Hackleton
From Neglect to National Recognition
Working across the country from Oxford, we take on buildings in every condition — from certified new-build Passivhaus homes to neglected structures that need careful assessment before a single decision is made. I founded Gresford Architects in London in 2006. I am an ARB-registered and RIBA Chartered architect, a member of SPAB — the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings — the Passivhaus Trust and The Green Register. The Deerings, a certified Passivhaus home in Hertfordshire, won the RIBA East Award in 2018, the year I was also a finalist for Sustainability Architect of the Year at the Building Design Awards. In 2025 I was invited to judge the British Homes Awards. Our projects have been published in Dezeen, Grand Designs Magazine and The Modern House Journal.
Architectural Services South-East of Northampton
Extension Design in Hackleton should respond to the character and proportions of a village set in the rolling countryside south-east of Northampton. The relationship between the houses, the lanes and the surrounding fields contributes to a settlement that sits comfortably in its landscape. Whether the brief is a ground-floor extension connecting the house to the garden, a garden room, or additional space above, the design should make the whole building feel more resolved.
Sustainable Design connects every project we take on, and in Hackleton the church's story is a reminder that the most sustainable buildings are the ones that keep being cared for — and that neglect is the real enemy of any structure. PassivHaus Design sets our benchmark for new construction, delivering certified comfort with minimal energy demand. New Build Design in Hackleton should respect the character of the village and its setting. For sites in the countryside around the parish, Paragraph 84 of the National Planning Policy Framework provides a route to architecturally outstanding homes — but the design must demonstrate the quality that ensures a building will still be valued in a hundred years.
EnerPHit, the Passivhaus Institute's certified retrofit standard, addresses the thermal performance of older homes without compromising their character. The cottages in Hackleton present the familiar challenge of solid-walled construction: thick walls with no insulation, draughty junctions, and a building envelope that predates any concept of thermal efficiency. Vapour-open insulation, careful airtightness detailing, and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery can transform them — warmer, quieter, dramatically cheaper to run — while the facades continue to weather as they always have.
Renovations in Hackleton engage with a building stock shaped by the parish's long history. The church's own story — centuries of neglect followed by repeated restoration — demonstrates that even severely compromised buildings can be brought back if the work is done carefully and with the whole structure in mind. West Northamptonshire Council handles planning for the parish. Through my membership of SPAB, I approach these buildings with the understanding that solid stone walls manage moisture through their mass and their lime mortar — and that any renovation must work with that behaviour.
Preston Deanery's church was a ruin, a kennel and a pigeon house before it was a church again. If you are considering a project here, we would welcome the conversation.