In 1578, the medieval Church of St Leonard at Loddington was substantially remodelled — not extended, not restored, but reshaped. The Reformation had changed what a parish church needed to be, and the Elizabethan builders adapted the thirteenth- and fourteenth-century fabric to serve a different kind of worship. What interests me as an architect is that the medieval structure survived the transformation: the walls, the proportions, the octagonal broach spire with its crocketed lucarnes remained, while the internal arrangement was altered to meet new requirements. The building adapted without losing its identity. The church is Grade II* listed. Loddington Hall, also Grade II* listed, was built around 1290 for Robert de Baud, High Sheriff of Northamptonshire. The village sits west of Kettering.
Award-winning Architects in Loddington
Buildings That Adapt
Good architecture accommodates change — the same principle that allowed a medieval church to serve a post-Reformation congregation informs every project we take on. I founded Gresford Architects in London in 2006, and we now work from Oxford with clients across the country. 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 Near Kettering
Sustainable Design connects every project we take on, and in Loddington the remodelled church is a reminder that the most enduring buildings are those flexible enough to serve changed needs without losing what makes them distinctive. PassivHaus Design sets our benchmark for new construction, delivering certified comfort with minimal energy demand. New Build Design in Loddington should respect the stone character of the village and the quality established by its two Grade II* listed buildings. 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 adaptability that has kept Loddington's church in use for over seven centuries.
EnerPHit, the Passivhaus Institute's certified retrofit standard, addresses the thermal performance of older homes without compromising their character. The cottages in Loddington 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 stone facades continue to weather as they always have.
Extension Design in Loddington should respond to the proportions and materials of the village's stone buildings and the presence of both the Grade II* listed church and Hall. 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.
Renovations in Loddington engage with a building stock that includes the Hall — one of the oldest domestic buildings in the county — and later construction shaped by the village's position near Kettering. The church's Elizabethan remodelling, and Ewan Christian's restoration of 1859, demonstrate that the village has engaged with its buildings across every era. North 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.
Loddington's medieval church was reshaped for a new era and has served ever since. If you are considering a project here, we would welcome the conversation.