The 300-year-old cottage in Kettering nestled side-by-side with an urban shopping centre

  • ITV News Anglia reporter Ravneet Nandra finds out about the fascinating past of Beech Cottage in Kettering.

It sits nestled between a concrete urban town centre jungle - and provides a fascinating glimpse into life hundreds of years ago.

Beech Cottage in Kettering is a former kitchen garden and brewery and dates back to the 1700s.

The quaint historic building used to stand in the shadow of the much-larger Beech House, which was demolished in 1974.

And Beech Cottage, which features on travel website Tripadvisor, could have been destroyed in the 1970s for an access road to a shopping centre and multi-storey car park, under council plans.

The historic Beech Cottage in Kettering, Northamptonshire, in the shadow of a large shopping centre in the town. Credit: ITV News Anglia

But the building was saved from the bulldozers in 1976 after its last owner Tony Ireson, a local journalist, led a campaign to protect it.

Mr Ireson died in 2002 aged 88 but made sure his home was protected for future generations by passing it over for social housing.

ITV News Anglia looked into the story behind the cottage and its place within the town - watch the video above to find out more.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know