East Carlton

East Carlton is situated on the edge of a glacial valley (the Welland Valley). The parish covers 665 hectares which occupies a long strip of land south of the River Welland which forms part of its North Boundary. It is thought that Carlton was first occupied by the Danes. In the Domesday book of 1087, the village of Carlton is referred to as Carlintone. A number of families owned land and estates throughout the centuries, including the Hotots, De Kirkeby and the Palmers. East Carlton village is situated within the parkland of Carlton Hall.

Until 1660, the settlement of Carlton was divided into two manors, East Hall and West Hall. East Hall is thought to have stood where the present hall stands. There is now no trace of the West Hall, so presumably the stone was used as building material for later structures.

In 1776 Sir John Palmer (5th Baronet) commissioned John Johnson, a Leicester Architect to design a new hall which still stands today. The house was built on the foundations of the previous hall and was enlarged by Sir John Henry Palmer (7th Baronet) in 1817. The hall was leased to several notable tenants until the early 20th century, when Stewarts and Lloyd Ltd, steel manufacturers from Glasgow purchased the Hall and the park from Sir Geoffrey Palmer at a price of £5,000. By 1936 the Hall had been converted into a hostel for unmarried bachelor staff.

At the time of the construction of the iron steel and tube works in Corby, the directors realised the need for a massive house building programme to accommodate future employees. The company purchased 102 acre estates at East Carlton with a view to developing it for housing senior staff. Following the conversion of the hall and acquisition of the park, Stewarts & Lloyds built 59 houses during 1934 and 1935, making up East Carlton as it is known today.

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