Reiver
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- Jun 12, 2018
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The wider county Northamptonshire (abbreviated Northants).
I've been to Tredders once. They are just outside of Northampton at Castle Ashby in gift shop territory. There weren't many AS on display but can ask them to bring items from the warehouse ain advance if you are specific. I live much nearer to the AS factory but nothing to see there.
Although Cheaney factory shop doesn't sell the catalogue there is still an impressive selection of special orders, spares and seconds. Most of my shoes are from there. I actually bought my Pennines and King boots from Cheaney on carefully contrived trips out that happened to pass Cheaney stores in Leeds and Cambridge.
Cheaney is actually in Desborough 20 miles north of Northampton. Factory shops actually in Northampton include Church, C&J (short hours), Lobb (high security and still outside my budget) and Trickers. Barkers (not to my taste) is at Earls Barton about 7 miles east. NPS/Solovair (worth a visit) and Doc Martens are both in Wollaston around 15 miles east. I don't think the others have factory shops, possibly Edward Green. https://www.northamptonshoes.com is a pretty good guide.
Of course, I sometimes forget that Northamptonshire is a county. I have driven past it before on my way to the south coast but have never visited, although I would like to sometime.
I think I’m erring on the side of the Cheaney currently. The AS veldt offerings are nice but I think Cheaney’s grain looks really nice and there is more availability.
I used to prefer the idea of the AS purely on the basis it was actually described as zug grain which seemed more in keeping but I think Zug is a loose definition these days and as mentioned before based on photos the Cheaney leather looks really nice.
I already have zug Rannoch and Trickers Ilkley although the leather differs between the two. So something like a Cairngorm would be a bit different.