Rail freight country, and a lot of boxes
Daventry means freight. The Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal at Crick is being extended, with Prologis proposing a 762,000 sq ft rail-served distribution centre to West Northamptonshire Council and a government direction issued in December 2025 on a further phase east of M1 junction 18. Prologis Apex Park sits 1.5 miles north of the town beside the A45, and Drayton Fields Industrial Estate lies in the same distribution belt.
Where containers pass through in volume, firms want a few of them turned into something useful: a lockable store, a plant room, a gatehouse, a welfare cabin. That is the work we take on at Marston Moretaine, to your drawing, with structural openings framed into the rails by coded welders. Quotes are itemised, arrive within 24 hours in the working week, and the lead time is confirmed in writing. Commercial and trade customers only.
Who around Daventry buys modified containers
- Rail-linked distribution occupiers Occupiers on Apex Park and Drayton Fields need site stores, plant rooms, security cabins and covered storage on their yards, often several identical units at once.
- Engineering and manufacturing plants Cummins runs an engineering site at Daventry. Plants of that kind use modified containers for tool stores, compressor housings and temporary workshops during shutdowns.
- Logistics contractors and haulage depots Hauliers working the terminal and the A45 order secure storage boxes, driver welfare units and roller-shutter containers for pallets and equipment, usually several at a time.
- Developers and contractors on new warehouse schemes Builders on the next phase of rail-served sheds need site offices, drying rooms and secure stores that can be reused. They order them as a batch to a single specification.
Bigger container orders for Daventry yards
On sites of this scale the order is rarely one box. A depot might ask for six to ten units, each with the same door, window and roller-shutter layout, and the openings framed into the rails so the structure holds. Others want containers linked or stacked into a compound, cut down to a shorter length, or repaired and repainted in the operator's colours. Our capacity is around 8 units a week, and 12 went through in one week. Staged payment can be agreed on multi-unit orders, and invoices run against your purchase order.
How we convert for a freight site
Customers supply the units or we source them. A unit's rails and posts carry the load, so any opening is framed into the rails before doors, windows or shutters go in. Recent units have cost about £3,400 to £6,800 each net of VAT, depending on scope. About 50 units have been built for one repeat energy-sector contractor, and the same process applies to a depot order. See container modifications and container repairs.
A container placed on a yard can need planning permission, depending on its position, how long it stays and its use. West Northamptonshire Council is the planning authority for Daventry and for DIRFT, and its planning team can tell you whether your plot needs an application. Check before you order the unit, and keep the council's answer in writing. We build the unit and do not submit applications.
Steel enclosures and frames alongside the boxes
Where a container is the wrong shape, we fabricate steel enclosures for generators, plant and switchgear, plus skids, frames, lifting frames and supply-only stairs and walkways. BS EN 1090 factory production control covers structural items, so they can be supplied UKCA or CE marked. Coded MIG, TIG and MMA welders do the work, and finishes are raw, primed, RAL wet spray, powder coat or hot-dip galvanised.
Daventry's freight and industrial addresses
DIRFT at Crick is the anchor, and Prologis Apex Park, with units such as DC3 (NN11 8RA), faces the A45 north of the town. Drayton Fields Industrial Estate is a mile and a half north of the centre, and Royal Oak Trading Estate offers steel portal-framed units for trade and storage use. Badby Park on Newnham Drive, within Heartlands Business Park, adds more space. Each has a yard, so containers can be delivered without crossing the town centre.
Why a Bedford workshop can cost Daventry less
Cutting, welding, finishing and checking all happen in our own 12,000 sq ft workshop, so no stage is passed to a subcontractor with its own margin. Delivery to Daventry goes through our logistics partners and shows as its own line on the quote. Put the two together and the total often comes in below a local fabricator, which is easy to check: send us the same drawing you've sent them.
Delivery and site visits in Daventry
Daventry is 35 road miles from Marston Moretaine, around 43 minutes by car, using the M1 and the A45. Drive times are by car, and a loaded lorry takes longer. We organise delivery through our logistics partners, and the vehicle is chosen to suit the container when the load is booked. Everything is built in-house, so our price often works out below local fabricators.
Our engineers visit the Daventry yard to see the job. Distribution yards are generally roomy, but tell us the surface bearing, the gate width and where the unit can be set down. Say what lifting is on site and we agree the drop with you. Your own installer positions, levels and connects the container. We convert to drawing and do not install on site.
How a container job runs
- 01.Send what you have
A drawing, a marked-up sketch or a photo. Tell us how many units, what they're for and where they need to end up. Form, email or WhatsApp.
- 02.Itemised quote in 24 hours
Priced per unit, with the lead time confirmed in writing, so it drops straight into your order.
- 03.Order against your PO
Multi-unit orders are paid in stages: deposit, stage payment, balance on completion.
- 04.Units in
We can source the containers, or bring yours in to the workshop. If it helps, we send an engineer to your site first to see the job.
- 05.Built inside our unit
Cut, framed, welded and painted by coded welders in the 7,000 sq ft main shop, with the 5,000 sq ft second building for fabrication.
- 06.Checked and delivered
Checked against the drawing, then delivered to your site through our logistics partners. Progress photos by WhatsApp or email if you want them.
Work we take on
- Container modifications: conversions and modifications to drawing, single units or batches
- Structural openings: side openings, doors, roller shutters, linking and cut-downs
- Container repairs: panel, door and rail repairs and repaints for depots and fleets
- Steel enclosures: generator, acoustic, plant and battery housings
- Skids and frames: skids, machine bases, lifting frames and supports
- Commercial fabrication: fabrication to drawing, structural steelwork, one-offs and batches
- Stairs and fire escapes: supplied ready for your installer to fit
- Walkways and railings: handrails, platforms and ladders, supplied to fit
Frequently asked questions
Can you convert several containers to the same spec for a Daventry depot?
Yes. Capacity is around 8 units a week, and a batch is priced per unit with the scope itemised line by line. Staged payment can be agreed on multi-unit orders, and the lead time is confirmed in writing.
Do you cut doors and windows into containers near DIRFT?
We frame structural openings into the rails, then fit doors, windows and roller shutters. The framing keeps the box's strength, and coded welders carry out the welding to your drawing.
Does a container on a Daventry yard need planning?
It can, depending on position, duration and use. Ask West Northamptonshire Council before ordering and get the reply in writing. We supply the converted unit and do not make planning applications for you.
Do you deliver containers to Daventry?
Yes. We organise delivery through our logistics partners, so you do not have to find a haulier, and our engineers can visit the yard first. The date is agreed with you when the lead time is confirmed in writing.
Can the containers be repaired and repainted instead of replaced?
Yes. We repair damaged panels, rails and doors, and repaint in your colour. The quote splits repair, preparation and paint so you can compare against the cost of a new unit.
Nearby areas
We also quote for firms in Rugby, Northampton, Lutterworth and Banbury. See every town on the areas we serve page.