Hartford Works

Hartford Works is a cotton mill built around 1850, later becoming part of Platt Brothers engineering works, and is now used as commercial premises, though only partially occupied. The building underwent alterations in 1909 and was designed for Charles and Spenser Suthers, with modifications by A.E. Wolstencroft for Platt Brothers. It features red brick construction on a rusticated sandstone plinth and has a flat roof that is not visible. The mill is six storeys high and has a 20-window range, with a two-bay projection on the east side.

The ground floor windows are fixed-light casements with glazing bars set in rusticated brick segmental arches, and there is a continuous sill band. The channelled brickwork on the ground floor aligns with the arches. Above the ground floor, a stone string course runs beneath the first-floor windows, which have stepped segmentally-arched brick heads. The upper floors have similar windows with stone sills. Some openings on the southwest side have been altered, likely due to a link with a building that was formerly adjacent to the west.

A stair tower with a water tank is located in the projection against the east wall. A string course beneath the frieze features the name 'Hartford Works' highlighted in white brick, and there are brick dentils beneath the ashlar cornice. A narrow doorway, likely a later addition, is found in the gable return, while other entrances are now concealed by early 20th-century additions on the east side. These additions consist of two single-storey parallel ranges with pedimented gables facing Suthers Street, each having wide entrances that cut through the original round-arched windows. The roof structure is made of light steel and glass.

The interior has not been inspected but is known to have been extensively altered around 1909 for Platt Brothers. These changes included replacing old timber beams with steel girders and reinforcing the lower floor stanchions. Each floor features two lines of fluted iron columns with square capitals, and the roof is constructed with wooden king posts and ties. The mill was acquired by Platt Brothers around 1900 and was used as part of the Hartford New Works for warehousing and showrooms.