Essence Factory

The Essence Factory, built in 1896, serves as a combination of office and warehouse space. Designed by Briggs and Wostenholme of Blackburn for Messrs. Duckworth and Co., the building features red brick with terracotta dressings and detailing, topped with a roof of plain tiles and Welsh slates. The symmetrical south elevation hides the asymmetrical layout and functional divisions of the 'L' shaped complex.

This elevation rises four storeys high, with three five-storey towers positioned at the ends and center. It consists of 12 bays arranged in a pattern of 1:3:3:3:1:1, with towers at bays 1, 4, 7, and 11. Bay 12, which is two storeys tall and gabled, appears to be an afterthought. The entrance is located at bay 6, featuring a semi-circular-headed doorway framed in moulded terracotta with panelled double doors. Polygonal attached columns topped with urns flank the doorway.

The windows are stacked 3-light mullioned and transomed designs, with flat, segmental, and semi-circular arched heads that ascend in height. The tower bays on either side of the entrance have 2-storey oriels and octagonal corner turrets that extend downwards to the third floor. There are three bays on each side of the entrance range, featuring semi-circular headed arcades of tall windows at the ground and first floor levels, with the first-floor windows spanning two floors. The upper floor has triple semi-circular headed windows beneath a blind parapet, with the bays marked by pinnacles.

The end towers are wider versions of the central towers and are two bays deep. The rear elevation is obscured by a 20th-century addition that is not of special interest. To the right, there is a service courtyard that includes former engine and boiler houses, a stable, and a low entrance tower.

Inside, the structure has a frame of steel joists supported by iron columns. The front features a 5-bay office range accessed through a vestibule, which has a central colonnade and a moulded plaster ceiling. The wide strutted roof trusses are supported by iron props at the junction of the tie beam and principal rafter.