Alfred Enderby Ltd Fish Smoking and Processing Factory

Alfred Enderby Ltd Fish Smoking and Processing Factory

This is an inter-war fish curing facility with smokehouses, converted from a late 19th and early 20th century building. It is constructed of brick with a steel truss roof and corrugated iron covering.

The building is rectangular in plan, aligned south-west to north-east along Maclure Street, with a small projection to the south-east. The main elevation to Maclure Street is of painted brick and features a stepped eaves cornice. It comprises two storeys and four bays, with a single storey extension to the left which incorporates the formerly separate toilet block, behind which the original entrance survives. Windows were previously situated to the first three bays on both floors; two ground floor windows have now been blocked while another has been shortened. All glazing is renewed. To the right is a loading bay with roller shutters and a wooden balcony with original wood plank double doors above. A brick chimney stands between bays one and two.

The north-west elevation is rendered and mostly blank, except for a first-floor window to the left and evidence of a blocked entrance to the right. The majority of the ground floor is obscured by a detached property in separate ownership. A narrow smoking tower of rendered brick projects from the right hand side, topped by seven pyramidal chimney caps with dormer-style wooden louvers; six are surmounted by later metal cowls.

The south-west gable end is blind and rendered with modern signage, with the modern entrance to the right through the toilet block extension. The north-east gable abuts the adjacent building.

Interior

Against the west wall stand seven brick-built smoke holes (chimneys), each fifteen metres high and one metre square. Six are functioning while the seventh has been converted for storage use. The individual chambers are closed by timber plank hinged doors to the first floor, while the ground floor has both removable and hinged panels. The functioning six retain their sawdust pan pits, iron spete rests (small shelves lining either side of the chimneys), doors and panels to both floors, and harness loops to the first floor. The seventh chamber retains the majority of its character, although it has an inserted door to the ground floor and has lost its spete rests. Partitions between the chimneys to the ground floor have modern metal sheet coverings tacked onto the original surface.

The main entrance is now via the modern porch to the south-east, although the original external door survives within. This accesses a concrete stair with wooden handrail and square newels. Both floors are largely open-plan to allow free movement and processing of fish around the chimneys. The ground level contains the wet processing, while the upper level houses the dry. Modern large refrigeration units have been inserted to the north-west corners, although those on the first floor are free-standing. The first floor has an office area with half height brick walls and glazed wooden partitions above, retaining its service counter and hatch, as well as cupboards and shelving. The ground floor has a small inserted staff room to the east. Floors are of concrete with a wooden trap door giving access between the two processing areas. Both storeys have lightweight dropped ceilings. The roof structure comprises steel girders with both king and queen trusses and corrugated asbestos covering.