The Iron Bungalow

1839/0/10002

IMMINGHAM PELHAM ROAD (South side), 359 The Iron Bungalow

(Formerly listed as: PELHAM ROAD 355, 359 AND 361 The Iron Bungalows)

09-JAN-04

II

DESCRIPTION: One of a row of five bungalows, built in 1907 by Price, Wills and Reeve, two of which survive in their original location. The timber-framed pitched roof and walls of the bungalow are clad in corrugated iron sheets galvanised with zinc. There is a single centrally positioned brick stack. The bungalow is rectangular in plan and raised some 0.70m off the ground on brick piers. The façade has a central projecting porch element with a pedimented gable topped with a wooden pinnacle. Similar pinnacles are attached to the gable ends of the bungalow. The front of the porch has a four-pane sash window and a short flight of steps leads to a door in the east side. There is a single two light window to either side of the porch and single windows in the side elevations. These window openings are original with later C20 frames.

Inspection of the interior of No.361 prior to its re-location revealed what is thought to have been its original interior cladding of tongue and groove panelling, with no insulation in between the cladding and the corrugated iron. The interior of No.359 was not inspected but is thought to be largely unaltered.

HISTORY: This corrugated iron bungalow dating to 1907 is an unusual survival of a type of housing rapidly constructed as part of a major building or civil engineering project, in this case Immingham Docks. They were built by Price, Wills and Reeve, the contractors who were employed to build the docks. There were originally five bungalows on Pelham Road and in 1910 they were occupied by the chief engineer, the dock engineer, the foreman, a bricklayer and a baker. Two bungalows (Nos.355 and 359) survive in their original location, a third (No.361) having been dismantled and re-assembled at Sandtoft Trolleybus Museum as a condition of consent to re-develop its original site. The iron bungalow between Nos.355 and No.359 was demolished in 1991 and replaced by a modern bungalow (No.357), which is not of special architectural interest.

SUMMARY OF IMPORTANCE: No. 359 Pelham Road is a corrugated iron bungalow dating to 1907 and erected by Price Wills and Reeve, the contractors employed to build Immingham docks. It meets the criteria for listing as a largely intact and unaltered example of rapidly constructed temporary housing designed for employees involved in building or civil engineering projects. It benefits from being in its original context. The building has definite character and clear historical interest and such buildings are becoming increasingly rare.