Fleecing And Washing Shop/Drying Shed At Castlethorpe Tannery Approximately 100 Metres South Of Manor House

The fleecing and washing shop with a drying shed at Castlethorpe Tannery, located approximately 100 metres south of the Manor House, is likely from the mid-19th century. This rectangular building measures about 14 metres by 3 metres and is constructed of brick with a pantile roof. It is situated over a stream, with water entering the building at the east end.

On the north side, the building is low with two storeys and features eight openings on the first floor. There is a doorway to the left (though the door is missing) and two openings to the right, all beneath timber lintels. A series of wide first-floor openings runs the full length of the building, which is mirrored on the south side. The west gable end has three ground-floor openings beneath timber lintels and a doorway leading to the first floor. The east gable end includes a round arch for the stream culvert, two ground-floor openings beneath timber lintels, and two wide first-floor openings with timber lintels that support a third similar opening in the gable above.

Inside, the ground floor features a tank at the east end, approximately 5 metres long and 2 metres wide, which is flooded by the stream and divided into 13 compartments by timbers. There is a narrow plank platform and a floor made of flags and bricks on the north side. A culvert carries the stream under the rest of the building. At the east end, there is a pit with a large iron washing drum set in a wooden tank. The first-floor openings previously had Stevenson screens for ventilation. The earliest structures of the tannery, which were in ruins at the time of the last survey, appear to date from the 18th to early 19th century. The tannery stopped operating earlier this century.