French Shed, Cottages And Attached Drying Shed, Workshop And Stables At William Blyth Ings Yard

The French shed, cottages, and attached drying shed, workshop, and stables at William Blyth Ings Yard in Barton upon Humber are a significant industrial complex dating from the mid to late 19th century, specifically before 1886. The drying shed features open timber construction with a pantile roof, which was retiled around 1980. The wooden posts of the frame rest on square quarry-tile pads, indicating the early date and unaltered nature of the structure. This shed is referred to as the French shed due to its historical use for 'French Tiles' that were popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Attached to the west of the drying shed are a pair of cottages built in the late 19th century. These cottages are constructed of red brick with a pantile roof and a central ridge stack, standing two stories high. They feature a two-window range at the first floor with 2/2 sash windows under cambered brick arches, and a door located to the right.

To the south of the cottages is another drying shed, which has origins before 1886 but was significantly rebuilt in 1990 to reflect the original timber-framed design. This shed includes movable shutters along both sides.

Also attached to the south end is a workshop and stables, which date from before 1886. This structure is made of red brick and has a pantile roof, consisting of two ranges at right angles to each other. The stable area contains three stalls with brick partitions and a fireplace in the tack room.

These buildings are depicted on the 1887 Ordnance Survey map, surveyed in 1886, and they form part of a very important evolved industrial complex. Together with the associated Blyth yard at Hoe Hill, they represent the only remaining tilery on the Humber Bank that produced handmade roof tiles using traditional methods, and possibly the only one left in the country. The entire process of tile production can be observed here, from the mill house that processes the clay, through the extrusion and trimming of the wet clay tiles, to the drying sheds and the kiln for firing, which includes an office or lobby for the site foreman and kiln supervisors.