Buildings 4-7, stores at former Elsecar Central Workshops

Workshop stores, 1850s for Earl Fitzwilliam, extended by 1890. Renovated 1990 as part of Elsecar Heritage Centre.

MATERIALS: well-dressed, coursed sandstone generally with deep horizontal tooling. Welsh slate roofs. Later alterations in brick and breeze-block, with some alterations and repairs in the stonework.

PLAN: linear range opening onto the yard to the north-east, following the gentle curve of Forge Lane. The access through the north end of the range onto Forge Lane is a C20 alteration.

EXTERIOR: the north-western third of the range is of about seven bays, the north-western half being single-storey because of the rising ground surface, this having a series of altered entrances, one passing through the range to Forge Lane, this having an iron plate lintel. The south-western four bays have blind ground floors and National Coal Board picture windows to the first-floor, these with concrete sills and lintels. The end bay is a coped gable. There are two raised, gabled ventilators to the ridge, at either end of this section.

The south-eastern two thirds of the range continues the same roof-lines and is of two storeys. The western portion has a further regular run of nine inserted picture windows at first-floor, the last but one being in a cross gable. The ground floor below was originally open-fronted with twelve formerly open bays below with cast iron columns with simple bases and capitals, supporting iron plates forming the lintels, some of the columns replaced or supplemented with brickwork pillars. The range continues with a further five formerly open bays but without the inserted windows above, instead there being two two-light mullioned windows and a taking-in door. The infilling to the ground floor openings is generally in brick, but incorporates various doorways and windows. The southern gable end has a small round window set high in the gable retaining its cast iron frame. The patched stonework overlooking Forge Lane suggests that this elevation probably had a run of around five small windows to the centre of the range, with a run of four picture-format windows to the south.

INTERIOR: the passageway through the northern end of the range has a broad, multi-paned window facing onto it from the bay to the north. The southern part of the range has exposed queen post roof trusses. Internally from the taking-in door there is a girder mounted winch.