Former Richard Roberts Factory is a Grade II listed building in the Leicester local planning authority area, England. First listed on 28 July 2004. Factory. 1 related planning application.
Former Richard Roberts Factory
- WRENN ID
- hallowed-brick-jay
- Grade
- II
- Local Planning Authority
- Leicester
- Constituency
- Leicester West MP: Liz Kendall (Lab)
- Country
- England
- Date first listed
- 28 July 2004
- Type
- Factory
- Address
- Former Richard Roberts Factory, 5, the Chimney, Junior Street, City of Leicester, LE1 4QD
- OS grid reference
- SK 584 049
- Coordinates
- 52.63945, -1.13749
- Source
- Historic England listing
Description
Former Richard Roberts Factory, built in 1915 by G.Lawton Brown and Percy C. Jones for Toone and Kelsey, Hosiery Manufacturers, is a former hosiery factory. It is also known as the Richard Roberts Factory and was previously named Richard Roberts Factory. The building is constructed of various shades of brick with red brick and concrete dressings, and has a flat roof concealed behind a parapet. A prominent brick stack is located at the east end. The architectural style is English Baroque.
The building has a rectangular plan with an irregular eastern end and stands three storeys high with a basement. It has fifteen bays along its longer sides and seven bays across, featuring mostly metal-framed windows with glazing bars. Tall brick pilasters rise from a rusticated concrete base, supporting a moulded concrete frieze and modillion cornice. Corner pavilions have concrete pilasters rising from channelled rusticated ground floor bases. Ornamental doorcases or arches form the entrances at the ends of the longer fronts. Attached lower ancillary buildings are present at the east end to house power facilities and other equipment. Notably, a tall chimney with tapering sides and an ornamental concrete top rises above the factory at this eastern end.
The interior retains its original open-plan layout, featuring a steel frame and hardwood floors. Coloured tiling is present in basement areas and staircases. The roof is supported by steel trusses.
This factory is a significant and well-detailed example of early 20th century industrial architecture, reflecting a period of importance for the East Midlands hosiery industry.
Local climate
Former Richard Roberts Factory receives an average of 740 mm of rain a year. This makes it drier than 73% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is lower than that of 71% of listed buildings.
It experiences an average of 36 freeze-thaw cycles a year, more than 63% of listed buildings. Of these, 18 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.
Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.
More on this building
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- Full EPC report — heating system, energy costs, size, glazing, construction etc.
- Sale history — 8 transactions since 2007
- Related listed building consents — 1 application
- Detailed attributes — period, style, materials, features
- Flood risk assessment
- Radon risk assessment
- Weather exposure and heating demand — rain and frost month by month and year by year, wind direction, solar and humidity
Matched applications, energy data and sale records are assembled automatically and may contain errors. Flag incorrect data.
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