Former Lace Factory

A late-C19 former lace factory, extended in the late C19 or early C20 and altered in the C20.

MATERIALS: constructed of brick, the roof is covered with slate. The late-C19 or early-C20 extension is under a clay tiled roof.

PLAN: rectangular on plan, the building has a small lean-to extension on its south elevation.

EXTERIOR: the principal façade faces west and has a regular fenestration over four bays and two storeys. Each bay has a large multi-pane window to the ground and first floors under brick segmental arches and with brick sills. The windows are steel with an opening upper section. The west elevation is in Flemish bond with burnt headers to create a chequerboard effect. The other elevations are in a variety of bonds. The building is on a sloping site with the ground falling to the north. A brick cornice carries around the gables of the north and south elevations of the building, stepping in to create a broken-base pediment effect. On the north elevation a brick arch is partially visible beneath the sloping ground and was presumably originally an opening to the basement. The brickwork of this elevation contains a decorative burnt brick diamond design at the apex of the gable. A chimney above has been dismantled and a small window to the attic storey is situated just below. The east elevation is identical to the west with four large windows to each storey but without the decorative chequerboard brickwork. The south elevation contains the late-C19 or early-C20 lean-to extension which has a brick chimney stack at its east end. To the left is the building’s principal entrance which has been enlarged in the C20 with the original flat brick arch visible above. A C20 hoist is attached to the building, manufactured by Herbert Morris of Loughborough. At the centre of the apex on the attic storey is a further single light casement window under a segmental brick arch.

INTERIOR: the building has a single room on the ground and first floors with the first floor supported by substantial ceiling joists to support machinery. There are chamfered brick piers between the windows and a timber step ladder at the south-west end of the room. The ground floor has a projecting brick plinth of two courses and may indicate a slightly higher original floor level. The first floor contains an identical open space with smaller ceiling joists supporting the attic storey and a further Morris hoist and inserted steel joist above the stair well.

The attic storey contains an inserted cloakroom, with much of the roof structure on this level concealed by C20 boarding. The timber roof trusses are of queen post roof construction, with the straining beam sawn through and raised to provide access between the bays. On the north gable wall, a brick flue is in situ, continuing across all of the floors, with the chimney truncated.

The interior of the late-C19 or early-C20 extension contains a large brick furnace and a timber roof structure.