Crompton's Arc Works is a Grade II listed building in the Chelmsford local planning authority area, England. First listed on 3 June 1986. Warehouse. 28 related planning applications.
Crompton's Arc Works
- WRENN ID
- late-gargoyle-sunrise
- Grade
- II
- Local Planning Authority
- Chelmsford
- Constituency
- Chelmsford MP: Marie Goldman (LD)
- Country
- England
- Date first listed
- 3 June 1986
- Type
- Warehouse
- Address
- Crompton's Arc Works, Anchor Street
- OS grid reference
- TL 705 061
- Coordinates
- 51.72816, 0.46827
- Source
- Historic England listing
Description
Crompton's Arc Works is a former generating plant, now a warehouse, dating to the late 19th century and built for R E B Crompton. The building is constructed of brick with terracotta detailing, incorporating a slate and glass roof. It fronts Anchor Street and is composed of three bays of two-storey office accommodation and six bays of factory accommodation, distinguished by full-height segmental openings. Pediments are present above the office bays and the factory entrance. Two later doors have been inserted. The works were founded in 1878 to supply electricity to the town, and in 1901, Chelmsford became the first town in Britain to have public street lighting powered from this location. The building is listed due to its historical connection with Crompton, his pioneering work in electricity, and particularly its association with the installation of public street lighting.
Local climate
Crompton's Arc Works sits in one of the driest parts of the UK, with an average of 690 mm of rain a year. This makes it drier than 98% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is lower than that of 76% of listed buildings.
It experiences an average of 24 freeze-thaw cycles a year, fewer than 74% of listed buildings. Of these, 13 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 — 13 transactions since 1997
- Related listed building consents — 28 applications
- 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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