Marconis

Marconi's is a two-storey office and laboratory building, constructed in 1912 by architects W Dunn and R Watson. It features a brown brick exterior with limestone dressings and red clay tile window heads, all styled in Edwardian Baroque. The hipped slate roof is adorned with four brick ridge stacks that have stone banding. The façade displays a 3:5:1:5:3 arrangement of windows, with a slightly projecting central bay and projecting side wings. A notable feature is the central domed clock turret topped with a weathervane. The central bay includes an open pediment supported by pilasters, above a balcony with a wrought iron balustrade and panelled double doors on the ground floor. The first floor has a cartouche above a 36-pane sash window set in a Gibbs surround, with flat red brick arches over the sashes that include glazing bars. Additional decorative elements include a dentilled stone cornice and stone banding on the quoins and wings, with similar six-bay side elevations. A low brick wall with painted railings is attached to the building, and opposite the entrance are brick gate piers topped with iron lamp holders.

Inside, the building features a fine bolection-panelled entrance hall, which includes a decorative wrought-iron balustrade leading to a cantilevered staircase, a modillioned cornice, and Baroque-style plasterwork on the ceiling. Half-glazed doors from the hall lead to rear passages that provide access to offices, which are separated by semi-circular arched screens and feature plaster cornices.

Historically, this building is significant as the world's first purpose-built radio factory and was where Marconi conducted his development work.