Bryant And May Factory, Main Building

The Bryant and May factory main building is a match factory constructed between 1909 and 1910. Designed by Messrs Holman and Goodsham, it is a substantial red brick building with a low-pitched roof and a concrete frame. The building is five storeys high, with two tall towers reaching ten stages each. The layout is L-shaped, enclosing two attached low wings and a tall circular chimney. Decorative plaster strips rise from the ground to a brick cornice between each bay. The windows are segmental-headed with metal frames and small panes. Each wing has a square tower containing staircases and water storage tanks for the original built-in sprinkler system, with narrower segmental windows. The top stage of these towers is corbelled out. The building is an impressive example, embodying the specialized environmental requirements needed for match manufacture.