53, Northfield Road

This is a mid-1880s fruit store, later converted to a furniture depository in 1917 and strengthened at that time. The building is constructed of London stock brick with a slate roof and features steel ceiling beams. Supporting steel uprights were added after 1904.

The south front has three storeys and a four-window range. The design is nearly symmetrical, with a pair of sliding double timber doors to the right of centre, set under an overlight with 3 x 11 panes, all within a brick relieving arch. Flanking the doors are partly external stacks presented as pilaster strips. There is an altered doorway on the ground floor to the right of the elevation. The windows are centre-hung: 4 x 8 panes to the ground and first floors, and 2 x 4 panes to the second floor, all under segmental arches. The west window bay incorporates a 1950s ground-floor window, and an 8-18 horned sash to the first floor. A dentiled eaves cornice runs along the top. The roof is hipped.

The west front is a six-window range; the three southern bays belong to Ivy Cottage, originally the foreman’s house, now in private occupation. Ivy Cottage has a three-panelled door under a plain overlight, flanked by a six-pane horned sash to the right and left, all under segmental heads. Above are three similar sashes, and three six-paned centre-hung windows to the second floor. The remaining three window bays to the north resemble the south front. A ridge stack is located to the right of centre.

The north front features a single-storey outshut with a corrugated iron roof. Four centre-hung windows are irregularly spaced on the first floor, with four smaller, irregularly spaced windows to the second floor. A steel reinforcing beam runs above the first-floor windows. A rectangular lift tower rises from the front wall plane, with a machine room lit by one of the four windows.

Inside, double doors on the south side lead into a loading bay that runs south-north across the ground floor. The ground floor and first floor uprights were inserted after 1904, likely in 1917. The building contains a steel frame constructed from I-section members, with angle brackets attaching the verticals to the ceiling beams, which are riveted and bolted in place. Heavier section steel ceiling beams date from the mid-1880s. The first floor also includes a two-bay brick arcade. A manual lift, made by Waygood-Otis Co. of London, is present; the lift cage on the ground floor has been rebuilt using breeze block, while the rest of the lift dates back to around 1887. A timber gondola is also from around 1887. The roof is supported by A-frame trusses with purlins.

The building is of particular interest due to its mid-1880s steel ceiling beams.