Brass Foundry (Building Number 1/142 East End (Psto (N) 34 Store)

SU 6300 NW VICTORIA ROAD (South side) HM Naval Base 774-1/29/246 Brass Foundry (Building No 1/142, east end (PSTO (n) 34 Store)

GV II

Iron and brass foundry, now workshop. 1848, by Cpt H James, RE; traveller road roofed 1888. Red brick in English bond with granite plinth and Portland ashlar dressings; corrugated iron hipped valley roof with ridge vents. Square plan, W traveller. EXTERIOR: single storey; 7 parallel hipped-roofed ranges giving elevations of 7 x 7 bays, with bay added in same style at west end. Plinth. Round-arched arcades framing large small-pane cast-iron windows, most replaced mid C20, N and 2 ends with doorways 1 bay from the ends with fanlights and metal doors, keystones and projecting blocking courses; impost band, eaves cornice and blocking course, raised over the doorways. INTERIOR has a wrought-iron roof with angle struts and vertical round- section ties. W former traveller road contains cast-iron traveller supports inscribed "JA BALDY IRON FOUNDER/LNDPORT/1864". HISTORY: used temporarily for iron-founding before the construction of the adjacent iron foundry ( qv) from 1857. Originally with brass furnaces along the centre partition wall, drawn by 4 central chimneys on iron frames, and 2 iron cupola furnaces and casting pits in the foundry section. The building was, with James' No.2 Ship Shop and Greene's Iron Foundry (qqv), an integral element in the dockyard expansion of the 1840s which enabled the yard to deal with the new steam-powered ships which the navy was beginning to employ. (Sources: The Portsmouth Papers: Riley RC: The Evolution of the Docks and Industrial Buildings in Portsmouth: Portsmouth: 1985: 16 ; Evans D: The Buildings of the Steam Navy: 1994: 9-11, 17 ; Professional Papers of the Royal Engineers, Series 3: James H: Description of the Steam Basin, Factory and other Works: 1853: 92).

Listing NGR: SU6299200361