The Factory Club

The Factory Club, built in 1878, was designed by Parr and Strong for Bevan's cement (Pyramid Brand) as a recreational hall and rooms for workers, a function it still serves for Blue Circle. The building features a brick-built basement, a double-height ground floor, and an attic, all topped with slate roofs and enhanced by classical decoration.

The central section is recessed and contains five tall round-headed windows, while the end sections resemble towers and feature doors accessed from the pavement via bridges. These end sections are adorned with Corinthian pilasters at the corners and rise to steeply pitched roofs in the French Château style, which include dormer windows and are topped with decorative cast-iron railings. A tall, elaborately decorated parapet with a central coat of arms crowns the entire structure. The building showcases skilled, relatively early examples of Portland cement decoration.