Westport Foundry And Attached Iron Railngs, Piers And Gates

MALMESBURY

ST9287 FOUNDRY ROAD 758-1/2/72 (North East side) 01/07/76 Westport Foundry and attached iron railings, piers and gates (Formerly Listed as: FOUNDRY ROAD (North East side) Westport Ironworks)

GV II

Foundry and forge. Founded 1870, incorporating early C19 range of farm buildings. Limestone rubble outer farm walls and late C19 brickwork, with slate and Double Roman roof. U-shaped plan of single-depth ranges, paired along the SE side, with rebuilt former office to SW open side. EXTERIOR: 2-storeys and attic, with single storey NE range; 3:3:3-window ranges to courtyard. Parallel 2-storey ranges have segmental-arched heads and metal-framed windows, blind to the ground floor, the W range with a 1-window rubble end gable and small hatch to the left of the ground-floor window, the E range with a right-hand parallel gabled range set forward, brick with altered carriage doors and hoist doors above; connected by a single-storey rear range with a left-hand doorway, arched left-hand and flat-headed central and right-hand windows. Rebuilt former office has an inward-facing doorway and small windows with thin mullions. INTERIOR: details include line shafting to lathes and pillar drill in N range and fan for brass furnace and forge in W range which retain early bellows, driven by a Tangye gas engine; pattern maker's shop and casting floor, formerly with cupola, in E range. SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: attached iron railings, piers and entrance gates close the courtyard; a pair of capped ashlar gate piers with iron gates attached to W corner. HISTORICAL NOTE: a fairly complete example of a rural town foundry, of which there are now very few survivors.

Listing NGR: ST9300587628