Pearce'S Leather Works

725/0/10030 10-JAN-02

WELLINGBOROUGH ROAD Billing Park (Southwest side) Pearce's Leather Works

GV II

Leather works and generator and garage block. 1939. By Wilfrid Lawson Carter. Rendered and whitewashed brick with red brick plinth with dark headers and parapeted, glazed and corrugated sheet roofs. International Modern style with coloured tile banding and metal windows. Plan is of a large rectangle with one corner cut away and the office block set into the re-entrant angle. Office block has high central section with canted sides and with lower wings projecting forward from those sides. The north-light shed factory stretches behind and to the left. The office block is of 2 storeys, the central section with attic. Central section has 3 tall windows at first floor and 3 small windows in the attic over. These last are set in a wide band of decorative tiling. On the ground floor a central doorway up steps has wide projecting flat hood, decorative tiled surround with a band of scroll design and glazed double doors with metal grilles. There is a 2-light window either side and on the canted sides of the central section from which project the wings. There is a 4-window range of 5-light casements with transoms on both floors to each side then a window on the canted corner and then a further window on the ends of the wings. Similar windows to the rear of the wings. Behind these stretches the factory which is composed of conventional north-light sheds with much simpler detailing to the various doors and windows. INTERIOR. Office block entrance hall has floor of miniature tiles forming a star pattern, and panelled ceiling. Doors here and elsewhere have moulded surrounds with an inlaid darker line and here and in part elsewhere in the suites of offices have glazing with line pattern etching. Staircase hall has open well stairs with wood panelled dado and stepped balustrade which has a curving metal rail in multiple sections set into the stepped top and around the landing. The Board Room over the entrance has canted corners, wooden panelling, decorative double doors and fireplaces either end. Across the left hand driveway is the generator and garage block in similar style. The taller section turbine tower to right is of 3 storeys with loading door and window to ground floor, 2 windows above and single tall window to top floor. Single-storey section to left and in part set-back has windows and wide loading and garage doors. This leather works (originally both tannery and leather dressers) and generator and garage block form a significant group with the entrance gatepiers and gates and forecourt pool and the ensemble is a very unusual example of an 1930s leather works with fine architectural detailing and built on the greenfield site.