Front Range Ado Building, Lodge, Gateway And Railings At Vickers Ship And Engineering Limited Engine Garteway

BARROW IN FURNESS

SD1968 MICHAELSON ROAD, Barrow Island 708-1/13/92 (West side) Front range ADO building, lodge, gateway & railings at VSEL Engine Gate

GV II

Company offices and works entrance with gateway and attached railings. c1913. For Vickers Ltd. Ashlar and coursed red sandstone, slate roof. 3 storeys, 5x2 bays with lean-to gatehouse and double gates on left and with railings in 3 panels on right. Main building is symmetrical and has rusticated ashlar ground floor. Central entrance with Art Nouveau style iron gates; pilasters with diamond panels and console brackets to dentilled broken pediment over basket arch with keystone. Interrupted sill band to 4/1-pane casements in pairs; the outer windows have lower sills and ashlar transoms; lintel band and continuous dripmould over. 1st floor: moulded sill band and moulded cornice link three 4-light oriel bay windows with ashlar corbelling, curved corners, ovolo-moulded mullions and transoms and ashlar roofs; single-light windows to bays 2 and 4. 2nd floor: moulded sill band links cross-windows above each oriel and single-light windows to bays 2 and 4. Modillioned cornice with solid parapet; coped end gables. Adjoining on left is the workers' entrance with double-chamfered surround beneath panel marked 'WORKS ENTRANCE'; coped parapet with large ashlar scroll. Iron gates to left have close bars beneath twin mid-rails, scrollwork and arched rails above; spear finials and scrolled stiles. To right of main range is a curved wall with 3 sections of railings in Art Nouveau style. INTERIOR (not fully inspected): coffered ceiling to entrance lobby; margin-glazed doors and screen. Stair hall has eared door architraves; coffered ceiling and stone staircase with ornate wrought-iron balustrade. Built as part of a major phase of expansion of the shipbuilding and engineering works immediately prior to the Great War.

Listing NGR: SD1970768638