Former Canal Warehouse And The Wharf Manager'S House Now Both Part Of Premises Of Canal Saw Mills

SE 3170 RIPON CANAL ROAD 5/150 (North side)

18.7.73 Former Canal Warehouse (formerly listed as Warehouse of Alltons Ltd) 12.10.77 and the Wharf Manager's House now both part of premises of Canal Saw Mills

GV II

Probably 1770-3. Designed either by John Smeaton, William Jessop, John Smith or Joshua Wilson (see below). Hammer-dressed red sandstone, partly roughcast. Double hipped pantile roof. Two storeys. Wharf site has 2 bays, each with waggon entrance on ground floor and loading doors above, that on east side reached by external red brick staircase. Road side has casements with glazing bars.

Wharf manager's house is roughcast with pantile roof. Two storeys. Three bays: sashes with glazing bars, central first floor window blind. Door with 6 fielded panels and oblong fanlight with glazing bars. Staircase window with glazing bars on road side.

History. The Act for the Ure Navigation was passed in 1767. Cutting of the Ripon Canal began early in 1770 and it opened early in 1773. Surveyor: William Jessop, supervised by John Smeaton. Resident engineer: John Smith. Masonry contractor Joshua Wilson of Halifax. A warehouse was in existence in 1781, so this building is most likely to be that.

Alternatively, the building could be part of the Aire and Calder Navigations scheme for a wharf at Ripon in 1789. But it is not known whether this was completed.

Listing NGR: SE3155170845