British Steel Tinplate Works General Office

British Steel Tinplate Works General Office

This is a Free Dutch Baroque style building of impressive architectural ambition. The structure consists of a long range of red brick with extensive detailing in buff-coloured ashlar and artificial slate roofs. The composition centres on a two-storey entrance block with single-storey wings extending either side, and a tall clock tower positioned at the south end, which was originally conceived as the design's centrepiece.

The central entrance block spans three wide bays. The end bays project forward and feature elaborately shaped gables with ashlar finials. The central portions of these end bays break forward further to contain arched ground floor windows with radiating timber glazing, and above them wide ashlar eight-light mullion and transome windows with small round-arched pediments enclosing radiating glazing. Narrow flanking lights serve both storeys. The gables break forward to centre on elaborate brackets and carry hoodmoulded gable tablets containing roundels.

On the right return elevation stands a large round-headed leaded dormer with radiating glazing, with paired sashes to its left. The recessed central bay contains a wide bow-fronted pink granite porch supported on Tuscan columns. The parapet features a raised blank arched tablet to its centre. Inside the porch, ashlar facing lines the doors to a concave central section, with narrow lights to curved returns (though the door and windows are modern replacements). To the first floor is a central advanced dormer with heavy ashlar segmental pediment and moulded finial, containing two narrow transomed windows. Flanking paired plate-glass sashes have ashlar mullions and lintels.

The nine-window single-storey right-hand wing contains narrow 4/1-pane sashes. The left window comprises a triplet with 4/1, 6/1 and 4/1-pane sashes, with a small leaded round-headed dormer light above displaying radiating glazing. The right end bay projects with a shaped gable and a bow-fronted mullion and transome ashlar bay window of 15 lights topped by a convex metal-clad ribbed roof. Beyond to the right stands a square porch with a round-arched blocked door under an ashlar hood, surmounted by a heavy ashlar pediment with an elongated fluted keystone running vertically through it.

The nine-window left-hand range mirrors the right wing with narrow sashes and a similar triplet with dormer. Its projecting end bay has a shaped gable with a later porch set within the angle. This end bay contains a shallow rectangular ashlar bay window of eight lights with radiating glazing to a lunette under a deep hood.

The clock tower, positioned to the left of the left wing, is highly elaborate and three-staged. The lower stage is blank. The middle stage features paired tall round-headed openings framing narrow slit windows with ashlar keystones rising to a pseudo-Doric entablature bearing odd elongated triglyphs against a brick background. The ashlar clock stage sits twisted through 45 degrees, crowned by a heavy cornice with pulvinated frieze and a small convex leaded dome topped by a large ball finial. The clock faces sit within carved cartouche-like openings (dated 1916) with inscriptions above, one reading 'time passeth away without delay'.

To the left of the tower spreads a broad gable of a single-storey cross-wing with a simpler shaped gable. Its centre advances to contain a Venetian window with timber radiating glazing and narrow lights flanking either side. The south elevation of this wing displays tall round-arched windows and a blank arched central opening with hood breaking the eaves.

The rear elevation shows the right-end gabled elevation of the south wing matching that of the front. Set back is a parallel gabled wing aligning with the clock tower. The long two-storey central range has an advanced pebbledashed gable to centre with an eight-light ashlar upper transome and mullion window with an arched radiating window immediately above and narrow flanking lights. The right section contains upper sash windows, some 1/1 and others 4/1-pane. The lower floor is obscured by a later flat-roofed addition. To the left of the gable, elevations are pebbledashed, including a tall left-hand two-storey wing with modernised glazing.

Interior

The central vestibule contains a fireplace and an impressive imperial staircase of ashlar set behind a three-bay ashlar screen with a segmental centre opening flanked by narrow round-arches. Heavy arcaded balustrading extends to the landing stretch, which features a central clock set within a shaped surround. Square-section moulded newels carry elaborate metal openwork lamp-finials. Lower newels are diagonally set with globe finials. Upper flights of stairs are supported on two-bay arcades. Spine corridors have glazed brick arches at intervals and tiled dados.

The north end front room, formerly the managers' room, now houses an exhibition on the works' history. It features a barrel ceiling with cross-beams carrying simple balusters above and a timber cornice. An elaborate ashlar fireplace with segmental arch is dated 'EV 1916' and contains a marble insert and iron grate.