Morton's Works (former Carpet Manufacturing Company)

Details

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SO 8276
954110004

NEW ROAD
Morton's Works (former Carpet Manufacturing Company)

II

Carpet making factory. 1869-70; by J G Bland, for James Morton and Sons; extended 1878,1897 and early C20. Red brick with blue brick string courses and stone dressings. Welsh slate roofs with crested ridge tiles and corbelled brick eaves cornices. Brick axial stacks to offices.

PLAN: Built around a courtyard at the north end. On the west side a large three-storeys 20-bay office building containing Offices, design rooms, stores and packing departments. North West corner five-storey water tower and stair tower. On the north side two-storey nine-bay yarn and pattern stores, later C19 two-storey eight-bay yarn stores, entrance gateway and caretaker's lodge on the North East corner. On the east side two large dyehouses and range of two-storey warehouses at the south end.

To the south of the courtyard the three-storey range of stores and winding and finishing rooms, to the south of which stand the single storey north-light weaving sheds, seven original bays, extended by four bays in 1878 and later by six further bays.

The engine house at the north east comer of the weaving sheds and the boiler house, chimney and drying rooms at the centre of the courtyard have been demolished. Italianate and simplified Gothic.

EXTERIOR: West elevation facing New Road: 19 bays of weaving shed, each bay with two-light window and circular window in gable above; to left large three-storey 20-bay office range with corbelled stringcourses and sash windows with depressed two-centred arches; five- storey two-bay water tower on north west, corner with three tall narrow lights to the top stage and pyramidal roof with weather vane and bracketed eaves cornice.

North elevation facing Dixon Street: Stair tower on right against water tower has staggered stair windows and arcaded parapet on corbel table; nine bays to left with depressed two-centred arch windows with pilasters between; eight- bays range projects to left; carriageway and two-storey gabled lodge on left.

East elevation facing Green Street: Two ranges of dyehouses with blind arcades of depressed two-centred arches and lantern roofs with louvred ventilators; range of two-storey warehouses to left (south) with depressed two-centred arch windows.

INTERIOR: Stair tower contains open-well stairs with iron balustrade and wreathed mahogany handrail. Original wooden trusses in the dyehouses replaced in concrete, but floors of blue brick with cast-iron drainage channel covers. The original weaving sheds have cast-iron beams.

NOTE: In 1890 James Morton and Sons amalgamated with Richard Smith and Sons to form the Carpet Manufacturing Company. No longer a carpet factory the buildings are let as industrial units.

SOURCE: Geff A D. The Development of the Carpet Works of Kidderminster 1735-1939; dissertation, University of Birmingham (Ironbridge Institute).

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

472846

Legacy System:

LBS

End of official list entry

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