Chain Test House
CHAIN TEST HOUSE, RODBOURNE ROAD
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1355879
- Date first listed:
- 18-May-1984
- List Entry Name:
- Chain Test House
- Statutory Address:
- CHAIN TEST HOUSE, RODBOURNE ROAD
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2005-06-09
- Reference:
- IOE01/13782/15
- Rights:
- © Tim Belcher. Source: Historic England Archive
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Official list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1355879
- Date first listed:
- 18-May-1984
- List Entry Name:
- Chain Test House
- Statutory Address 1:
- CHAIN TEST HOUSE, RODBOURNE ROAD
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- CHAIN TEST HOUSE, RODBOURNE ROAD
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Swindon (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Central Swindon North
- National Grid Reference:
- SU 14338 85048
Details
RODBOURNE ROAD SU 18 SW SWINDON BREL: Swindon Works 1/152 Chain Test House 18.5.84 GV II*
Metal Testing House. 1873. Long single storey brick structure built on to an older building and thus having only one external wall. Wrought iron roof construction sash windows. The testing room at the south end is lit from above, the chain tester is in the floor of the corridor to the north. The testing room has largely original fittings and a very Victorian atmosphere. The Ransome's chain tester of 1874 has a hydraulic pull of 130 tons and is probably the oldest such working machine in the country. There are also a later tensile tester and an Izod's Patent tester by Avery's. A fine collection of Victorian testing machinery in original setting and in working order, the whole now extremely rare. Part of the great expansion of the works in the 1870's and one of an important group of industrial buildings at the GWR works.
Listing NGR: SU1432485014
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 318814
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Large, F, Swindon Retrospect 1855-1930, (1931)
Peck, A, The Great Western at Swindon Works, (1983)
Silto, J, A Swindon History 1840-1901, ()
Hudson, K, Transport History, ()
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 28-Jun-2026 at 22:24:14.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.