Iron Foundry (Building Number 1/140) Portsmouth, England

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SU 6300 NW VICTORIA ROAD (South side) 774-1/29/247 HM Naval Base Iron Foundry (Building No 1/140) including railings and bollards

GV II*

Includes: Iron Foundry (Building No. 1/140), THE PARADE HM NAVAL BASE Iron foundry and smithery, disused. c1857-1861, by Col GT Greene RE and Andrew Murray, Chief Engineer; extended 1878, later alterations. Banded red brick in English bond with ashlar and brighter red brick dressings. Roofs of Welsh slate and corrugated iron. PLAN: half courtyard plan with N former foundry range containing crucible furnaces at rear, between E former shipwright's shop extending back with pediments front and rear, and longer 3-storey W former millwright's shop with roof water tank, with former pattern makers' workshop dated 1878 projecting from SE end. The courtyard had a large central rotating crane, and the steam engine was to the SE. EXTERIOR: the three principal sections differentiated architecturally: central foundry 2 storeys with basement, granite plinth, ashlar impost band and eaves entablature of frieze, cornice and blocking course. Full- height round-arched recesses with keystones and brick voussoirs aligned to courses. Within each recess a tall segmental-arched window on ground floor and a shorter round-arched window above, windows all having small- paned metal frames and ashlar sills. North elevation: 1:11:1 bays, the end bays wider and project, that on left (east wing) pedimented, that on right (west wing) with 2nd storey, each has a giant round-arched entrance in ashlar surround, now bricked up and with windows; in pediment of left bay, a louvred oculus; on upper floor of right bay 3 round-arched recesses, central one with window. Eaves entablature breaks forward at centre and above entrances. Roof over central range hipped and with louvred skylight. East elevation: 6 bays as north elevation with middle bays open with cast-iron columns to heavy iron beam, subsequently built across. West elevation: 3 storeys, as north elevation, the 2nd floor having round-arched recesses with windows, and cornice below parapet. Segmental- arched basement windows, mostly bricked up, the area railings (at centre and left) having circular bars and columnar standards with plinths and plain capitals. Two giant entrances, as before, that on left with mid- late C20 outshut built across, that on right forming throughway to rear courtyard and having 2 cannon barrels reused as bollards (probably early- mid C19, reused mid-Iate C19) at south-west and north-east corners. South elevation: 4 bays, the 2 on left as before, the 2 on right a plainer addition. Courtyard elevations: north range has 2 tiers of round-arched windows; 2 entries, one covered by addition; and at right end a 2-storey projecting block with hipped Welsh slate roof. W wing has crane above throughway, and on left of throughway a projecting 3-storey 3-bay block. INTERIOR: contains brickjack arch floors with joists with parabolic bottom flanges, carried on riveted iron girders. In former foundry, brick walls carry rails for former travelling cranes, with wrought-iron roof trusses of diagonal struts and vertical ties. Stone flags to floors; rear cupola area of foundry had 2 areas with wrought-iron balconies, one with riveted traveller. Wrought-iron plates with holes defining position of cupolas. Similar balconies in foundry area, including one with a truncated stack. In NW corner is hydraulic accumulator, the pattern shops has fireproof stair well with an iron dog-leg stair with plain iron balusters, enclosed at the head in panelled metal case, and iron doors. Old bell on 2nd floor of west range. The water tank supplied water for cooling in the manufacturing processes and for fire-fighting. Former pattern shop in SE wing has first-floor with a jacobethan-style iron column supporting a decorated cast-iron beam. HISTORY: part of the redevelopment of Portsmouth for the steam-powered navy and in a similar manner to the No.2 Ship Shop (qv), and