1874 – Workshops, Thames Ditton, Surrey

Architect: S.J. Nicholl

0005

From The Building News: “The illustration of Messrs. Cox and Son workshops at Thames Ditton shows the gatehouse and the foundry and chasing-shops, designed by Mr. S.J. Nicholl, architect. The gatehouse includes the office, warehouse, and keeper’s apartments ; the whole of the top story being a large room, for the use of the workmen as a readingroom, or for meetings, with a separate entrance from the street. The gateway opens into a roadway 170ft. long, between two ranges of workshops, with a traveller working along the whole ran^e and extending from the river to the gateway.

One range of buildings, 42ft. wide, and three stories in height, is occupied on the ground floor by the machinery for wood-working, and for stone, marble, and granite cutting and polishing ; the first floor by carvers, joiners, and cabinet-makers ; and the second floor by metal-workers ; the range on the opposite side being the mason’s and stone-carver’s shops. The foundry will befor bronze castings the first to be done being the colossal statue of Lord Mayo, from the model by T. Thornicroft, Esq. The roadway at this point takes a turn, leaving an irregular space at the side of the foundry, partly occupied by chasing-shops, and roofed over in the simplest form for economical reasons, as shown in the view. The area occupied by the buildings, by spaces for seasoning timber yards, &c., is about an acre and a half, with a river frontage of 280ft., and a frontage to the Sumner-road to Hampton Court of 5S0ft., the distance being about twelve miles from Hyde Park Corner. Messrs. Cox and Sons, in removing their factory from London, consider that they offer one solution of the difficulty so felt as to workmen’s dwellings. The men and their families will be able to have comfortable cottages, with gardens and open spaces, within a few minutes of their work ; whilst Messrs. Cox and Sons calculate that they will effect a saving of cost by having their materials delivered by barges direct from the docks to their wharf ; and against the extra cost of conveyance of finished goods to London, there will be the saving on the value of the site, in wages, and other incidental expenses.