Description

BARROW IN FURNESS

SD1968 MICHAELSON ROAD, Barrow Island
708-1/13/93 (West side)
Heavy Engineering Shop at VSEL

GV II

Engineering workshops. c1900 though probably incorporating
building of c1875. For Vickers, Sons and Maxim Ltd. Snecked
red sandstone, corrugated sheet roofs.
Tall single-storey building with multiple roofs and occupying
large rectangular site bounded by Michaelson Road and Bridge
Road at junction of which is a re-entrant corner. Michaelson
Road front is 42 bays in length and 7 roof spans in depth.
Left return, to Bridge Road is of 11 bays. Michaelson Road
front: continuous, chamfered sill band to tall casements with
glazing bars under segmental arches with keystones; band
beneath the arch imposts. Bay 35 has double-chamfered round
archway flanked by narrower windows in slight projection.
Over-sailing course and blocks support gutter and parapet
walkway. Gable to right end (at Engine Gate); hipped end to
left.
Left return (facing Bridge Road): bay 1 (adjacent to Centre
Gate) has large round-arched window with impost; keystone and
hoodmould in recess beneath inclined corbel tables to gable
parapet with ashlar copings and roll finial. 10 bays to right
are as Michaelson Road front.
INTERIOR: main length of building has 3 bays with riveted
stanchions, sandstone dividing walls and 3 other bays with
cylindrical stanchions. Lightweight, steel roof trusses.
The main range facing Michaelson Road housed ordnance shops in
which were built naval gun mountings; 3 erecting shops
measuring 1000x50 feet were served by 8 machine shops set at
right-angles. 10-12 mountings for guns up to 12 inch bore
could be built at one time.
Set back by 3 bays from Michaelson Road is a 3-bay section
bounded by stone walls which is likely to be the Machining and
Erecting Shop shown on plans of the works of the Barrow Iron
Shipbuilding Co; this earlier shop originally measured 420x150
feet in 3 spans.
The buildings clearly indicate the scale of operation of the
shipbuilding and engineering works at the turn of the century;
its roadside frontages make a major contribution to the
industrial scene in a town where the buildings of other major
C19 industries have been almost completely swept away.
(The Barrow in Furness Almanack and Tide Tables: Barrow in
Furness: 1886-: 86-89 & LITHOGRAPHS; Vickers Sons & Maxim Ltd:
Their Works and Manufactures: 1898-: 129-156; Richardson A:
Vickers Sons and Maxim Ltd: London: 1902-: 66).

Listing NGR: SD1962568535

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• VSEL Heavy Engineering Workshop at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q15979593

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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