Difference between revisions of "Maw and Co's Siding"
(add info) |
(add pictures) |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
[[File:BritainFromAbove MawAndCo.jpg|thumb|300px|right|An aerial view of Jackfield in 1948, with Maw and Co's factory extending across most of the image on the near side of the River Severn. Jackfield Halt was located at the left (west) end of the factory at this date. Image from [http://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/image/eaw012675 Britain from Above]]] | [[File:BritainFromAbove MawAndCo.jpg|thumb|300px|right|An aerial view of Jackfield in 1948, with Maw and Co's factory extending across most of the image on the near side of the River Severn. Jackfield Halt was located at the left (west) end of the factory at this date. Image from [http://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/image/eaw012675 Britain from Above]]] | ||
| − | Maw and Company, often referred to as Maw & Co., was a company specialised in the manufacture of decorative floor tiles, later expanding to other ceramic wares. | + | '''Maw and Company''', often referred to as Maw & Co., was a company specialised in the manufacture of decorative floor tiles, later expanding to other ceramic wares. |
==Maw & Co. history== | ==Maw & Co. history== | ||
The company was formed in Worcester in 1850, and in 1862 moved to a new factory in Broseley in the Ironbridge Gorge<ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maw_%26_Co Maw & Co], Wikipedia, accessed 7/12/2015</ref>, providing a significant portion of the traffic at [[Ironbridge and Broseley]] station. The company quickly outgrew the cramped Ironbridge site, and a decision was taken to open a new factory downriver at Jackfield, home to several other tile factories. On opening in 1883, the Benthall Encaustic Tile Works were the largest tileworks in the world, employing 400 people and producing 20 million tiles annually. Tiles were exported across the British Empire via the Severn Valley railway, to locations including as the Maharaja's Palace, Mysore, India; St. Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne; and the Bank of South Africa, Johannesburg.<ref>M. A. Vanns, ''The Severn Valley Railway''</ref> | The company was formed in Worcester in 1850, and in 1862 moved to a new factory in Broseley in the Ironbridge Gorge<ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maw_%26_Co Maw & Co], Wikipedia, accessed 7/12/2015</ref>, providing a significant portion of the traffic at [[Ironbridge and Broseley]] station. The company quickly outgrew the cramped Ironbridge site, and a decision was taken to open a new factory downriver at Jackfield, home to several other tile factories. On opening in 1883, the Benthall Encaustic Tile Works were the largest tileworks in the world, employing 400 people and producing 20 million tiles annually. Tiles were exported across the British Empire via the Severn Valley railway, to locations including as the Maharaja's Palace, Mysore, India; St. Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne; and the Bank of South Africa, Johannesburg.<ref>M. A. Vanns, ''The Severn Valley Railway''</ref> | ||
| − | The land around Jackfield is prone to slipping, which became a constant expense to both the Great Western Railway and other local businesses. In 1882, Maw & Co undertook to sink several old boiler barrels, possibly from GWR locomotives, vertically into the ground and fill them with concrete in an attempt to stabilise the ground.<ref>The Engineer, December 8, 1882 on [https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/ Grace's Guide]</ref> | + | The land around Jackfield is prone to slipping, which became a constant expense to both the Great Western Railway and other local businesses. In 1882, Maw & Co undertook to sink several old boiler barrels, some possibly from GWR locomotives, vertically into the ground and fill them with concrete in an attempt to stabilise the ground. The process was described in an article in "The Engineer", December 1882, a copy of which may be seen on a Telford and Wrekin Council information board at the site of the slip.<ref>The Engineer, December 8, 1882 on [https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/ Grace's Guide]</ref> The remains of several of the shells are still present in the vicinity. |
| + | <gallery mode=packed heights=150px style="text-align:left"> | ||
| + | Jackfield_Boiler_Shells.jpg|Remains of old boiler shells | ||
| + | Jackfield_Boiler_Shells_Poster.jpg|Information board showing an illustration from The Engineer article | ||
| + | </gallery> | ||
The factory closed in 1970 and now houses a collection of art, craft and design studios<ref>[http://www.mawscraftcentre.co.uk/ Maws Craft Centre web site]</ref>. | The factory closed in 1970 and now houses a collection of art, craft and design studios<ref>[http://www.mawscraftcentre.co.uk/ Maws Craft Centre web site]</ref>. | ||
| Line 20: | Line 24: | ||
*1927 map, largely unchanged | *1927 map, largely unchanged | ||
| − | <gallery> | + | <gallery mode=packed heights=150px style="text-align:left"> |
File: OS_Maws_1883.jpg | 1883 | File: OS_Maws_1883.jpg | 1883 | ||
File: OS_Maws_1902.jpg | 1902 | File: OS_Maws_1902.jpg | 1902 | ||
Revision as of 22:27, 11 December 2020
Maw and Company, often referred to as Maw & Co., was a company specialised in the manufacture of decorative floor tiles, later expanding to other ceramic wares.
Maw & Co. history
The company was formed in Worcester in 1850, and in 1862 moved to a new factory in Broseley in the Ironbridge Gorge[1], providing a significant portion of the traffic at Ironbridge and Broseley station. The company quickly outgrew the cramped Ironbridge site, and a decision was taken to open a new factory downriver at Jackfield, home to several other tile factories. On opening in 1883, the Benthall Encaustic Tile Works were the largest tileworks in the world, employing 400 people and producing 20 million tiles annually. Tiles were exported across the British Empire via the Severn Valley railway, to locations including as the Maharaja's Palace, Mysore, India; St. Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne; and the Bank of South Africa, Johannesburg.[2]
The land around Jackfield is prone to slipping, which became a constant expense to both the Great Western Railway and other local businesses. In 1882, Maw & Co undertook to sink several old boiler barrels, some possibly from GWRGreat Western Railway locomotives, vertically into the ground and fill them with concrete in an attempt to stabilise the ground. The process was described in an article in "The Engineer", December 1882, a copy of which may be seen on a Telford and Wrekin Council information board at the site of the slip.[3] The remains of several of the shells are still present in the vicinity.
Remains of old boiler shells
Information board showing an illustration from The Engineer article
The factory closed in 1970 and now houses a collection of art, craft and design studios[4].
Maw and Co's Siding
The private siding which was situated to the east of the line and facing Ironbridge, was opened in 1877 to serve a small brickworks. The layout can be seen on the 1883 OSOrdnance Survey Map, surveyed in 1881-82 and pre-dating the construction of the Maw & Co.’s works. On opening, a small McKenzie and Holland wooden signal box provided access to the siding, before being demoted to ground frame status in 1893. The former signal box was replaced by a standard ground frame in 1945, before final closure of the sidings in on 18 October 1959.[5]
From 1934 the works was served by Jackfield Halt, which was initially situated west of the siding but later moved to the east of it.
Historic maps of Maw & Co.'s siding
- 1883 map (survey date 1881-2) showing the original siding serving the old brick works
- 1904 map showing the new Maw & Co. works.
- 1927 map, largely unchanged
1883
1902
1927
References
Vic Mitchell and Keith Smith, Country Railway Routes, Kidderminster to Shrewsbury
- ↑ Maw & Co, Wikipedia, accessed 7/12/2015
- ↑ M. A. Vanns, The Severn Valley Railway
- ↑ The Engineer, December 8, 1882 on Grace's Guide
- ↑ Maws Craft Centre web site
- ↑ Signal Box Register, Volume 1: Great Western, revised 2011 edition, Signalling Record Society (plus correction sheet #9 )
