Lancaster Carriage and Wagon Works
Encyclopedia
The former Lancaster Carriage and Wagon Works is located in Caton Road, Lancaster
, Lancashire
, England. The works produced railway rolling stock and trams. The buildings were designed by the local architect E. G. Paley
. After the company moved its business elsewhere, the building was used during the First World War for the internment of enemy alien
s. It has been listed at Grade II, and, as of 2011, is in use as an office, warehouse and factory.
. The works manufactured railway carriages and wagons, trams, wheels and axles, and provided wagons for hire. It closed in 1908 when its business moved to the Ashbury Railway Carriage and Iron Company Ltd
. During the First World War the buildings were used for the internment of enemy alien
s. At one time the officer in charge was Robert Graves
, who later included his experiences in Lancaster in his autobiography Good-Bye to All That. As of 2011, the buildings are used as an office, warehouse and as part of a factory.
and has slate
roofs. The front which faces Caton Road consists of a long range of single-storey workshops with ventilation provided through a clerestory
. It has a central entrance gateway with a tall clock tower. The tower is in three stages. In the bottom stage is the wagon entrance with a rusticated
segmental arch, above which are four round-headed windows and a clock face. The tower has a steep pyramidal roof on the top of which is a timber bellcote, also with a pyramidal roof. The office block is in two storeys. It has a wide central bay
between two semi-octagonal windows. The front range of the works and the office have been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II listed building.
Lancaster, Lancashire
Lancaster is the county town of Lancashire, England. It is situated on the River Lune and has a population of 45,952. Lancaster is a constituent settlement of the wider City of Lancaster, local government district which has a population of 133,914 and encompasses several outlying towns, including...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England. The works produced railway rolling stock and trams. The buildings were designed by the local architect E. G. Paley
Edward Graham Paley
Edward Graham Paley, usually known as E. G. Paley, , was an English architect who practised in Lancaster, Lancashire, in the second half of the 19th century.-Education and career:...
. After the company moved its business elsewhere, the building was used during the First World War for the internment of enemy alien
Enemy alien
In law, an enemy alien is a citizen of a country which is in a state of conflict with the land in which he or she is located. Usually, but not always, the countries are in a state of declared war.-United Kingdom:...
s. It has been listed at Grade II, and, as of 2011, is in use as an office, warehouse and factory.
History
The Lancaster Railway Carriage and Wagon Company originated in 1863. Offices and workshops for the company were designed by the local architect E. G. Paley, and built between 1863 and 1865 alongside the Midland RailwayMidland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
. The works manufactured railway carriages and wagons, trams, wheels and axles, and provided wagons for hire. It closed in 1908 when its business moved to the Ashbury Railway Carriage and Iron Company Ltd
Ashbury Railway Carriage and Iron Company Ltd
The Ashbury Carriage and Iron Company Limited was a manufacturer of railway rolling stock founded by John Ashbury in 1837 at Knott Mill in Manchester, England, near the original terminus of the Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne and Manchester Railway...
. During the First World War the buildings were used for the internment of enemy alien
Enemy alien
In law, an enemy alien is a citizen of a country which is in a state of conflict with the land in which he or she is located. Usually, but not always, the countries are in a state of declared war.-United Kingdom:...
s. At one time the officer in charge was Robert Graves
Robert Graves
Robert von Ranke Graves 24 July 1895 – 7 December 1985 was an English poet, translator and novelist. During his long life he produced more than 140 works...
, who later included his experiences in Lancaster in his autobiography Good-Bye to All That. As of 2011, the buildings are used as an office, warehouse and as part of a factory.
Architecture
The building is constructed in sandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
and has slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
roofs. The front which faces Caton Road consists of a long range of single-storey workshops with ventilation provided through a clerestory
Clerestory
Clerestory is an architectural term that historically denoted an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. In modern usage, clerestory refers to any high windows...
. It has a central entrance gateway with a tall clock tower. The tower is in three stages. In the bottom stage is the wagon entrance with a rusticated
Rustication (architecture)
thumb|upright|Two different styles of rustication in the [[Palazzo Medici-Riccardi]] in [[Florence]].In classical architecture rustication is an architectural feature that contrasts in texture with the smoothly finished, squared block masonry surfaces called ashlar...
segmental arch, above which are four round-headed windows and a clock face. The tower has a steep pyramidal roof on the top of which is a timber bellcote, also with a pyramidal roof. The office block is in two storeys. It has a wide central bay
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
between two semi-octagonal windows. The front range of the works and the office have been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade II listed building.