Lemington Glass Works
Encyclopedia
Lemington Glass Works was the site of glass production
in Lemington
, Newcastle upon Tyne
, England for over 200 years. All that remains now is its iconic last glass cone, a famous local landmark.
. At first their four large cones only produced flat glass. The location of the works was ideal for local coal supplies, with the North Wylam to Lemington Point Waggonway running within very close proximity to the works. It was also situated beside the River Tyne
(prior to its rerouting in 1876) which made it easy to bring sand, alkali, and suitable clay for the melting pots to the works. In 1837 three of the glass cones were demolished as the Northumberland Glass Company relinquished their ownership of the works. Between 1838 and 1845 the glass works were owned by Joseph Lamb & Co. After this period there was a decline in the glass industry and operations at Lemington were further reduced. Between 1898 and 1906 the works were owned by Sowerby & Co, which led to full scale glass production being reinstated in the works. In 1906 ownership passed to the General Electric Company
, who expanded the works and adapted it for the production of light bulb
s and glass tube
s. During the 1950s there was an introduction of new furnaces and machinery, followed by another decline, resulting in machine production being halted. In 1977 Amber Films made a film of the works called "Glassworks", which included various aspects of commercial glass manufacture; tube drawing by hand, the manufacture of a melting pot on the premises, and the dramatic pot changing process. In 1997 production of glass in the works was stopped. It was the last working glassworks of its type. With closure, all buildings except for the cone were demolished.
brick-built glass cone, standing over 35 m (114.8 ft) high, and 21 m (68.9 ft) in diameter. This particular cone was built in 1797 and was the largest of the works' four cones, having been constructed from an estimated 1.75 million bricks. In the south and west sides of the cone are five segmental arches, with two smaller arches to the north. A door has been inserted on the northwest side because the cone is now used as a showroom by car manufacturer Land Rover
and Stanegate Stoves and Cookers. It is still owned by GB Glass Bulbs Ltd. and as well as the showrooms there is a small museum dedicated to glass production in the works. This imposing structure is one of the most important industrial monuments in the North East and is a Grade II* listed building. The survival of this cone is one of only four such survivals in the United Kingdom
. The other surviving cones can be found in Wordsley
in the West Midlands
, Catcliffe
in South Yorkshire
and Alloa
in Scotland
). The cone was cleaned and reappointed in 1993 by English Heritage
and Newcastle City Council
.
Glass production
Glass production involves two main methods - the float glass process, which produces sheet glass, and glassblowing which produces bottles and other containers.-Glass container factories:...
in Lemington
Lemington
Lemington is a housing area and electoral ward of Newcastle upon Tyne in North East England.-History:Lemington has a strong industrial history. It is famous for its brick glassworks cone, built in 1787...
, Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, England for over 200 years. All that remains now is its iconic last glass cone, a famous local landmark.
History
Lemington Glass Works were opened in 1787 by the Northumberland Glass Company in the village of Lemington 3.5 miles (5.6 km) west of Newcastle upon Tyne. The land was leased to them by the Duke of NorthumberlandDuke of Northumberland
The Duke of Northumberland is a title in the peerage of Great Britain that has been created several times. Since the third creation in 1766, the title has belonged to the House of Percy , which held the title of Earl of Northumberland from 1377....
. At first their four large cones only produced flat glass. The location of the works was ideal for local coal supplies, with the North Wylam to Lemington Point Waggonway running within very close proximity to the works. It was also situated beside the River Tyne
River Tyne
The River Tyne is a river in North East England in Great Britain. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers: the North Tyne and the South Tyne. These two rivers converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Waters'.The North Tyne rises on the...
(prior to its rerouting in 1876) which made it easy to bring sand, alkali, and suitable clay for the melting pots to the works. In 1837 three of the glass cones were demolished as the Northumberland Glass Company relinquished their ownership of the works. Between 1838 and 1845 the glass works were owned by Joseph Lamb & Co. After this period there was a decline in the glass industry and operations at Lemington were further reduced. Between 1898 and 1906 the works were owned by Sowerby & Co, which led to full scale glass production being reinstated in the works. In 1906 ownership passed to the General Electric Company
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
, who expanded the works and adapted it for the production of light bulb
Incandescent light bulb
The incandescent light bulb, incandescent lamp or incandescent light globe makes light by heating a metal filament wire to a high temperature until it glows. The hot filament is protected from air by a glass bulb that is filled with inert gas or evacuated. In a halogen lamp, a chemical process...
s and glass tube
Glass tube
Glass tubes or glass tubing are hollow pieces of borosilicate or flint glass used primarily as laboratory glassware. Glass tubing is commercially available in various thicknesses and lengths. Glass tubing is frequently attached to rubber stoppers....
s. During the 1950s there was an introduction of new furnaces and machinery, followed by another decline, resulting in machine production being halted. In 1977 Amber Films made a film of the works called "Glassworks", which included various aspects of commercial glass manufacture; tube drawing by hand, the manufacture of a melting pot on the premises, and the dramatic pot changing process. In 1997 production of glass in the works was stopped. It was the last working glassworks of its type. With closure, all buildings except for the cone were demolished.
The Glass Cone
The only surviving element of the former glassworks site is a large English bondBrickwork
Brickwork is masonry produced by a bricklayer, using bricks and mortar to build up brick structures such as walls. Brickwork is also used to finish corners, door, and window openings, etc...
brick-built glass cone, standing over 35 m (114.8 ft) high, and 21 m (68.9 ft) in diameter. This particular cone was built in 1797 and was the largest of the works' four cones, having been constructed from an estimated 1.75 million bricks. In the south and west sides of the cone are five segmental arches, with two smaller arches to the north. A door has been inserted on the northwest side because the cone is now used as a showroom by car manufacturer Land Rover
Land Rover
Land Rover is a British car manufacturer with its headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire, United Kingdom which specialises in four-wheel-drive vehicles. It is owned by the Indian company Tata Motors, forming part of their Jaguar Land Rover group...
and Stanegate Stoves and Cookers. It is still owned by GB Glass Bulbs Ltd. and as well as the showrooms there is a small museum dedicated to glass production in the works. This imposing structure is one of the most important industrial monuments in the North East and is a Grade II* listed building. The survival of this cone is one of only four such survivals in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The other surviving cones can be found in Wordsley
Red House Cone
The Red House Cone is located in Wordsley in the West Midlands, adjacent to the Stourbridge Canal bridge on the A491 High Street. It is a high conical brick structure with a diameter of , used for the production of glass. It was used by the Stuart Crystal firm till 1936, when the company moved to...
in the West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
, Catcliffe
Catcliffe
Catcliffe is a village and civil parish on the north-west bank of the River Rother in South Yorkshire, England. It is located in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham, about south of the town of Rotherham and east of Sheffield City Centre.-History:...
in South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
and Alloa
Alloa
Alloa is a town and former burgh in Clackmannanshire, set in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies on on the north bank of the Firth of Forth close to the foot of the Ochil Hills, east of Stirling and north of Falkirk....
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
). The cone was cleaned and reappointed in 1993 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...
and Newcastle City Council
Newcastle City Council
Newcastle City Council is the local government authority for Newcastle upon Tyne, a city in Tyne and Wear, England. The council consists of 78 councillors, three for each of the city's 26 wards...
.
See also
- LemingtonLemingtonLemington is a housing area and electoral ward of Newcastle upon Tyne in North East England.-History:Lemington has a strong industrial history. It is famous for its brick glassworks cone, built in 1787...
- Lemington Power StationLemington Power StationLemington Power Station is a small, now defunct coal-fired power station, located in North East England. It is situated on the Lemington Gut, a backwater of the River Tyne, at Lemington, west of Newcastle upon Tyne...
- Stella power stations