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Monument Types

• GLUE FACTORY (Late Post-medieval to Early 20th Century - 1820 AD? to 1920 AD?)
• TANNERY (Late Post-medieval to Early 20th Century - 1820 AD? to 1920 AD?)

Summary

By the 1820s John Brindley had established a leather and glue factory here (the 1837 town plan shows it as 'Brindley's Morocco Factory'). After his death the factory fell on hard times, though the late C19th map still shows a 'glue and leather manufactory'.

Additional Information

<1> Hillier, Kenneth, 1984, The book of Ashby de la Zouch, p95 (Bibliographic reference). SLE626.

By the 1820s John Brindley had established a leather and glue factory here (the 1837 town plan shows it as 'Brindley's Morocco Factory'). After his death the factory fell on hard times, though by the late C19th a 'glue and leather manufactory' is shown on mapping.

<2> Lane, A & Savage S A, 2013, Archaeological desk-based assessment and historic building survey, former Soap Factory, The Callis, Ashby-de-la-Zouch (Unpublished document). SLE4233.

Historic mapping shows that by 1837 the Glue and Leatherworks in the southern part of the site had been built, belonging to a Mr Brindley. Brindley's Morocco Factory dissolved after his death in the mid C19th, however the site continued to be used for tanning etc. until the early C20th. The 1958 map still showed some of the tannery buildings, by the 1966 plan the majority of the former Leatherworks buildings had been demolished. The building survey in July/August 2013 noted two buildings from the tannery. Building K, now used as a security office, was a possible C18th structure, a probable storeroom, possibly accommodation for apprentices at the tannery. Building J dated from the 1950s and lay on the footprint of a range of tannery buildings.

<3> Underhill, D, 2014, Archaeological evaluation report, land at the former Castle Soapworks, The Callis, Ashby-de-la-Zouch (Unpublished document). SLE4396.

Trial trenching in 2013 recorded several phases of construction. The earliest seems likely to be a sandstone wall - the material may have been recycled from elsewhere else during the C18th/C19th. Another building was constructed in brick to the east, with a further room added to the north at a later date. All of these buildings appear to have been demolished during the late C19th and a new larger building erected over the top (not shown on any maps). The external floor noted probably relates to this period, and a second building. The area was cleared rapidly in the mid C20th.
Report is in ADS Library: 10.5284/1029999 - http://dx.doi.org/10.5284/1029999

<4> Wheeliker, B J P, 2015, Archaeological excavation and monitoring report: land at the former Castle Soap Works, The Callis, Ashby de la Zouch (Unpublished document). SLE4670.

The area was stripped and excavated in 2014. The historic footprint of the glue and leatherworks (as on the 1837 town plan) was an inverted 'L' shape. Various rooms were recorded including one that contained a dump of lime, used in the preparation of hides. In the central 'yard' there were 8 brickwork tanks of varying sizes. Further archaeological monitoring observed what may be another brick tank. These tanks were soaking tanks used in the tanning process; they were called 'Handlers'. It would appear that the change of use of the site to Soapworks (with the capping of the tanks) took place c.1910, with the Leatherworks building used by the Soapworks until its demolition in the late 1950s.
Report is in ADS Library: doi:10.5284/1035053 - https://doi.org/10.5284/1035053.

<5> 2016, National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE) accessioning (Website). SLE4981.

SUMMARY: "Site of Post Medieval Glue and Leather Manufactory identified from historic Ordnance Survey mapping."
URL: 'https://nrhe-to-her.esdm.co.uk/NRHE/RecordDetail.aspx?pageid=45&he_uid=920924', accessioned 09/01/2024.

<6> Ordnance Survey 1:10,560 (6") historic mapping, 1:10,560 1888, 1904 (Map). SLE7243.

(SK 3567 1696) Glue and Leather Manufactory (NAT).

<7> Ordnance Survey 1:10,560 (6") historic mapping, 1:10,000 1980 (Map). SLE7243.

Buildings shown (not named).

Sources

Associated Finds

None recorded

Designations

• EUS Historic Urban Character Area HUCA07: Burton Road Quarter

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