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- Jan 6, 2013
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1. The History
Guest and Chrimes is a former brassworks in the centre of Rotherham, South Yorkshire. The former iron and brass foundry sits on the edge of the town centre, between Rotherham United’s £20m New York Stadium and the council's new offices on Main Street.
The company itself was established by the Chrimes Brothers in1843. Brothers Peter and Edward were credited with the invention and production of the high-pressure loose valve screw-down tap. The firm rapidly expanded into sluice valves, fire hydrants and water meters and John Guest joined the firm in 1847. Following a very large order from Spain, the company moved to the present site in 1857. By 1871 Richard Chrimes employed 400 men.
In 1914 the Foundry and General Brass Work’s specialities were listed as high-pressure loose valve cocks, improved sluice valves, Siemens and Adamson's Water Meter, reservoir valves and fittings, fire-extinguishing apparatus and wet and dry Gas meters. In 1917 it became a private company. By 1923 the two northern-most buildings had been joined a structure over the narrow yard between them and walkways were used to connect the rear ranges, along with a variety of small subsidiary buildings added to the complex.
In 1961, the foundry still boasted a work-force of 500 employees. The building Grade II listed in February 1986 while still in use, but closed five years later in 1999. It has remained empty since and little interest has been shown in the buildings since 2004, when plans for a Tesco development on the site were refused following an appeal. Consultants Gleeds, estimated that it would take an investment of £8.8m just to bring the current property up to a marketable condition. The site was then purchased by Rotherham Council for £2.6m from developers, Evans in 2010, then leased long term to Rotherham United Football Club.
All the post-1934 buildings were demolished in by 2012. In 2013 Rotherham United drew up a planning application for the full demolition of the foundry, citing a lack of interest in developing the previous scheme and rising costs of remedial work. Then, in July 2018, a fire in the front of the eastern range resulted in front office range, the caretaker’s house and the eastern extension having to be demolished. This left just the distinctive 3 three-storey 19th Century manufacturing ranges, built in red brick and predominantly Welsh slate roofs, remaining. Historic England latterly confirmed that they received an application to remove the building from the listed buildings register, although it still remains as listed.
Most recently, plans to transform the buildings into a music and events using venue Rotherham Council secured funds of £4.5 million through the Towns Fund Deal were scrapped when agreement could not be reached with the property’s leaseholders, Rotherham United Football Club.
Google Maps screen grab showing what currently remains:
OS map from 1900 – areas in yellow indicate remaining structures:
2. The Explore
This place was subject to a number of reports circa 2007 when there was far more to see, including the foundry. Mini’s report HERE from March 2007 is probably the pick of the bunch. I had a look round it externally back in 2014 and 2017, but never got in. With a planned visit to Millmoor, the former RUFC ground, pulled due to on-site secca, we opted for a walk round the town centre. On waling past Guest and Chrimes, with access staring us in our faces, we thought it rude not to have a pop in.
All three buildings as currently open, however there appeared to be no way of accessing the upper floors so it was a relatively brief visit. Thought I’d still post it up though as there haven’t been any reports on this place for years and it is still pretty photogenic.
3. The Pictures
A few pictures from my visit back in 2017, mainly to show the now demo’ed Eastern range:
From the current visit:
The iconic water tower:
And imposing norther range:
And we’re in:
Rotherham’s new New York stadium visible in the background. The name is inspired by the Guest and Chrimes and due to them manufacturing the iconic red New York water hydrants:
Ground floors of the three buildings. North range:
First floor beams look in decent nick:
Middle range:
Moving on:
Southerly range:
And back out again:
Guest and Chrimes is a former brassworks in the centre of Rotherham, South Yorkshire. The former iron and brass foundry sits on the edge of the town centre, between Rotherham United’s £20m New York Stadium and the council's new offices on Main Street.
The company itself was established by the Chrimes Brothers in1843. Brothers Peter and Edward were credited with the invention and production of the high-pressure loose valve screw-down tap. The firm rapidly expanded into sluice valves, fire hydrants and water meters and John Guest joined the firm in 1847. Following a very large order from Spain, the company moved to the present site in 1857. By 1871 Richard Chrimes employed 400 men.
In 1914 the Foundry and General Brass Work’s specialities were listed as high-pressure loose valve cocks, improved sluice valves, Siemens and Adamson's Water Meter, reservoir valves and fittings, fire-extinguishing apparatus and wet and dry Gas meters. In 1917 it became a private company. By 1923 the two northern-most buildings had been joined a structure over the narrow yard between them and walkways were used to connect the rear ranges, along with a variety of small subsidiary buildings added to the complex.
In 1961, the foundry still boasted a work-force of 500 employees. The building Grade II listed in February 1986 while still in use, but closed five years later in 1999. It has remained empty since and little interest has been shown in the buildings since 2004, when plans for a Tesco development on the site were refused following an appeal. Consultants Gleeds, estimated that it would take an investment of £8.8m just to bring the current property up to a marketable condition. The site was then purchased by Rotherham Council for £2.6m from developers, Evans in 2010, then leased long term to Rotherham United Football Club.
All the post-1934 buildings were demolished in by 2012. In 2013 Rotherham United drew up a planning application for the full demolition of the foundry, citing a lack of interest in developing the previous scheme and rising costs of remedial work. Then, in July 2018, a fire in the front of the eastern range resulted in front office range, the caretaker’s house and the eastern extension having to be demolished. This left just the distinctive 3 three-storey 19th Century manufacturing ranges, built in red brick and predominantly Welsh slate roofs, remaining. Historic England latterly confirmed that they received an application to remove the building from the listed buildings register, although it still remains as listed.
Most recently, plans to transform the buildings into a music and events using venue Rotherham Council secured funds of £4.5 million through the Towns Fund Deal were scrapped when agreement could not be reached with the property’s leaseholders, Rotherham United Football Club.
Google Maps screen grab showing what currently remains:
OS map from 1900 – areas in yellow indicate remaining structures:
2. The Explore
This place was subject to a number of reports circa 2007 when there was far more to see, including the foundry. Mini’s report HERE from March 2007 is probably the pick of the bunch. I had a look round it externally back in 2014 and 2017, but never got in. With a planned visit to Millmoor, the former RUFC ground, pulled due to on-site secca, we opted for a walk round the town centre. On waling past Guest and Chrimes, with access staring us in our faces, we thought it rude not to have a pop in.
All three buildings as currently open, however there appeared to be no way of accessing the upper floors so it was a relatively brief visit. Thought I’d still post it up though as there haven’t been any reports on this place for years and it is still pretty photogenic.
3. The Pictures
A few pictures from my visit back in 2017, mainly to show the now demo’ed Eastern range:
From the current visit:
The iconic water tower:
And imposing norther range:
And we’re in:
Rotherham’s new New York stadium visible in the background. The name is inspired by the Guest and Chrimes and due to them manufacturing the iconic red New York water hydrants:
Ground floors of the three buildings. North range:
First floor beams look in decent nick:
Middle range:
Moving on:
Southerly range:
And back out again:
