Guest and Chrimes, Rotherham November 2017/July 2014

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HughieD

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1. The History

Guest and Chrimes is a substantial former brassworks in the centre of Rotherham, South Yorkshire. The Grade II listed buildings of the former iron and brass foundry sit 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 hands. Here’s some historic footage of the workforce leaving after a day’s work one day in 1901:

https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-workers-leaving-guest-and-chrimes-brassworks-rotherham-1901-1901-online

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.

38496304982_ea410ac16b_b.jpgGuest and Chrimes 2 by HughieDW, on Flickr

The foundry closed in 1999 and has remained empty since. 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. 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.

2. The Explore

Happened to be in the Rotherham area on a very sunny Sunday in November with my camera and time to kill so looked this place up. Managed to get a decent set of externals but didn’t have the time or the gear to do a full internal explore. Hence wasn’t going to do a report of this. But big-up and thanks to Tarkovsky who had a set of internals from a previous visit and has kindly agreed for me to combine them with my externals to make a decent review.

3. The Pictures

My externals:

The beautiful front façade:
38206449296_ca4ea6fb31_b.jpgimg3755 by HughieDW, on Flickr

38206421086_c08f6cffed_b.jpgimg3776 by HughieDW, on Flickr

37550533394_1765502011_b.jpgimg3759 by HughieDW, on Flickr

38206423196_67ef948300_b.jpgimg3773bw by HughieDW, on Flickr

38206422826_6ea2b8619e_b.jpgimg3775 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Façade detail:

38206446756_f96f012073_b.jpgimg3756 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Front right:

37550537144_44dc1813ff_b.jpgimg3757 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Front left:

26484920119_d844c38bc1_b.jpgimg3758 by HughieDW, on Flickr


Left hand side:

38229491862_e2ec305401_b.jpgimg3791 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Round the back:

37550530464_c4fafb285d_b.jpgimg3761 by HughieDW, on Flickr

38206436036_d64359e50e_b.jpgimg3762 by HughieDW, on Flickr

The famous tower:

24390145708_131c7619cc_b.jpgimg3760 by HughieDW, on Flickr

26484911469_981072a307_b.jpgimg3765 by HughieDW, on Flickr

38261293911_4bce2b77c2_b.jpgimg3787 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And round the other side, furthest from the footy ground:

26484910239_09861c621f_b.jpgimg3767 by HughieDW, on Flickr

26484906119_8afee7b820_b.jpgimg3770 by HughieDW, on Flickr

38229488762_792a51d780_b.jpgimg3792 by HughieDW, on Flickr

An open door, but a storey up!

38206424286_4a5608c4e8_b.jpgimg3772 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And back round the front again:

38206416726_b348c89903_b.jpgimg3785 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And a fab set of interiors courtesy of Tarkovsky (many thanks for letting me use these in the report) from his earlier visit to the place in July 2014:

37477934834_feef4308d1_b.jpgUntitled by D Tarkovsky, on Flickr

26411892049_1f3e40f8d6_b.jpgUntitled by D Tarkovsky, on Flickr

38132493206_4e35c168a8_b.jpgUntitled by D Tarkovsky, on Flickr

37477934254_79a313af1e_b.jpgUntitled by D Tarkovsky, on Flickr

37477932114_9304071376_b.jpgUntitled by D Tarkovsky, on Flickr

26411885309_57956448ce_b.jpgUntitled by D Tarkovsky, on Flickr

38132485526_f812540b56_b.jpgUntitled by D Tarkovsky, on Flickr

38188396091_069db8f0f4_b.jpgUntitled by D Tarkovsky, on Flickr

24336101328_d735fe1e56_b.jpgUntitled by D Tarkovsky, on Flickr

38156443522_1defdb2e16_b.jpgUntitled by D Tarkovsky, on Flickr

24336098348_7eea7d0937_b.jpgUntitled by D Tarkovsky, on Flickr

26411877329_215a771778_b.jpgUntitled by D Tarkovsky, on Flickr
 
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Good work! Happy that my pics are getting an airing too as I was too lazy to do reports at the time. Can’t believe it’s three years since I’ve been. From what ive seen since it’s still in pretty much the same state but with a bit of extra graff here and there.

Have you seen there’s recent plans for renovation? Check out the first pic here.rotherham business news: News: Club gives update on Guest & Chrimes
 
That's a nice set of photographs. I can assume that in the film the exit door that the workers are leaving from is the same door in Hughie's opening shot. I also like the tower shot as the name is still prominent. The building is still in good condition and graffiti free.
 
Hugh Jorgan;348783 The building is still in good condition and graffiti free.[/QUOTE said:
Sadly the now £8.8 plus million remedial work bill and the vast number of tie bars and spreader plates put in just prior to WW1 are an indication that all is not well with this place. Buildings like this were built to carry out a certain function at the cheapest price possible and conversion in this day and age is never going to be easy/cheap. The fact that the structure might be still standing 150 odd years later, would certainly have never cross the architect's mind. The place was very run down and in poor condition when I used to regularly pass the building in the early '60's, on the way to visit an establishment (Brinla(?) Bow-Woods) that sold specialised timbers to make laminated re-curved bows. Always a source of amusement that in area that produced vast amounts of armament for two World Wars, was now the location of a large concern supplying wood etc for making bows and arrows!
 
Good work! Happy that my pics are getting an airing too as I was too lazy to do reports at the time. Can’t believe it’s three years since I’ve been. From what ive seen since it’s still in pretty much the same state but with a bit of extra graff here and there.

Have you seen there’s recent plans for renovation? Check out the first pic here.rotherham business news: News: Club gives update on Guest & Chrimes


I'd not mate. Interesting stuff. Hope it can be saved. Perhaps worth another visit...
 
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