Details
Engine house and accumulator tower. Circa 1877 for London and North Western Railway Company. Italianate style. Red brick with stone dressings, blue brick plinth and banding, white brick cornice, slate roofs.
PLAN: Square engine house of two parallel tall single-storey ranges aligned east-west (parallel to Bowerfold Lane), with square accumulator tower attached to south-west corner.
EXTERIOR: Engine house has deep stepped plinth of blue brick to north, east and west elevations, and blue brick band to south, Bowerfold Lane, elevation, where road is at higher level than the ground level of the building. Two similar double-pitched slate roofs; northern roof has raised central skylight to ridge, southern roof has central skylight to ridge with projecting square ventilator on either side. Brick pier and panel construction to north, east and west elevations, flush brickwork to south, road, elevation. North elevation, facing into yard, of three bays with large doorway in left bay with iron lintel on stone imposts. Timber double doors. Projecting rolled steel joist at high level over. East elevation has symmetrical gables with blue brick banding to apex and stone coping. Tall round-headed doorway to south range, with modern metal roller shutter. West elevation has similar gable to north range, accumulator tower built against gable of south range. South elevation has blue brick band to eaves and stone coping. Accumulator tower has deep stepped plinth of blue brick and pyramidal roof with deep overhanging eaves. Blue brick quoining, white brick cornice with double brackets. Three blind round-headed windows to each elevation at clerestorey level, with blue brick keystones and sill band. Central window on north and south sides are louvred. Large, raised doorway in north elevation with flight of steep stone steps. Timber double doors. Oculus above, presently blocked.
INTERIOR: The two ranges have machine-sawn trusses; queen post in the north range and king post with raking struts in the south range. The ranges are linked by a round-arched doorway at the west end of the dividing wall. The north range contains two hydraulic pumps manufactured in 1932 by The Hydraulic Engineering Company Ltd of Chester and London, driven by electric motors manufactured by the Electric Construction Co Ltd of Wolverhampton. Pipe work remains in cavities beneath the floor. At east end is the rolled steel joist, which projects externally, set on a stone block in the dividing wall. The south range is largely empty. Either side of the doorway is a huge stone block set high in the wall. A series of pulleys project at a high level from the north and west walls. Raised stand with stone steps against the west gable wall, with a metal wall ladder to roof level, and cut-off water pipe, which passes through to the adjacent accumulator tower. Accumulator tower retains water cylinder and associated chain, pulley and lever system.
The modern metal safety fence at the east end of the north range and the electricity substation equipment beyond are not of special interest.
HISTORY: The adjacent goods warehouse was constructed in 1877 for the London and North Western Railway Company. The contemporary engine house was built to provide hydraulic power to drive hoists in the warehouse.
SOURCES: University of Manchester Archaeological Unit, Bryant's Warehouse, Stockport. An Archaeological Survey (October 1999)
REASONS FOR DESIGNATION
The engine house to the former LNWR warehouse is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* It is contemporary with the adjacent listed LNWR warehouse (q.v.) and the two are inter-related as the engine house provides the hydraulic power to work the goods hoists in the warehouse
* It is designed in an attractive Italianate style similar to that used for the LNWR warehouse, the two forming a visually impressive group promoting the standing of the private railway company which built it
* The accumulator tower retains its original cylinder, and there are two 1932 hydraulic pumps driven by electric motors remaining in-situ in the engine house, which though not original, relate to its built function.
