Listed Building record MDR5527 - Springfield Mills Factory and Chimney, Bridge Street, Sandiacre

Springfield Mills factory and chimney, Bridge Street, Sandiacre, built in 1888. SK 480366. Springfield Mills is a large tenement lace factory built in 1888 by Terah Hooley. It is a four storey building with 41 bays and unusually large cast-iron windows. The frontage measures 350 feet and has a gabled centre with a clock. At the rear are a chimney, large staircase turrets and an engine house with unusual round cast-iron windows. The engine, with rope drive to all floors, was removed c. 1940. The factory had a capacity of 160 lace machines. (1-2) 'Springfield Mill factory and chimney. Lace factory and attached chimney. 1888 with minor later alterations. Built for Terah Hooley, a wealthy local industrialist by architect John Sheldon of Long Eaton. Grade II. The site includes at its southern end, contemporary factory offices and lavatory blocks, also grade II.' (3) 'A large four storey tenement lace factory on the east bank of the Erewash Canal. This is a classic of the genre, built in red brick with a slate roof (part asbestos after a fire) and four semi-circular ended staircase turrets on the west side, each having semi-conical ended slate roofs. The building has a central section on both east and west elevations in buff brickwork surmounted by a large pediment embellished with ball finials and stone dressings. Each pediment has a central clock face, internally illuminated, the west face in a decorative brick roundel, the east in a stone surround. Below the east pediment is the date 1888. Between the factory and the canal is the attractive engine and boiler house as well as the most prominent feature, a tall octagonal red brick chimney on a square base, having a decorated head in intricately detailed blue brickwork. There is a two-storey office block at the south end, again in highly decorative brickwork with stone dressings and the name T Hooley on a frieze over the front door. There are cast iron tie rod wall plates with the impression "T H Ltd" along the factory walls. The factory was built by Terah Hooley Ltd, lace manufacturers, and has had lace manufacturing occupiers ever since. Messrs. J C Groves Ltd and Roper Brothers are among present lace making occupiers, the latter still operating Leavers machines.' (5) 'This 40 feet wide multi-storey factory was built by the Long Eaton Levers lace maker Terah Hooley in 1888 at a cost of about £12,000. In it he installed his 12 Levers machines and let out the rest of the standings. Terah Hooley was the chairman and owner of the mill until 1919 and for the first five years his son, Ernest Terah (better known as a financier) was the managing director. The Sandiacre Mill Company was formed in 1919 when the Hooleys sold the mill for £16,000, most shares being purchased by the factory's tenants. By 1941 the Nottingham lace manufacturer G W Price was the largest shareholder. During Terah Hooley's owner the mill produced its own gas which, as well as lighting the mill, supplied part of Sandiacre. The factory was occupied by only Levers lace makers until the 1920s, when Jardine's sold their shares to Buoyant Upholstery, and by 1925 there were three occupants in the mill unconnected with the lace trade, as well as 11 lace makers. Lace continues to be made in Springfield Mill.' (6) 'The factory has had lace manufacturing occupiers until recently. The building is now (2005) being converted to residential use.' (7) From the National Heritage List for England: 'PARISH OF SANDIACRE BRIDGE STREET SK 43 NE 2/103 (West Side) Springfield Mill Factory and Chimney GV II Lace factory and attached chimney. 1888 with minor later alterations. Built for Terah Hooley, a wealthy local industrialist, by architect John Sheldon of Long Eaton. Red and yellow brick with red, yellow and blue brick and stone dressings. Hipped slate roofs, partly replaced in corrugated asbestos with red and yellow corbelled and dentilled eaves cornice. Four storeys and 41 bays, with five central bays pedimented and built of contrasting yellow brick instead of the red brick used elsewhere. All bays have full height stepped pilaster buttresses between with shaped iron tie heads on each to each floor, which are inscribed 'TH'. The two buttresses to either side of the five central bays have stone capitals. Ground floor windows have segment heads with three courses of yellow brick below one course of blue brick, rounded jambs and small pane iron windows with small opening casements. Five central bays have red brick heads instead of yellow but are otherwise the same except the central bay, which is narrower than the others. Some windows have been replaced by C20 doors. First and second floors have similar windows but top floor has flat headed iron windows with moulded stone lintels. The five central top floor windows are now blocked in with brick. Above these is a large shaped gable with moulded stone copings, ridge and eaves ball finials and a central crowstepped panel of red brick. Within this is a large clockface set in stone surround with ogee headed cable moulding to edge, set on bracketed stone plinth inscribed 'A 1888 D'. Rear elevation is similar except central bays are built of red brick and there are four full height staircase towers with rounded ends, small segment headed windows following the line of the steps up and large segment headed hoist doorcases to sides. Central gable has a yellow brick crowstepped panel with central clockface. Attached to centre of building is a lower wing which in turn attaches to the engine house which has semi-circular headed windows with circular one in the gable over, and a louvred ridge vent. From this runs a large pipe which connects to a very tall brick chimney. This has a deep square brick base with a large moulded stone plinth, over which is the tall tapering octagonal stack with moulded band near the top and a richly corbelled crown. Interior of factory has wooden floors on cast iron columns. Engine with rope drive to all floors removed c1940. Total capacity of the factory was originally 160 machines. Listing NGR: SK4802736566.' (8)