Monument record MDR8547 - Taylor's Factory (site of), nr Toton Sidings, Sandiacre

Taylor's was a plain net maker whose primary industrial production was the manufacture of rails for the railways. During the 1880s John Taylor, the founder of the firm, experimented with building net machines and finding a demand for his product decided to enter net production himself in his premises in Nottingham. In 1896 the firm moved to Sandiacre, to premises next to the Toton Sidings where two machine shops, a foundry and a forge were built. Of John Taylor's four sons, two entered the engineering side of the business and two the plain net. The firm was working 56 plain net machines until at least 1937, and probably finished net making during the war. (1) The site was clearly occupied prior to the arrive of Taylor's, as brick kilns are marked on the OS map of 1885. (2) The 1900 map shows a number of buildings on the site, although only the Midland Foundry (Iron) is named. The buildings are served by a short length of railway track connecting them with the main line. (3) The edition of 1914 names both the Foundry and the Lace Factory. (4)