No. 131 2015
November
PROGRAMME . Wednesday 9th December 2015 at 7.30pm. Derek Palgrave The Skills and Crafts of Our Ancestors. Family Historian Derek Palgrave will look at the history of industry from a perspective we are not accustomed to this evening. Historic illustrations showing craftsmen at work will feature. Wednesday 13th January 2016 at 7.30pm. Bob Merrett The History of the Port of Woodbridge. Noted Woodbridge historian looks at the long history of the port on the River Deben. Wednesday 10th February 2016 at 7.30pm. John Norman Ipswich Past, Present and Future. The Chairman of the Ipswich Society will present a close look at the town’s buildings and building sites (which shape the town), culminating in Ipswich’s traffic problems and solutions. Readers of the Ipswich Star’s ‘Ipswich Icons’ column will be aware that John has a good knowledge of the industrial history and development of the town. Wednesday 9th March 2016 at 7.30pm. To be arranged. Wednesday 13th April 2016 at 7.30pm. Sue and Steve Williams Stowmarket’s 1871 Gun Cotton Explosion. The explosion at the Stowmarket Gun Cotton factory is frequently covered in local histories, yet the full story is seldom told. Sue and Steve Williams have investigated the story as part of a wider-ranging look at the history of their home town. Wednesday 11th May 2016. Outside visit to be arranged. Wednesday 8th June 2016. Outside visit to be arranged. Wednesday 13th July 2016. Outside visit to be arranged.
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Wednesday 14th September 2016 at 7.30pm. Ray Whitehead Caring for Suffolk’s Poor–SuffolkWorkhouses. Whilst the economic boom of the industrial revolution resulted in riches for some, the converse was destitution for many, on a scale hitherto unknown. Parishes joined forces to build central workhouses to provide the care required by the poor laws, and several of these buildings survive as features of the landscape. Ray Whitehead has studied this topic for a number of years, and has written and lectured extensively. Venue: All indoor meetings are held at the Ipswich Transport Museum, Cobham Road, Ipswich. Parking and access is via the rear of the museum.
ABSTRACTS Copies of the following Newsletters and Journals have found their way to the Chairman. Should their contents be of interest to members, please contact the Chairman who will arrange for photocopies to be made. Industrial Archaeology Review, Vol 37, No 2, November 2015. Industrial Heritage at Risk, by Shane Gould. Sousa Viterbo and the idea of Industrial Archaeology, by Paulo Oliveira Ramos. Working on the Railway: the Risehill Tunnel Navvy Camp, Cumbria, by Naomi Brennan. Industrial Heritage in Albania: an Assessment, by Vrian Ayers and Ilir Parangoni. The Local Historian, Vol 45, No 4, October 2015. ‘By ancient right or custom’: the local history of common land in a European Context, by Angus J.L. Winchester. Country, commerce and contracts: Hampshire and the East India Company in the eighteenth century, by James Thomas. Supplying the beer: life on the road in late-eighteenth century Norfolk, by Margaret Bird. The cost of caring: expenditure on county asylum services in Shropshire and Middlesex 1850 – 1900, by Frank Hughes. Contributing to the community debate: understanding social change in rural Scotland during the twentieth century, by Helen Young. THE NEWSLETTER The Newsletter is produced four times a year by Suffolk Industrial Archaeology Society. Contributions from members are welcomed. Chairman: S.Worsley, 24 Abbotsbury Close, Ipswich, IP2 9SD (01473 405116). Secretary: Position currently vacant. Treasurer: Position currently vacant. Newsletter distributor: John Jones. Those wishing to receive the Newsletter electronically are urged to contact John at joneshines@btinternet.com. To cut costs, all who are able to receive their Newsletters in this way are encouraged to make arrangements to do so. Website: We do not presently have our own website, but we do have a presence on the River Gipping Trust’s site (www.rivergippingtrust.org.uk). 2
RECENT PLANNING APPLICATIONS
Babergh District Council B/15/00973 Internal and external repairs at Kersey Mill, Hadleigh Road, Kersey. B/15/01480 Erection of building to house a generator at Raydon Water Works, Noaks Road, Raydon. B/15/01492 Permitted Development at The Granary, Mill Hill, Bury Road, Lavenham. B/15/01505 Change of Use to allow restoration of cars, boats, caravans and other machinery at The Coach Depot, Donkey Lane, Lawshall.
Ipswich Borough Council IP/15/01040/OUT Mixed use development to comprise 222 residential units, transport museum, employment spaces, store, café and health club, at Cliff Brewery, Cliff Road. IP/15/01041/FUL Change of use from redundant brewery to conference venue, museum, business space and café at Cliff Brewery, Cliff Road.
Mid Suffolk District Council 3422/15 Replacement windows at The Old Forge, Mendlesham Road, Brockford. 3434/15 Non-material amendments to planning permission 1500/03 at Crossing Cottage, Pitmans Corner, Wetheringsett cum Brockford. 3563/15 Outline – proposed redevelopment comprising up to 280 dwellings at Eye Airfield, Castleton Way, Eye. 3672/15 Non-material amendment to planning permission 0885/15, Land at Suffolk Works Site (former Bosch land), Gipping Way, Stowmarket.
Suffolk Coastal District Council/Waveney District Council (amalgamated website) DC/15/3403/DRC Submission of details as required under planning permission DC/14/1363/VOC for development at Whisstock’s Boatyard, Tide Mill Way, Woodbridge. DC15/3588/LBC Works required to stabilise and maintain derelict buildings at Snape Maltings, Snape Bridge, Tunstall. DC/15/3618/FUL Construction of single storey rear extension at The Old Forge, Cromwell Road, Ringsfield. DC/15/4079/LBC Internal works at Southwold Lighthouse, Stradbroke Road, Southwold. DC/15/4234/FUL Extensions to The Smithy, Main Road, Marlesford.
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MINUTES OF AGM Minutes of the AGM held on 11th November 2015 at Ipswich Transport Museum Present: 12 members. 1. The meeting opened at 1930. 2. Apologies for Absence No apologies had been received. 3. Minutes of Previous Meeting The minutes had been published in the November Newsletter. They were taken as read, and accepted as a true record, this being proposed by R.Malster and seconded by J.Jones. 4. Matters Arising There were no matters arising. 5. Accounts Copies of the Income and Expenditure Account were available at the meeting. A deficit had again been recorded, but assets built up over the years were sufficient to absorb this. Income was up slightly, whilst expenditure was up by £25, entirely due to increased speakers’ expenses. Joint meetings with other bodies was suggested as a possible way of reducing these expenses; equally we could supply speakers to other societies, whist using the services of their members as speakers, the net result being savings for both societies. Ipswich Transport Museum, the Ipswich & District Historical Transport Society and Ipswich Model Engineers were all cited as organisations with interests allied to our own. It was also noted that the University had a number of staff members with a ‘heritage’ title, although their Heritage Management course had recently been terminated. Afternoon meetings had proved successful in other organisations, although several of our members would be unable to attend due to remaining in work. It was proposed by R.Fearn and seconded by T.Gibbs that subscription rates remain at their present levels and this was accepted by the meeting. The accounts were accepted unanimously, following the proposal of T.Gibbs, seconded by B.Barnard. John Jones agreed to continue as Independent Examiner of Accounts. 6. Election of the Committee It was proposed by R.Fearn and seconded by J.Jones that the existing committee be re-elected en bloc for a further term. 7. Any Other Business A vote of thanks to the committee for their work was proposed by J.Jones and seconded by R.Barnard. 8. The meeting closed for business at 1955. 4
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DEVELOPMENT SITES
The freehold of the former Glemsford Silk Mill site on Chequers Lane, Glemsford, totalling 0.899 hectares, is available via estate agents Fenn Wright, at an asking price in the region of £800,000. Outline planning permission exists (granted 13 March 2015) for ten dwellings to be built on the site, replacing the dye house, drying room, yard store, hank dying room, softener room, and winding room & store. It is expected that the 3 storey (plus basement) mill building will be retained as part of the redevelopment. The use of the site for silk manufacture is understood to date back to around 1820.
The long-derelict Hoxne Brickworks.have been sold for conversion into a luxury home. The brick and tiles works, on Eye Road, was operated by Charles Robinson between 1883 and 1888, followed by Hoxne Brickworks Company and finally Banham & Son from 1925 to 1937. Banham’s continued to manufacture field drainage pipes until 1965, after which the firm continued as field drainage contractors. The site was eventually purchased by The Pipeworks Partnership LLP, a consortium of local people who were concerned that the historic remains could be lost due to unsympathetic redevelopment. As a result, planning permission was sought for the conversion of the site to just one dwelling, retaining the majority of the brickworks, including the 1940s downdraught kiln, the hacks (drying sheds), machine shed and mixing pit. The machine shed housed a Field & Platt diesel engine which drove a screw extruder machine dated to around the 1920s. The engine and extrusion equipment have been preserved locally, are under restoration and will be displayed at the Dougie McMahon Collection of Local Industrial Equipment.
Outline planning permission has been applied for from Ipswich Borough Council for the re-use of the former Tolly Cobbold Cliff Brewery. The Grade II listed 1896 structure has been derelict since the business was sold to Essex brewer Ridleys, who moved production to their own premises. Listed Building consent was granted in 2012 for new uses for the site and building, but this has now expired. Both SAVE Britain’s Heritage and the Victorian Society have highlighted the deterioration of the building in the last few months, so it is good to realise that it might still be restored to use again. An auditorium for concerts, conferences and lectures form the centrepiece of the plans for the site, with a potential user the neighbouring University. 222 residential units, a health club, start-up business units, cafés, restaurant, and convenience store will also feature. Two museums are proposed, a relocated Ipswich Transport Museum and a museum of the brewery’s history.
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HADLEIGH CORN EXCHANGE Following its meeting of 15 October 2015, Hadleigh Town Council regretfully announced it would not be pursuing the purchase of the historic Corn Exchange which had been made an Asset of Community Value in 2014. Two open days had been held to allow the public and interested parties to see how the community could use the building, and two community-based projects for the Corn Exchange had been proposed. Both of these proposals were supported in principle by the Town Council. In the end, the Finance Committee unanimously agreed to recommend that the full council should not proceed with the purchase. Additionally the Committee did not feel that they could support one proposal over the other as both were seen as beneficial to the community of Hadleigh. It is now likely that the Corn Exchange will be placed on sale on the open market by its owners, Suffolk County Council.
MEMBERSHIP NEWS We welcome Peter Durrell of Ipswich to our society, and hope he enjoys long and worthwhile membership. He visited the September meeting as a guest, joined in October and was again present in November. The November meeting was of course the AGM, and subscriptions are again due – see the reminder towards the end of the Newsletter. Following the AGM, we invited members’ contributions, and were rewarded with Patrick Taylor’s 1980s photographs of drainage mills on the Norfolk Broads, a number of which have either subsequently disappeared or deteriorated. Keith Hillman brought a sample of his collection of tools, mainly gardening tools. Not only did we learn of their use (after considerable conjecture) but also gained an insight into collecting. Thanks very much, Keith and Patrick, for your presentations. Thanks should also be given to Spencer Greystrong, who came to our aid with the loan of a laptop and digital projector at the October meeting. --------------------------------------------------------SUFFOLK INDUSTRIAL ARCHAEOLOGY SOCIETY Subscriptions for the year commencing October 1st 2015 are now being accepted. Rates remain as last year, as follows: Full Membership £12.00 Family Membership £18.00 (includes husband, wife, and any children up to age 18).
Please return the tear-off portion over, together with the appropriate remittance (cheques to be made payable to ‘Suffolk Industrial Archaeology Society’) to the Chairman: S. Worsley, 24 Abbotsbury Close, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP2 9SD. 7
FOR THE BOOKSHELF Just in time for Christmas, SIAS member Bob Malster’s latest title has arrived in the bookshops. Entitled North Sea War 1914 – 1918, the book is topical with commemoration of the hundredth anniversary of the First World War attracting much attention. Whilst the Battle of Jutland gains much attention, far less has been written of the warships of the Harwich Force, or the operation of drifters, trawlers, and paddle steamers converted to meet naval requirements. The book has been published by Poppyland Publishing, and is uniform with the author’s earlier Maritime Norfolk volumes for the same publisher. With an ISBN of B9781909796157, the book retails at a cover price of £14.95 and is available in all good bookshops. A major employer in North Essex is the latest to receive the attentions of Pam and Adrian Corder-Birch, who are authors and publishers. The Works, a history of Rippers Joinery Manufacturers of Castle and Sible Hedingham, details the story of the firm started by three brothers in the 1890s and surviving until sale to Bowaters in 1973. The book includes the hardships of the early days, how the company expanded (including the importance of local transport links), the products, and the buildings where Ripper woodwork was used. A history of the founding Ripper family and numerous references to former employees can also be found within its pages. Work carried out to assist the war effort in three separate campaigns – Boer War, First and Second World Wars – is also included. With 224 pages and 250 photographs, the cover price of £14.95 (plus £2.85 post and packing) seems quite reasonable. For further details or to order the book (ISBN 978-0-9567219-2-1), contact Adrian Corder-Birch on corder-birch@lineone.net.
----------------------------------------------------------SUFFOLK INDUSTRIAL ARCHAEOLOGY SOCIETY I wish to renew my membership of the S.I.A.S. for 2015 – 2016 and enclose £. . . . . . . in payment. (Signed) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Address. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...................................... ...................................... Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Email . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Please return this slip with the remittance to the Chairman: S. Worsley, 24 Abbotsbury Close, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP2 9SD.
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