| Description | Salt Warehouse, Sowerby Bridge (SE 06488 23687). Late 18th century canal warehouse.
'SOWERBY BRIDGE SOWERBY BRIDGE CANAL BASIN SE 0623 0723 13/215 The Salt Warehouse (formerly 17.10.75 listed as Central Warehouse (No 3), Bolton Brow) GV II Canal warehouse. Probably 1796. For the Calder and Hebble Navigation Company. Coursed squared stone with ashlar dressings, unroofed and being rebuilt at time of resurvey (October 1985). 3 storeys, 2 upstanding at time of resurvey. 6 bays. West front: 3 left bays: each bay has a 2 storey elliptical archway with rounded corners. The 2 left arches giving access to wet docks, the 3rd a through way. 3 right bays: wide central loading door to each floor flanked by 3 light windows (ground floor left window now of 2 lights). Former list description records 3 light windows over archways and hipped slate roof as front. Interior: on ground floor of right hand bays large scantling chamfered timber posts support cross beams. The through archway has stone cross walls with a doorway to each side, that on right with panelled double door. The left hand bay still has wet dock; the other former wet dock is now flagged and in the floor of this bay is a large stone with socket for a wooden crane which survives leaning against a toilet block to rear. Occupied by Richard Milnes, the first large scale Trans Penning carrier, until his last failure in 1799 when it was let to the Rochdale canal Company (Sowerby Bridge, p23). The 1793 Rochdale Canal Act instructed the Calder and Hebble Navigation Company to build at Sowerby Bridge whatever wharves and warehouses the Rochdale Company wanted, the latter to pay for the space they used (Hadfield, p 60). A contract in 1796 to build a new warehouse is attributed to this building (Sowerby Bridge, p23). C Hadfield, Canals of Yorkshire and North East England (1972). Sowerby Bridge, Chamber of Trade and Commerce Official Guide RCHM(E) report.'
(English Heritage listed building description. Date listed 17/10/1975. Most recent amendment 19/07/1988. http://list.english heritage.org.uk/resultsingle.aspx?uid=1134472. Web site accessed 18/06/2013).
The Salt Warehouse was included in a photographic survey by WYAS Building Recording Services in 1997. The archaeological survey was undertaken on behalf of the Calderdale Council Environmental Services and Salt Warehouse Trust. The photographic survey included Salt Warehouse and 'Warehouse No.4' situated 50m to the east. The copies of the photographs for both buildings are contained in a single volume. A separate written report was produced for each warehouse however. See PRN12323 for details on Warehouse no.4. The written reports together with the photographic record and copies of plans are held by WYAAS. The written report regarding Salt Warehouse is summarised below.
The warehouse is one of a number of buildings in the vicinity associated with the Sowerby Bridge Canal Basin.. The minutes of the Calder and Hebble Navigation Committee state that the second warehouse constructed on site was the Salt Warehouse built in 1796. The warehouse was built for Richard Milnes, the first large scale trans Pennine carrier but was taken over in 1799 by the Rochdale Canal Company. The warehouse was closed c.1948 and was damaged by fire in the 1950s. The roof and upper storey collapsed in the 1979. The Salt Warehouse Trust was established in 1983 with the aim of restoring the warehouse. |