Williamson's was a small business who in recent times specialized in fire fighting equipment & conveyor systems. However digging into the soggy mush of paperwork it seems they were originally a tool, hardware and ironmongery retailer.
The sign on the front of the shop boasts the business was established in 1920, but the building has clearly been used as an industrial premises prior to that date.
Part of the sprawling site has clearly originally been homes, as ancient tatters of wallpaper and picture rail still cling to the walls. This part reminded me a lot of G.S.Smart's in Birmingham, where the furniture from the houses was cleared out and nothing whatsoever was done other than begin to pile stock up in the rooms. Looking at the rooms now it is very difficult imagining a family gathered round the fireplace!
By far one of the most interesting features was the stables at the rear of the building. These can't have been used post war, but still retain the mangers, wooden partitions, water troughs and cobbled floors. There was even the remains of a horse collar / loinery rack in the adjacent room. I'd say they are fairly unique to an industrial site like that of Williamson's
Upstairs is rather George Barnsley esque, with tiny rooms packed full of shelves, some hand made, some made of stacked packing crates. One can only imagine the weird and wonderful stock that has sat on these shelves over the years...
The offices were packed full of shelves and filing cabinets, bursting with trade catalogs from the 2000's right back to the turn of the last century. Sadly the slate thieves have gone to town on the place, and the water has turned them all to mush
I did enjoy the seemingly pointless tiled passage, which looks as though it may have been a trade counter at one point. Art tiles were never cheap even a hundred years ago, it seems rather odd to have gone to so much expense on such an odd sliver of the building!
One could literally spend all day in here, there is odd little things to look out strewn in every corner of every room...
Original staircase from one of the former houses, with typical Victorian stenciling.
Living room from the same house
Another former front room, note the wallpaper
"Buy English Cord"!!
Staircase to nowhere... obviously this building used to be a little higher!
Collar rack in stable
God Dweeb, why don't you piss off to some tile collector's forum!!
The sign on the front of the shop boasts the business was established in 1920, but the building has clearly been used as an industrial premises prior to that date.
Part of the sprawling site has clearly originally been homes, as ancient tatters of wallpaper and picture rail still cling to the walls. This part reminded me a lot of G.S.Smart's in Birmingham, where the furniture from the houses was cleared out and nothing whatsoever was done other than begin to pile stock up in the rooms. Looking at the rooms now it is very difficult imagining a family gathered round the fireplace!
By far one of the most interesting features was the stables at the rear of the building. These can't have been used post war, but still retain the mangers, wooden partitions, water troughs and cobbled floors. There was even the remains of a horse collar / loinery rack in the adjacent room. I'd say they are fairly unique to an industrial site like that of Williamson's
Upstairs is rather George Barnsley esque, with tiny rooms packed full of shelves, some hand made, some made of stacked packing crates. One can only imagine the weird and wonderful stock that has sat on these shelves over the years...
The offices were packed full of shelves and filing cabinets, bursting with trade catalogs from the 2000's right back to the turn of the last century. Sadly the slate thieves have gone to town on the place, and the water has turned them all to mush
I did enjoy the seemingly pointless tiled passage, which looks as though it may have been a trade counter at one point. Art tiles were never cheap even a hundred years ago, it seems rather odd to have gone to so much expense on such an odd sliver of the building!
One could literally spend all day in here, there is odd little things to look out strewn in every corner of every room...
Original staircase from one of the former houses, with typical Victorian stenciling.
Living room from the same house
Another former front room, note the wallpaper
"Buy English Cord"!!
Staircase to nowhere... obviously this building used to be a little higher!
Collar rack in stable
God Dweeb, why don't you piss off to some tile collector's forum!!