No 2 Machine Shop

The building now known as No 2 Machine Shop was the original Foundry of the site, dating from 1848 and used as such until 1939. From 1970 it was used as a second machine shop but in recent years has only been used for informal storage. In recent planning documents the Company refers to it as the Foundry (H4).

No 2 Machine Shop formerly Foundry
Location	Boston Lodge on the east side of the Top Yard on the south side of the Blacksmith's Shop.
Register No	100
T. Corner ID	BL012
Operational	Yes
Heritage Status	Grade 2 listed. All works that materially effect its character will require Listed Building Consent.
Historical significance	Highly significant. This building was part of the first Boston Lodge manufactory built in 1848. The foundry ceased work when the adjacent Engine and Boiler House burnt down in January 1939. In 1970 it became No 2 Machine Shop.
Cadw Blg ID	14412. Cadw listing includes the Blacksmiths Shop (FR No 99). Cadw text as follows:- This range is amongst the first to be built after the opening of the railway in 1836, its function being essential to the building of rolling stock. Interior. The interior of the iron foundry retains deep brackets in one wall indicating position of the cupola hood. At rear are lateral chimneys and segmental arches into deep lean-to chambers. Exterior. Built of local slatey rubble with corrugated iron roof and wide eaves, bracketed to gable end. 4-bay iron foundry has voussoir-arched openings, 3 of which are filled in to base and given small-pane windows but the left hand one retains boarded door. Stepped back to left is 5-bay, slate-roofed, smithy which has similar round-arched openings of which alternate ones remain open as split boarded doors while the rest are converted, as in the foundry, into windows. Railway track at front with turntables to either end. Reason for Listing. Listed as part of this especially complete example of a C19 railway engineering works which has important historical associations with the Ffestiniog Railway. Group value with other listed items at Boston Lodge.
Description	Solid stone walls under a duo pitched roof covered with asbestos cement sheets. Internally open to the roof.
Present use	Storage of miscellaneous items of parts and machinery
Previous use	Foundry then No 2 Machine Shop.
Condition	The building is generally sound but there are repairs and reinstatements needed to the roof structure, walls and rainwater disposal
Recent works	?
Urgent and Immediate Repairs required	The following repairs are urgently required:- Works to gutter to rear roof slope (this requires inspection).
Less urgent repairs	A summary of the repairs required are as follows Clear out interior of the building to allow further inspections. Rainwater disposal - replace plastic gutters and down pipes with cast iron Strip paint off woodwork and repaint (linseed oil paint recommended). Limewash to walls internally.
Improvements needed	The following works go beyond 'repairs'. Roof - strip corrugated metal and asbestos sheets from rear slope and replace with Welsh slate; repair roof structure as required Rake out inappropriate cement pointing and repoint with lime mortar Re-install electrical power and lighting. Remove inappropriate concrete blockwork from blocked up doorways and insert recessed stonework or selected facing brickwork OR Reinstate openings and insert new doors. Limewash outside walls of the building following evidence that the building would have been limewashed (though historically justifiable this might not be considered a visual improvement). Strip paint from all exterior woodwork and repaint with linseed oil paint. Remove modern building to rear (Former S&T Workshop) and repair/reinstate stonework to rear elevation.
Potential alternative uses	The future use of this building is included within a larger scheme of conservation works to reinstate the buildings of the Top Yard. Current plans (2020) are to conserve it as a historic area for display and demonstrations.

Front elevation July 2013
Front elevation July 2013
Front elevation July 2013
Front elevation July 2013
North elevation July 2013
Front elevation and North elevation of No 1 Machine Shop July 2013
Front elevation July 2013 Note modern filling to opening beneath window.
Front elevation July 2013 Note historical stone filling opening beneath window
Front elevation July 2013 Note historical stone filling opening beneath window
Front elevation July 2013 Inserted sliding door - not original
Front elevation July 2013 Purpose of buttress not known, probably a fragment of the old Engine House. Note vegetation in gutter.
Sliding door to Front elevation July 2013 Note flaking paint - see article on linseed oil paint which does not weather in this way. Flaking paint can trap moisture and lead to rot which can be avoided by more regular repainting or use of linseed oil paint.
Front roof slope July 2013 Asbestos sheeting
Front roof slope July 2013 Asbestos sheeting
Front roof slope July 2013 Asbestos sheeting
Rear elevation roof slope July 2013 Asbestos sheeting
End of roof truss July 2013 Asbestos sheeting
Internal view July 2013 Note interior woodwork was historically limewashed
Internal view July 2013 Buttresses thought to have supported cupola historically, doorway is not original.
Internal buttress July 2013