Old Brass Foundry

The Old Brass Foundry or Brass Shop is one of the original buildings in Boston Lodge Works.

Former Brass Foundry
Location	Boston Lodge Adjacent to the Staff Mess Room (Den)
Register No	98
T. Corner ID	BL011
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 is one of the earliest buildings on the site, having been built as a smithy in 1838 . In 1856 it had three forges but later smith's work was conentrated on the Blacksmith's Shop on the other side of the yard. Often referred to as the 'Brass Foundry' and shown as such in an 1875 drawing of the building, it is not clear to what extent it was used as such. The first floor of the building is thought to have been added in the 1950s. The rear wall was rebuilt between 1956 and 1962 when the fill supporting the steps to the upper floor of No 2 Boston Lodge were removed.
Cadw Blg ID	14417. Cadw listing text as follows:- Exterior. Single-storey, built of local slatey rubble with slate roof and wide eaves, bracketed to gable end. 3-bay front with central boarded door flanked by 4-light transomed windows. 1970s extension to right (Telephone Exchange building) now links with Old Oil Store. 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 slates. Internally there is a timber suspended first floor which is thought to have been inserted in the 1950s.
Present use	Storage of miscellaneous items mainly non ferrous.
Previous use	Originally Smithy, then storage. Its use as Brass Foundry has not been established. It was described as 'Store, [formerly] Brass Shop' on Dan Wilson's map of 1963 and this may mean it was used for machining, finishing and storing brass fittings and parts, but not necessarily casting. 'Old Brass Shop' may be a better name for this building.
Condition	The building is generally sound.
Recent works	.
Urgent and Immediate Repairs required	The following repairs are urgently required:- Provide gutter where missing along rear elevation.
Less urgent repairs	A summary of the repairs required are as follows:- Replace verge flashings with a more traditional method appropriate for the status of the building. Strip paint off woodwork and repaint (linseed oil paint recommended). Limewash to walls internally.
Improvements needed	The following works go beyond 'repairs'. Rainwater disposal - replace plastic gutters and down pipes with cast iron Replace verge flashings with a more traditional method appropriate for the status of the building. Re-install electrical power and lighting. Replace windows with sash or casement windows appropriate for the status and period of the building. Suggest rendering brickwork to rear elevation.
Potential alternative uses	The future use of this building is likely to be included within a larger scheme of conservation works to reinstate the buildings of the Top Yard. This could have a number of appropriate alternative uses. Current plans are for conservation then use as store and display area representing the Works in the preservation era.

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  Front elevation 2013

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  Front and gable 2013, the new Den to L.

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  Front and gable with Telephone Exchange (97) in the foreground 2013. The old container has now been removed.

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  Front elevation with Tel. Exchange on the right hand side 2013

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  Rear Wall 2013. Note some of the holes/gaps in the mortar joints should be filled but complete repointing of the wall is not required.

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  Rear Wall 2013. Note some of the holes/gaps in the mortar joints should be filled. Note brickwork and missing gutter.

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  Rear Wall 2013. Note some of the holes/gaps in the mortar joints should be filled. Suggest brickwork is rendered to improve the appearance (not urgent). Note the missing gutter.

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  View of valley gutter between Brass Foundry roof and roof of Telephone Exchange 2013

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  View of roof to Brass Foundry 2013. Note sag in the ridge and roof slope probably the result of deflection in the purlins. Not thought to be serious.

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  Interior view of roof and purlins 2013

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  Interior view of roof and purlins 2013

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  Interior view of roof and truss member 2013

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  Interior view of top of King Post truss 2013. Note residue of lime mortar 'torching' beneath slates.

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  Demolishing fill supporting the steps to the upper floor of No 2 Boston Lodge 1962 (Ron Fisher).