Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Grade I listed building. Main construction periods 1817 to 1866

Summary from record TQ 76 NE 118 :

Paint workshop, built 1817-19

Monument Types

• SMELT MILL (Lead Mill, Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• SITE (Post Medieval - 1817 AD to 1866 AD)

Full description

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The following text is from the original listed building designation:
TQ 7568 NE CHATHAM COTTAGE ROAD
(East side) Chatham Dockyard
762-1/1/47
Former Lead and Paint Mill
GV I
Lead and paint mill, now museum. 1817-19, by Edward Holl, architect for the Navy Board; extended mid C19. Fireproof construction of brick with stone dressings and slate hipped roof, with cast-iron posts, joists and flagstone floors, and iron roof.
PLAN: rectangular plan with N offices, central paint mill, and leadmill containing engine house in the single-storey S range, and S extension.
EXTERIOR: 1 and 2 storeys and basement; 11:10-window range. A long range, with basement windows to the W, ground-floor plat band and dentil brick cornice and parapet, with a round-arched central doorway in the E side with a radial fanlight and double doors; rubbed brick flat arches to metal 24-pane windows, the upper ones top-hung casements, and 16-pane basement windows. 3-window N end has blind outer windows and tall first floor double hoist doors beneath 30-pane casements. 10-window range single-storey S range, with ground-floor as the N section and sunken panels to the parapet above. To the S end a 2-storey, 4-window mid C19 range with tall central segmental-arched double doors, 12-light windows either side, with first-floor unhorned 6/6-pane sashes, and 2 small intermediate lateral stacks, the end has a central porch with blind upper windows each side. INTERIOR: cast-iron panelled doors, fireproof frame of columns with flanged capitals to T -section beams with bowed webs, and sockets cast in the side for fish belly joists carrying flagstone floors. An entrance cross passage with stone dogleg stair, offices to the N; the paint shop has evidence of the 9 grinding mills and line shafting. The upper floor at the N end has tall iron canvas stretching frames for painting suspended from threaded rods; trusses with wrought-iron queen and prince rods and cast-iron diagonal struts and ties.
HISTORY: an integrated works, originally the S building had a steam powered lead-rolling mill and casting area with a beam engine and boiler in the W side; the N building contained paint mills connected by line shafting to the engine. Holl's works had sufficient capacity to supply all the naval yards with paint and rolled lead. It has considerable significance as an early and almost entirely complete example of a specialist manufacturing building of the early C19.
An important early use of fireproof construction outside the textile industry, following Holl's system for the rebuilt ropery at Devonport (qv). Part of a fine group of Georgian dockyard buildings.
(Sources: Coad J: Historic Architecture of Chatham Dockyard 1700-1850: London: 1982: 179 ; Coad J: The Royal Dockyards 1690-1850: Aldershot: 1989: 240-1 ; MacDougall P: The Chatham Dockyard Story: Rainham: 1987: 117).
Listing NGR: TQ7573468425

Description from record TQ 76 NE 118 :
(TQ 7583 6875) SAM No. 241 [The Painters shop and adjacent store: scheduled]. (1) Built 1817-19 to designs by Edward Holl. This is the only pre 1830 paint manufactory to survive. The manufacture and supply of paint and sheet lead to all the royal dockyards was centralised at Chatham. The grinding machinery was steam driven. the building is of fireproof construction, making use of iron beams and columns for roof and floor supports. (2)

Coad, J., 1982, Historic Architecture of Chatham Dockyard 1700-1850 (Article in serial). SWX7760.

<1> English Heritage 1:1250 SAM location maplet (OS Card Reference). SKE41612.

<2> Jonathan G Coad, 1989, The royal dockyards 1690-1850: architecture and engineering works of the sailing navy. No.1, Page Nos. 152,240-1, Plate Nos. 192 (Bibliographic reference). SKE6362.

Sources and further reading

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