Quarry Field Works (Close Works, Davy Roll Co.)

The Quarry Field Works (marine, locomotive and general engineers) were established by John Coulthard (ex Walker Iron Works) & Son in 1840. He was shortly joined by his brother Ralph. They commenced building locomotives for NER and collieries. In April 1853 the partnership between John and Ralph Coulthard was dissolved when John died and the firm became R. Coulthard and Co. In 1865 Ralph retired and the works were taken over by Black Hawthorn & Co. Building was concentrated more on industrial locomotives for collieries and iron works but a number of tender locomotives were also built and went to many parts of the world. Between 1871 and 1874 the works were extended to include the present-day site of Close Works south of Quarryfield Road. The firm developed into one of the premier builders in this area and up to 1896 when the firm ceased trading, over 1100 locomotives had been built and many rebuilt. The firm was bought by Chapman and Furneaux who produced a futher 70 locomotives, but ceased marine engineering. The last locomotive built was in 1902. The firm's drawings, patterns and templates were bought by R & W Hawthorn Leslie & Co of Newcastle. In 1904 Ernest Scott & Mountain, electrical and colliery plant engineers, purchased the site and rename it Close Works after their former works in The Close, Newcastle. They go into liquidation in 1911. In 1913 C.A. Parsons & Co Ltd acquire a section of Close Works. In 1915 Sir W.G. Armstrong Whitworth & Co. Ltd takes over Close Works. It is re-equipped as a foundry in 1920. Roll manufacture commences in 1933 and pneumatic tool manufacture is transferred here from Armstrong's Elswick works in 1937. Wartime production included bomb casings, gun barrels, aero engine cylinder blocks and propeller hubs. In the 1950s Kue-Ken rock crushing equipment was made and the pneumatic tools division was sold to Thor Tools Ltd in North Shields. In 1968 Close Works was acquired by Davy Ashmore and in 1970 the Davy Roll Co. Ltd was formed.