South Street, Fitting Shop (Machine & Pattern)

This building was listed Grade II in 2000 with the following description:
'Former Robert Stephenson & Co. fitting shop. Built c. 1867-80 on the site of a former dwelling house, yard, shade and carpenters' shop c. 1826 to the south; the north occupied by RS & Co. as a tender shop, sawmill and frame shop 1847; then rebuilt c. 1849-59 as a painters shop and engine shop, tender shop and yard, with the frame shop retained. Further alterations c. 1867. Later machine and pattern departments, now builders merchant's warehouse. EXTERIOR: Brick with ashlar dressings; corrugated alloy roof. Rear wall clad in C20 brick and corrugated metal below and painted render above. 3 builds. 2 storeys, the first high. 3:8:16 windows. Right 16 bays of ground floor is first build; second build is the left 11 bays; third build is the first floor of the right 16 bays. Windows have fine glazing bars and flat stone sills; those on ground floor have round-arched brick heads, and on first floor have wedge stone lintels in left 11 bays, segmental brick arches in right 15 bays. First floor band. Vehicle entrance at left has painted iron posts and beam supporting overlight with 4 panels of 16 painted panes under high wide metal beam resting on post at left and quoins at right. First opening above has glazing bars, second is blocked and third has a boarded loading door. Next 8 bays have left quoins to full height, and ground floor windows have 2 top panes, most with 4:2:4 below, the central pair a pivoting light. 6th and 8th windows are taller, reaching first floor band, and have 6 panes in lowest part. First second and fourth first floor windows have 6 panes and others are blocked. Butt join at right, set further right on upper floor, to right 15 bays which have full height ground floor windows and sill band to first floor windows which have 20 panes, the central panels pivoting in some. C20 doors inserted in left end window beside vehicle arch and below windows 3 and 4, probably replacing earlier door, of right 15 bays. 4 rain water pipes have lowest sections recessed in brickwork. Vehicle arch has central cast iron round posts with two tiers of flanges, the upper supporting a riveted bellied cast iron beam. INTERIOR: Interior shows ground floor alterations including inserted partitions. First floor open to roof which is double span, with spine beam on tapered round cast iron piers with moulded ring below square abacus. South build at left has spine beam of large scantling supporting full-width tie beam of queen post trusses. A higher spine beam rests on the tie beams and on short posts from the lower beam, the tie beams clasped between the two spine beams. The north build roof is slightly raised, the cast iron piers supporting a deep steel spine girder and T-section steel queen post trusses. Electric lift inserted in SW corner of building. HISTORY: An important survival of the pioneering Stephenson factory which made locomotive engines throughout the C19.' LISTED GRADE 2