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Aberdeen, Maberly Street, Broadford Works, Engine House
Engine House (Period Unassigned)
Site Name Aberdeen, Maberly Street, Broadford Works, Engine House
Classification Engine House (Period Unassigned)
Alternative Name(s) Broadford Firehose And Canvas Works; Maberley Street
Canmore ID 291127
Site Number NJ90NW 125.14
NGR NJ 93582 06936
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/291127
- Council Aberdeen, City Of
- Parish Aberdeen
- Former Region Grampian
- Former District City Of Aberdeen
- Former County Aberdeenshire
NJ90NW 125.14 93582 06936
Situated bteween the 'New Mill' and New N and S Mills, flat-roofed with heavy cast-iron ceiling beams. It had a tandem horizontal compound engine replaced in 1933 by a electrically powered one. Second engine house within N weaving shed (NJ90NW 125.11).
Detached engine house with flat roof and arched windows. Part of large group of textile manufacturing and storage buildings, granite and brick-clad, of iron-framed or reinforced concrete construction, with setted streets between them. Slate or flat roofs.
The oldest iron-framed mill in Scotland and the fourth oldest known to survive in the world (after others of 1796, 1804 and 1805, all inter- related). The adjoining South Mill may be the third iron framed building in Scotland.
Built for Scott Brown and Co (of Angus), 1808, bankrupt 1811 and sold to Sir John Maberly MP, entrepreneur, speculator and introducer of jute to the UK. Maberley rapidly developed Broadford Works, adopting the first gas lighting of an industrial complex in Scotland, by Boulton and Watt in 1814-15, and Scotland's second power loom linen weaving factory in Scotland in 1824. Maberly was himself bankrupt and in 1834 the works passed to Richards and Co, who had a bleachworks at Rubislaw and branches at Montrose, produced canvas tarpaulins and as a particular specialism, fire hoses. Latterly man- made fibres for carpet yarn etc has replaced flax. Employment peaked at 3,000, once the largest single employer in Aberdeen. (Historic Scotland).
Standing Building Recording (2 October 2015 - 11 January 2017)
NJ 93609 06881 (NJ90NW 125) A standing building survey was carried out, 2 October 2015 – 11 January 2017, primarily of buildings to be demolished prior to the creation of an urban village. The current condition of the buildings being retained was also recorded.
Broadford Works was originally constructed by Fenton Murray and Wood of Leeds in 1808 for Scott Brown and Co. of Angus. It went bankrupt in 1811 and was sold to Sir John Maberly MP, entrepreneur, speculator and introducer of jute to the UK. Maberly rapidly developed Broadford Works,
adopting the first gas lighting of an industrial complex in Scotland, by Boulton and Watt in 1814–15, and Scotland’s second power loom linen weaving factory in Scotland in 1824. Maberly was himself bankrupt and in 1834 the works passed to Richards and Co., who had a bleachworks at
Rubislaw and branches at Montrose, and produced canvas tarpaulins, and as a particular specialism, fire hoses. In the 1830s the business was taken over by John Baker Richards, a London merchant. Under his ownership and name the company expanded through the 19th century. By the 1880s
eight steam engines drove the plant and some 3000 mill hands were employed. The company manufactured linen sheeting, towelling, sail canvas, tent cloth and hose web. Most of the buildings to be demolished were later additions and all the older mill buildings are being retained.
Archive: NRHE
Funder: First Construction Ltd
Alison Cameron - Cameron Archaeology
(Source: DES, Volume 18)
