Soho Foundry

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Soho Foundry (not to be confused with the Soho Manufactory) is a factory created in 1795 by Matthew Boulton and James Watt at Smethwick, near Birmingham, England (grid reference SP037885), for the manufacture of steam engines.

The factory is mostly extant, and is now the home of Avery Weigh-Tronix (formerly Avery Berkel), who make weighing scales. The site includes William Murdoch's cottage and overlooks Black Patch Park.

There is a small museum there, open only by appointment.

The grade II listed Pooley gates, of cast iron, are marked with "a Liver bird above ropework draped with cloth, flanked by nautical symbols including oars, flags and bugles, ships' wheels and intersecting dolphins". A plaque reads: "These gates were cast by Henry Pooley and Son about 1840 for the Sailors' Home, Liverpool. The Avery and Pooley Foundries were amalgamated in 1931".

The building is a Grade II* listed building. The gates and adjacent canal bridge are Grade II listed.

[edit] See also

• Soho Manufactory

[edit] External links

• Avery Weigh-Tronix page on the factory
• Archives of Soho at Birmingham Central Library.
• Images of England - details from listed building text - foundry
• Images of England - photograph and details from listed building text - gateway and iron gate
• Images of England - photograph and details from listed building text - ornamental Pooley iron gates
• Images of England - photograph and details from listed building text - canal bridge
• This building is on the English Heritage - Buildings at Risk Register - link to entry (Buildings at Risk Register article)

Buildings in Birmingham, England  Highrise (In height order): BT Tower | Beetham Tower | Chamberlain Clock Tower | Alpha Tower | Orion Building | The Rotunda | NatWest Tower | Five Ways Tower | Centre City Tower | Hyatt Regency Hotel | 1 Snow Hill Plaza | Quayside Tower | Colmore Gate | The McLaren Building | Metropolitan House | Edgbaston House | Post & Mail Building | Jury's Inn Birmingham   Notable lowrise: 1-7 Constitution Hill | 17 & 19 Newhall Street | Birmingham Assay Office | Baskerville House | Central Library | Council House | Curzon Street railway station | Great Western Arcade | ICC | The Mailbox | Methodist Central Hall | Millennium Point | The Old Crown | Paradise Forum | Birmingham Proof House | Sarehole Mill | Symphony Hall | Town Hall | Victoria Law Courts   Major railway stations: Moor Street station | New Street station | Snow Hill station    Major complexes: Brindleyplace | Bull Ring, Birmingham | Pallasades Shopping Centre    Sports venues: Alexander Stadium | Edgbaston Cricket Ground | NIA | St. Andrews | Villa Park    Lists of buildings: List of tallest buildings and structures in Birmingham | List of Birmingham board schools | Listed buildings in Birmingham

Coordinates: 52.49440° N 1.94693° W