Building record 7203/78/1 - Britannia Slugging Machine Works (Cox & Son)

Cox & Co's Britannia Slugging Machine Works manufactured `Flexible Britannia', `Gem' and `Clench Slug' slugging machines for the boot and shoe industry. The elaborately detailed factory, built in 1899, occupies a corner site with its main front facing Oak Street to the east and another frontage to Lime Street on the south. The site falls gently from north to south, with the result that the southern part of the factory incorporates a basement; otherwise it is single-storeyed apart from the two-storey entrance bay in the east front.The factory originally consisted of three attached ranges gabled north-south. The walls are of orange brick and the roofs have been re-laid with concrete tiles. Each gable presents three window bays to the south, framed by pilasters rising from ground level. The central ground-floor opening of the central gable is a taking-in doorway, and is associated with a large canopy. The gables have stepped and moulded brick giving the impression of a triangular pediment, and incorporate a four-keyed oculus, the hood mould of which springs from the bottom member of the `pediment'. The east front has eleven bays of pier-and-panel walling. On these two elevations (the only two seen) the plinth has a chamfered blue brick top course, and the piers have shaped limestone caps; to the east the panels have an eaves decoration of stepped and moulded brick courses.

{1} Cox & Co's Britannia Slugging Machine Works manufactured `Flexible Britannia', `Gem' and `Clench Slug' slugging machines for the boot and shoe industry. The elaborately detailed factory, built in 1899, occupies a corner site with its main front facing Oak Street to the east and another frontage to Lime Street on the south. The site falls gently from north to south, with the result that the southern part of the factory incorporates a basement; otherwise it is single-storeyed apart from the two-storey entrance bay in the east front.The factory originally consisted of three attached ranges gabled north-south. The walls are of orange brick and the roofs have been re-laid with concrete tiles. Each gable presents three window bays to the south, framed by pilasters rising from ground level. The central ground-floor opening of the central gable is a taking-in doorway, and is associated with a large canopy. The gables have stepped and moulded brick giving the impression of a triangular pediment, and incorporate a four-keyed oculus, the hood mould of which springs from the bottom member of the `pediment'. The east front has eleven bays of pier-and-panel walling. On these two elevations (the only two seen) the plinth has a chamfered blue brick top course, and the piers have shaped limestone caps; to the east the panels have an eaves decoration of stepped and moulded brick courses.
[Slugging machines attach the top piece of the heel to the seat (already attached to boot or shoe).]

<1> ENGLISH HERITAGE, 2000, Northamptonshire Boot and Shoe Survey, Site 2 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN105075.

<2> Historic England, Undated, Former Britannia Slugging Machine Works, Oak Street, Rushden, BF103648 (Archive). SNN114072.

Record last edited

Feb 17 2025 7:19PM