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Soho Foundry main gate
Soho Foundry main gate
Blue plaque at the main gate
Blue plaque at the main gate
Listed canal roving bridge at entrance to Solo Foundry Loop canal (now dry)
Listed canal roving bridge at entrance to Solo Foundry Loop canal (now dry)

Soho Foundry (not to be confused with the Soho Manufactory) was a factory created in 1795 by Matthew Boulton and James Watt at Smethwick, West Midlands, England (grid reference SP037885), for the manufacture of steam engines. In the United Kingdom, a blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person or event A listed building in the United Kingdom is a building or other structure officially designated as being of special architectural historical or cultural significance The Soho Manufactory ( not to be confused with the Soho Foundry, was an early Factory which pioneered Mass production on the Assembly line A factory (previously manufactory) or manufacturing plant is an industrial Building where workers manufacture goods Matthew Boulton ( September 3, 1728 &ndash 18 August 1809) was an English Manufacturer and Engineer. James Watt ( 19 January 1736 &ndash 25 August 1819 Boulton proved to be an excellent businessman and both men eventually made fortunes Smethwick (pronounced 'Smethick' is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands of England. The West Midlands is a Metropolitan county in western central England with a population of 2591300 England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using Latitude and Longitude A steam engine is a Heat engine that performs Mechanical work using Steam as its Working fluid.

Contents

History

The factory was built on the edge of the original meandering Birmingham Canal on land bought in 1795. The following year the foundry was open. By 1840 James Watt Junior owned the factory after the death of the founding Boulton and Watt. He died in 1848 and his place was taken by H. W. Blake and the name changed form Soho Foundry to James Watt & Co. . In 1857 the screw engines for the steamship SS Great Eastern were built at the foundry. A propeller is essentially a type of fan which transmits power by converting Rotational motion into Thrust for propulsion of a vehicle such as an History Concept After the Great Exhibition of 1851 which had publicized Australia's wealth and natural resources waves of people were eager to emigrate from In 1860 a new mint was started at the Foundry, the Manufactory having closed in 1850. In 1895 W & T Avery Ltd. acquired the Foundry as a going concern. W & T Avery Ltd is a British manufacturer of Weighing machines The company was founded in the early 18th century and took the name W & T Avery in 1818

Today

It is now the home of Avery Weigh-Tronix (formerly Avery Berkel), who make weighing scales. Avery Weigh-Tronix is a company specializing in Weighing scales Its HQ stands on the site of the Soho Foundry overlooking Black Patch Park in Smethwick Avery Berkel, a major manufacturer of weighing systems and Food processing equipment was formed in 1993 when the British conglomerate GEC A weighing scale (usually just "scale" in common usage except in Australian English where "scales" is more common is a Measuring instrument for The site includes William Murdoch's cottage and overlooks Black Patch Park. William Murdoch (sometimes spelled Murdock) ( August 21, 1754 - November 15, 1839) was a Scottish engineer and inventor Black Patch Park is a Park in Smethwick, England. It is bounded by Foundry Lane Woodburn Road Perrott Street and Kitchener Street at.

There is a small museum there, open only by appointment. A museum is a "permanent institution in the service of society and of its development open to the public which acquires conserves researches communicates and exhibits the

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 listed building in the United Kingdom is a building or other structure officially designated as being of special architectural historical or cultural significance 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". There is an active campaign to return these gates to Liverpool[1].

The building is a Grade II* listed building. A listed building in the United Kingdom is a building or other structure officially designated as being of special architectural historical or cultural significance The gates and adjacent canal bridge are Grade II listed.

The oldest working steam engine, built here, is the Smethwick Engine built to recover water used in the nearby canal locks at Smethwick Summit, and now in the Thinktank museum. The Smethwick Engine is a steam engine made by Boulton and Watt; brought into service in May 1779 A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal Waterways. A think tank (also called a policy institute) is an organization institute corporation or group that conducts Research and engages in advocacy in areas such

See also

References

  1. ^ Smethwick Local History Society website

Literature

External links

Coordinates: 52°29′50″N 1°56′51″W / 52.4972, -1.9475

English Heritage is a Non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom government ( Department for Culture Media and Sport) with a broad remit of Buildings at Risk Registers exist in several areas of the United Kingdom. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system.
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