Wednesday 29 February 2012

Steel Building and Windows of former Rolls-Royce Motor Works on Nightingale Road, Derby built by Handyside in 1907. (now Demolished)

NOTE : This no longer exists! The entire factory site apart from the facade was demolished and cleared in 2011.
The Derby firm Andrew Handyside who made Friar Gate bridge in Derby also manufactured steel structures for buildings around the world. Here in my dedicated blog to this company I am detailing every item I can find manufactured by them.
The steel fabricated building and Windows of former Rolls-Royce Motor Works on Nightingale Road, Derby built by Andrew Handyside in 1907.

This steel fabrication project was one of the last commissions by Andrew Handyside before the untimely collapse of the company.
In 1907 Royce himself wrote to Derby Solicitor C.R.B. Eddowes...

"Mr Royce and Mr johnson are of the opinion that if the work of erecting the buildings is entrusted to such a firm as Messrs Handyside of Derby it would be quite unnecessary to employ an architect to prepare drawings or to supervise the erection of the buildings as Messrs Handyside are engaged and have for some years been engaged in erecting buildings of a similar nature and are thoroughly competent and trustworthy firm"
(Nixon 1969, page 171)

As a side note - The Derby Solicitors used by RR back then are still going today www.ewlaw.co.uk !

This particular project was delevered to this site from Britannia Iron Works using horse and cart! well it was a local delivery !

Below are some photographs of the Rolls-Royce Motor Works on Nightingale Road, Derby, Derbyshire, UK. The original factory which opened (officially) on 9th July 1908 consisted of what became known as Number 1 shop. In those days RR only made cars. Aero engines were to come later.

Andrew Handyside fabricated the steel structure and also the windows for the RR Motorworks here on Nightingale Road.

Photograph showing the facade of the RR building on Nightingale Road.
RR Frontage01 HDR

These Photographs courtesy of Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust.
A view inside the building showing the structure of the building by Handyside.
Inside Rolls-Royce Motor Works Derby 1910

Another view inside the building showing the structure of the building by Handyside.
Inside Rolls-Royce Motor Works Derby 1910


The aerial view photo doesn’t show the commercial block which stood between the workshop & Nightingale Road. The commercial block was built in 1912 so the photos are of an era between 1908 when the factory opened and 1912 when the commercial block was built.

Rolls-Royce Motor Works Derby 1910

As you can see in the view from above the site was massive (click on "Sat"):

View Larger Map


Google Streetview:
The Google streetview car has captured this location well and you can see the facade of the building. See it HERE.

Map Location:
View my Andrew Handyside World Map to see the exact location of this bridge on the world map.
My world map is the result of hundreds of hours of research into the company, plotting out each item as I find it.

Can you help find more Handyside stuff ?
If anyone out there knows of any items around the world bearing the Handyside badge that I have not mentioned yet then please get in touch with details, location, photographs etc.

Thanks
Andy

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