31 - 39 High Bridge, Ward's Building

An imposing four-storey property with former warehousing to the rear. Red brick with sandstone detail on the façade. Building control plans of 1866 show that No. 37 was known as "High Bridge Works". Ward's trade directory of 1881 records that No. 31 was occupied by G. Nicholson, Hatter, No. 35 was occupied by T. Rodham and Co, ale and porter merchants and No. 37 was occupied by E. Wallace, fitter, W. Watson, storekeeper and H. Watson and Sons, engineers. Goad's insurance plan of 1899 shows that Watson's still occupied Nos. 35 and 37, but the printing firm, H. Ward and Sons owned the rest of the buildings, with machine rooms at the rear, and offices in the frontage building. By 1902 Wards also occupied No. 35 and No. 37 had changed hands six times (including Travers and Sons Limited, tea merchants and Svendsen and Co. importers. The rear elevation of the frontage building is in white tiled brick. To the rear of Nos. 35 and 39 is a small open yard. No. 37 is a substantial four-storey warehouse, in white tiled brick. The exteriors of the main building date from the early C20. The façade of the Grade 2 listed Ward's Building dates from 1903. It was designed by James Cackett and Robert Burns-Dick. It is a handsome Art Nouveau commercial building in red brick with ashlar detailing. It has four storeys plus basement and attic with a double panelled doorway. In an elaborate stone surround. On either side are modern shopfronts. There are four columns of ashlar bay windows on floors 1-3, topped by curved ashlar gables. Slate roof with decorative chimney stacks. Rear elevation is white tiled brick. No. 37 is also of 4 storeys, the main elevations in white tiled brick, contemporary with the rear elevation of the Ward's Building. LISTED GRADE 2 William Armstrong built a rotary engine powered by water at his friend Henry Watson's High Bridge Works in 1838.