David Rowell & Co.
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Construction |
| Founded | 1855 |
| Defunct | 1970 |
| Fate | Closed |
| Headquarters | London, UK |
David Rowell & Co. was a company based in Westminster, London that fabricated wrought iron and wire rope, built suspension footbridges, and structural steel frame buildings. They were established in 1855 and closed in 1970.
History[edit]
The Company was formed by David Rowell in London in 1855 initially trading as a fencing business but diversifying into structural steel frame buildings. It built various bridges between 1903 and 1951. The Company was liquidated in 1970.[1]
Wire rope and wrought iron[edit]
Surviving catalogues from 1885 describe David Rowell & Co. as "The Iron, Wire, Wire-rope and Fencing Company", while a catalogue from 1890 describes their strained wire fences and wrought iron gates. A tram shelter by the firm was built in the 1920s at Guildhall Square in Portsmouth. It was moved to Gunwharf Quays in 2003.[2]
Bridges[edit]
Pickhill Meadows[edit]
This bridge was built for Oliver Ormrod of Pickhill Hall, over the River Dee at Bangor-on-Dee in November 1903, at a cost of £640 to serve "cart traffic".[3] It spans 135 feet (41 m) and is 10 feet (3.0 m) wide. It is currently owned by Ormrod Estates. The lower parts of the towers were concreted in the 1970s.
Foy[edit]
This footbridge over the River Wye at Foy, near Ross-on-Wye, was built in 1919. It featured in the British television series Survivors, in an episode titled "Gone Away" (1975).[4]
Bodie Creek[edit]
Bodie Creek Bridge was built from 1924 to 1925 in the Falkland Islands, as part of a scheme to centralise sheep shearing at Goose Green. Costing £2,281, it was fabricated in London and shipped to the Islands. It spans 400 feet (120 m) and is 8 feet (2.4 m) wide, and was closed to traffic in 1997.
Queen's Park[edit]
Designed by William E Barker, Queen's Park Bridge was built in Chester in 1923, at a cost of £5,650. It spans 277 feet (84 m), and is supported from two 2.75-inch (70 mm) diameter locked-coil cables, each capable of carrying up to 340 tons. It is founded on the north side on a 230-ton concrete block, and on the south side by anchoring into sandstone bedrock.
River Wharfe[edit]
This bridge over the River Wharfe at Ilkley was built in 1934. The bridge is jointly owned by City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council and Yorkshire Water. Its finials were removed in 1972 when it was discovered that condensation below them was corroding the bridge cables. The bridge was refurbished in April 2001.[5]
Other bridges[edit]
Other bridges built by the firm include:
- Sands (Hikey), Swalwell, 1903[6]
- Alum Chine, Bournemouth, 1903-4, renovated 1973, cost £480[7][8][9]
- Apley Park, 1905, also called Linley Bridge[10][11][12]
- Fron Bridge Llandyssil
- Sparke Evans Park, Bristol
- Castle Footbridge, Shrewsbury, 1910, replaced 1951
- Llanddetty Footbridge, Talybont-on-Usk, 1910. Replaced a ferry-boat. Derelict.[13]
- Howley Bridge, Victoria Park, Warrington, 1912[14]
- Builth Wells, 1922[15]
- Llanstephan, 1922[16]
- Porthill Bridge, Shrewsbury, 1922
- Puente Orellana, El Rancho, El Progreso, Guatemala
- Arapuni Suspension Bridge, Arapuni (New Zealand), 1925
- Daly's bridge, Cork, Ireland, 1927
- Sapper's Bridge, Betws-y-Coed, 1930[17]
- Gaol Ferry, Bristol, 1935[18][19]
- Thames Ditton Island, 1936[20]
- Doveridge, 1946, replaced an 1898 bridge by Louis Harper[21][22]
- Festival Footbridge, Aberhafesp, 1951, built to celebrate the Festival of Britain[23]
- Glanammon, Ammanford, 1958[24]
- The Black Bridge, Torres del Paine National Park, Chile, unknown build date [25]
Buildings[edit]
A catalogue from the firm (possibly dating from 1873)[26] describes their ready-made steel and iron buildings, including a "timber-framed iron church" and "galvanized corrugated iron portable houses for home or abroad".[27]
References[edit]
- ^ David Rowell & Co. at Structurae database
- ^ Stephen Pomeroy, "Coach Companies", Portsmouth local history Archived 2007-10-01 at the Wayback Machine, viewed 2007-05-10
- ^ David Rowell & Co., Invoice for Pickhill Meadows Bridge, 28 November 1903
- ^ "Terry Nation's Survivors", Wyenot News Archived 6 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine, 19 April 2005, viewed on 2007-05-10
- ^ "Gilbert, 88, remembers - and old finials are saved", Telegraph and Argus, 11 April 2001, viewed on 2007-05-10
- ^ Photos at bridgemeister.com
- ^ "The Chines of Bournemouth and Poole", Bournemouth Online Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine, viewed on 2007-05-10
- ^ Photos at bridgemeister.com
- ^ Picture at National Monuments Record[permanent dead link]
- ^ Photos at bridgemeister.com
- ^ "Photos at Apley Estate website". Archived from the original on 7 October 2007. Retrieved 18 April 2007.
- ^ Photo at Shropshire Star Archived 2007-05-01 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Bridgemeister - (footbridge) - Landetty, Talybont-on-Usk vicinity, Powys, Wales, United Kingdom". www.bridgemeister.com. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
- ^ British Listed Buildings
- ^ "Photograph by Julian Barnard". Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 18 April 2007.
- ^ "Escorts Guide | London Escorts Guide | Cheap Escorts London". Archived from the original on 30 April 2007. Retrieved 18 April 2007.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Photos at bridgemeister.com
- ^ Photo at Geograph
- ^ Details of 2004 repainting Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Photos of refurbishment Archived 2007-09-08 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Photo at bridgemeister.com
- ^ "Photo at Welcome to Doveridge". Archived from the original on 1 October 2011. Retrieved 10 May 2007.
- ^ Jones, Rachael, "Aberhafesp" BBC Mid Wales Newtown Life undated, viewed on 2007-05-10
- ^ Photo at bridgemeister.com
- ^ Anotherheader.wordpress.com
- ^ Liliana Lolich, "The Industrial Heritage of Patagonia", XIII Congress of the International Committee for the Conservation of Industrial Heritage Archived 2007-03-02 at the Wayback Machine, September 2006, viewed on 2007-05-10
- ^ David Rowell & Co., List Archived 2003-10-26 at archive.today, undated, viewed on 2007-05-10
External links[edit]
- Civil engineering heritage discussion list - search for David Rowell for more information Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- Queen's Park: at bridgemeister.com
- River Wharfe: Photo at Dalesman magazine
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
- Defunct companies of the United Kingdom
- Construction and civil engineering companies of the United Kingdom
- History of the City of Westminster
- Manufacturing companies established in 1855
- Manufacturing companies disestablished in 1970
- 1855 establishments in England
- 1970 disestablishments in England
- Construction and civil engineering companies established in 1855
- British companies established in 1855
- British companies disestablished in 1970
- Construction and civil engineering companies disestablished in 1970