Bow Quarter
Bow Quarter is a
History
From the mid-19th century to more than three-quarters of the way through the 20th century it was the location of the
The 3 acre (1.2 hectare) site, acquired by William Bryant and Francis May in 1861, contained a number of factories that had once been used for the manufacture of candles,
The
The present main factory building was constructed in 1909–10.[3] At full production in 1911, the Bow site employed more than 2,000 women and girls.[4] It finally closed in 1979, when 275 people worked there, production being transferred to Litherland near Liverpool.[5] Designed by Holman and Goodsham, it is concrete-framed red brick building, with two tall towers of ten stories. It is a Grade II Listed building.[6]
Present day
The site had fallen into disrepair when in 1988, developers Kentish Homes, with designs from
Today Bow Quarter consists of 733 one- and two-bedroom flats and penthouses, together with a handful of workers' cottages built around the late 19th century. Set in 7 acres (28,000 m2) of landscaped grounds, amenities include a residents' gym and a convenience store.
The majority of the flats today are located in former factory and office buildings. Arlington, for example, was built as offices in 1874; Lexington and Manhattan date from the factory site redevelopment in 1911. The Victorian cottages near the entrance provided accommodation for the company directors whilst Staten was built as extra office accommodation in the late 1950s. The Park buildings (East, Central and West) were added in the mid-1990s.
In 2004, the TV series If... shot scenes in the fictional gated community Regent's Court inside Bow Quarter. Some residents were interviewed by the production team during the making of the programme.[7][8]
Current residents include
In April 2012, the Ministry of Defence identified the water tower as a potential location for surface-to-air missile defences during the 2012 Summer Olympics.[9] One resident, a Guardian journalist, reported opposition to the scheme[citation needed], but other residents were supportive of the move.[10]
References
Notes
- ^ a b Wright (1991/2009). Chapter 16, "The Bow Quarter: Six Hundred and Seventy Luxury Flats in an Old Victorian Hell-House", pp. 234-264.
- ^ a b c d Beaver (1985). Part One: Building a Business.
- ^ British Listed Buildings: Bryant and May Factory, Main Building, Bow
- ^ Beaver (1985). Part Two: Years of Growth.
- ^ Beaver (1985). Part Three: The Age of Technology.
- ^ British Listed Buildings
- ^ "If... Things Don't Get Better". 26 February 2004.
- ^ Rice, Anita (18 March 2004). "Gates and ghettoes: A tale of two Britains".
- ^ Evans, Martin (1 May 2012). "Missiles could be deployed at six sites during Olympics, MOD confirm". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
- ^ "They're just like fireworks, really". Housing Excellence. June 2012. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
Bibliography
- Beaver, Patrick (1985). The Match Makers. London: Henry Melland. ISBN 0-907929-11-7.
- Emsley, John (2000). The Shocking History of Phosphorus: A biography of the Devil's element. London: Macmillan. ISBN 0-333-76638-5.
- Wright, Patrick (1991/2009). A Journey Through Ruins - The Last Days of London. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-954194-2.