Allan House, Newcastle
introduction | desk based assessment | building & photographic survey | building appraisal | conclusions & bibliography
Part 2: Building & Photographic Survey
Methodology
A photographic and general building recording survey was undertaken at Allan House on the 23rd and 25th of October. The objective of the survey was to obtain a comprehensive photographic record of the building with its fixtures, fittings and elements of architectural significance and interest. A basic written account of the structure was compiled which sought to provide a descriptive account of the building's structure, fabric and components. In addition to securing a basic record this was also designed to identify any significant elements of Allan House that might require additional detailed recording in mitigation.
Detailed survey information relating to the existing buildings (comprising floor plans and elevations) was supplied by the client and checked for accuracy. The existing survey has been used as the basis for the building record and has been augmented with additional information.
The current layout of Allan House resulted in a number of constraints to the survey. Modern partitioning evident on the first and second floors of the main building and suspended ceilings inhibited a record of the original room space. Additionally the use of most of the upper rooms and blacksmith wing for the storage of wood and car parts meant that not all of the walls, windows and floor were accessible for inspection and recording.
External and internal photographs were taken on both black and white (Canon EOS 50E) and colour print film (Pentax P30), and a series of record shots taken using a digital SLR camera (Canon EOS 350D). These aim to record the building in its wider setting, a general overview of the building, and any features of interest. The position from which each photograph was taken was recorded on printed floor plans or Ordnance Survey maps, and subsequently digitised to produce Figures 21 - Figure 26 . The primary photographic record is the black and white prints, colour prints being intended only as a supplement.
The digital record shots have been used as plates throughout this report, while copies of the black and white and colour prints are included as a separate appendix to this report. The negatives are included in the appendix to the archive copy of this report.
At the time of the photographic survey, the principal features of each element of the building were also noted on the printed plans and used to create the individual room descriptions. Additional recording was undertaken on the 25 th October.
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| Figure 16 | Figure 17 | Figure 18 | Figure 19 | Figure 20 |
Site Layout
The buildings on the Site can be divided into three main units, Allan House itself (Building A), the Blacksmiths Unit (Building B) and the later Workshop Unit (Building C).
The original design of Allan House is recorded in the architect's drawings for the building (TWAS 22437). The planned use of each space and room is labelled and shown in Figure 16 - Figure 20 , as are the Room Numbers used in the following discussion. The drawings indicate that Allan House was used for a number of functions, all related to the maintenance and refurbishment of their fleet of the Tyne Tees Steam Shipping Company. These include stores, joinery, painting, blacksmiths and sail making (and or repair) and include a fitters workshop.
The Building
Southwestern Elevation
The southwestern elevation is by far the most impressive aspect of Allan House. The façade comprises three architectural units, break-fronted, with the central core being symmetrical whilst the east and west wings are of three and two stories respectively (Plate 1, 2 & 3). The east wing houses the main entrance to the interior courtyard off City Road.
The central core of the elevation has been given a false impression of comprising three bays by the use of essentially debased Roman-Doric pilasters. These are detailed by plain-banded rustication and support an architrave, plain frieze and a heavy dentil cornice, which in turn supports a plain parapet wall with a central shaped gable with plain copings and ball finials; one missing. This is defined at the point where it buts the parapet by a simple attic order.
This is detailed with a simple block cornice with a return to the parapet wall. This indicates that the wall was originally capped with its own cornice, but this has been removed and the wall finished in a crude soldier course. It is also most likely, that the ends of the parapet wall saw the return of the cornice to cap attic pilasters that were probably also finished with ball finials.
The pilasters rest on a plain dado over a simple plinth formed by canted special bricks. The fall, west to east, is taken up within the dado to ensure uniformity.
A large round-topped window that extends in to the shaped gable dominates the central bay. This gives light to the second and third floors, with these levels demarked by oversized transoms. Its most striking feature is the use of oversized key and voussoirs to segment the arch into six units and the fact that the arch springs off the cornice rather than an abutment. Below this window, within the dado and above the plinth, there is a matched pair of windows with flat camber arches and enlarged keys.
The east and west bays are symmetrical above the dado, each with three elliptical windows quartered with oversized voussoirs and keys. These are positioned over three rectangular windows detailed by flat-camber arches in faience. A faience hood mould surmounts these with a central arch over rococo inspired shell enrichments. Below this, within the dado, are three further windows matched to the basal pair of the middle bay. All the lower windows are currently boarded, and it is not known if they were originally all open or blind.
The west wing is of only two stories with four windows to each floor. The decorative detailing has been reversed to that of the middle bay, i.e. the shell motif here crowns the lower windows whilst the upper windows have the enlarged keystones. At the eaves, there is a simple and weak dentil and quadrant-moulded cornice.
The east wing is of four stories and the decorative treatment of the windows follows the west wing with the shell motif being used for the lowest level. Unlike the west wing, however, the windows here follow the horizontal proportions established by the central unit. Of note, is the main entrance to the courtyard and the smaller entrance to the stair vestibule.
A simple skewed arch that retains the painted shadow of "Tyne Tees Steam Shipping Co" defines the main entrance. The reveals and voussoirs are stone ashlar and are topped with a cyma recta hood mould broken by a key capped with a matching moulding.
The vestibule entrance has lost its original impact through poorly conceived replacements of its joinery. Originally, it is likely to have had decorative fanlight and this detail may now be lost unless archival photographs show this.
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| South facing façade | South facing façade | South facing façade |
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| Main door | Detail above window | Ironwork |
Evidence for the original downpipes exist in two places in the form of a series of cast iron brackets still attached to the brickwork.
West Elevation
The Allan House gable is plain and without any significant detailing; whilst the blacksmith range is obscured from view.
East Elevation
The east elevation of Allan House is characterised by the large bay window to the second floor and the low and rounded coal chute for the boiler room. The only other feature of note is the panel formed by moulded bricks originally, no doubt, designed to frame a large company advertisement (Plate 7).
On Ouse Street, the east elevation of the post 1931 garage and warehouse is particularly poor, having been clad in recent years with off-the-shelf sheeting (Plate 8). At the north end, the elevation has slightly more merit but is of little interest. It is built in English Bond but with an inferior brick to that used for the main building. It is characterised by an emphasis on verticality created by plain vertical pillars between equal recesses that contain the window openings (Plate 9). As noted above, these house steel framed windows and have bull nosed soldier course sills and cast lintels.
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| East facing façade | Workshops façade | Workshops façade |
Courtyard Elevations
The elevations overlooking the central courtyard are, as would be expected, detailed from a functional perspective with little attempt at architectural enrichment.
The north elevation of Allan House is constructed in English Garden Wall Bond (three over one) with window and door openings having cast lintels and sills in contrast to the quality of treatment of the south façade. There is little of interest, excepting a second bay window at the east end and fittings for sack hoists: an extant example, in cast iron, survives on the third floor, as does one on the first floor (Plate 12).
The east elevation of the blacksmiths' workshop is unremarkable and has been indiscriminately modified. The original openings have been bricked up and the roof replaced with corrugated steel.(Plate 13).
The west elevation of the post 1931 workshop/garage is treated in the same manner as the east elevation, albeit on a smaller scale given the change in level (Plate 14 and Plate 15).
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| North facing façade | North facing façade | Hoist, 1st floor |
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| Blacksmiths façade | Workshop façade, west | Workshop façade, east |
Internal Summary Room Descriptions, Past & Current Use
The individual room descriptions start with the easternmost room on the upper floor of Allan House (Room A1), working along each floor then down to the next, followed by the Blacksmiths Unit and Workshop unit. References to floor levels are based on those assigned by the recent building survey (basement, ground, first, second and third floors). These do not necessarily correlate with the original architects drawings, which do not make the same distinction between first and second floors.
Main Stair (See also Rooms A2, A6, A11 & A18)
The main staircase is of dogleg construction with closed-string and rises to service all three floors. As expected of a main stair at this time, the traditional treatment of diminishing decoration with each storey has been employed. Most of the parts have been painted, but it appears that it is wholly constructed in mahogany.
At entrance level, the stair is characterised by a single newel post in the form of a column or pier. The 'plinth' is equal in height to the string and is plain with a simple ogee moulding reducing the section to form a square reeded shaft. This is capped by an applied astragal moulding, supporting a simple square 'capital' with inset panels and armorial shields. This in turn supports a simple turned urn finial.(Plate 21).
The staircase has a simple handrail of common form and two balusters for each rise. The balusters, also of a common form, are basically comprised by moulded square-urn over square-column outlines.
The outside of the string is heavily moulded with double ogee and torus forms. It winds up to the first floor via a half landing, where there is a matched pair of newel posts at the next half landing.
In contrast to the entrance hall newel, these lack the both the shaft reeding and the panel/armorial shield embellishments; but do retain the turned finials. The treatment of string is also simplified, having lost its ogee detailing to rely simply on beads of various widths.
Further simplification is apparent in its continuation up to the third floor from the next half landing. Here, the moulded balusters are replaced by simple square section examples. It is not clear exactly where this change takes place because the first flight from the second floor has been boxed-in. However, it is most likely that shift did commence at this level and simple balusters are to be expected behind the boxing. A good detail is the use of a turned wooden stop where the handrail buts the wall.
The staircase between ground and the second floor has been finished in both paint (newels, string and balusters) and in a polished finishes (handrail and finials). Originally, however, it is likely that the whole staircase was polished. The simplified section to the third floor still retains what appears to be its original finish. This is a mid brownish mahogany and shows signs of shrinkage typical of copal or similar spirit based varnishes.
Room A1. Allan House, third floor
6.81 by 6.33 metres. This is labelled as 'Upholsterers' on the 1908 architects drawing, but is currently used as office space. The room has a boarded and glazed partition in the northern corner creating a small utility area (Plate 17). It is unclear whether this is an original feature but is not illustrated on the 1908 plans. The room divisions are constructed in softwood and comprise a panelled dado with glazed panels above.
The dado is constructed from rails and stiles with flush panels and bolection mouldings. In the upholsters' room, it is finished with a simple rolled skirting; but this is absent in the utility room.
The upper rail has shadows of nail holes in some areas and this is taken to imply a removed dado rail. An ogee/cavetto/fillet compound moulding has been re-used as a cornice in the utility room area. This is an inappropriate moulding for a cornice, and it is likely that this was, originally, the applied dado rail suggesting that the current layout is not original to the building.
The glazed portion is defined by quadrant mouldings to the stiles that are carried through to the glazing bars giving an astragal moulding to the glazing bead.
The western wall is lined with built in cupboards, probably of the same date as the partitioning. The eastern wall holds one of only two in situ fireplaces in the building, a decorative cast iron example (Plate 18) with flower motif and in set tiles. Two windows in each of the north and south elevations give light. Originally this room would have been open to the ceiling but a suspended ceiling was inserted by the current occupiers.
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| A1 General view | A1 Partition | A1 Fireplace detail |
Room A2. Allan House, third floor
2.41 by 6.33 metres. This area forms the landing to the main dog-legged stairs (Plate 20) and is sub-divided to form a toilet and washroom against the northern wall as shown on the 1908 plans. Access to the toilet area, however, has been moved from Room A1 (as illustrated on the 1908 plans) to Room A2 and is now only from the landing.
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| A2 General view up stairs | A2 Stairs and window | A2 Finial detail |
Room A3. Allan House, third floor
20.80 by 6.33 metres. This room was originally labelled as 'Sailmakers Workroom'. It is currently used as a storeroom. Originally conceived as a single open plan room, it has now been partitioned into nine discrete spaces comprising storage areas, corridors and toilet facilities. The room's most striking feature, is the huge arched window in the southern elevation offering views over the quays along the Tyne (Plate 22 and Plate 23). The remaining three windows in the southern elevation are much smaller (Plate 24). The northern elevation holds five small rectangular windows and a set of double doors giving access to a sack hoist (Plate 26). Part of the external hoist mechanism remains in the courtyard, though is no longer in situ (Plate 25). The original door to the 'Sailmakers Workroom' has been removed and inserted in the modern corridor adjacent to A2. The words 'Sail Loft' can still be made out in relief beneath the modern paint. The room is open to the ceiling throughout and the roof trusses clearly visible. The location of the original skylight windows are marked by modern boarding and correspond with those shown on the architect drawings.
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| A3 Main window | A3 View from main window | A3 Window detail |
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| External hoist mechanism | A3 Hoist mechanism |
Room A4. Allan House, third floor
6.72 by 6.33 metres. This is labelled 'Store' in the original plans, and is used as a storeroom today. Three elliptical windows in the south elevation give light to the room, though these are currently partly obscured by shelving (Plate 27). Two small windows in the north elevation have been bricked over. The boarding of the roof would suggest that the north facing slope previously held a skylight (Plate 28), though the external tiling of the roof shows no trace of such a feature. Partitioned off stairs give access down to Room A8 on the second floor.
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| A4 Elliptical window | A4 Roof structure |
Room A5. Allan House, second floor
6.68 by 6.33 metres. This is labelled as 'Enquiry', 'Clerk' and 'Private Office' on the 1908 drawings, the private office being partitioned to enclose both bay windows. Current use remains broadly the same, though the private office has been reduced in size. The room has two bay windows, one in the east elevation (Plate 30 and Plate 31) and a second in the north elevation. The second of two extant fireplaces encountered in Allan House is within the private office area, comprising an oak surround with mirrored overmantel. The fireplace itself has been boarded over and an electric fire fitted (Plate 29). Radiators and fittings within the room and on this floor appear to much later than the original structure which was heated through a number of fireplaces. The original ceiling is hidden by a modern suspended one.
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| A5 Fireplace | A3 View from main window | A3 Window detail |
Room A6. Allan House, second floor
2.41 by 3.96 metres. This area holds the main staircase and small landing, with access to Rooms A5 and A7.
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| A6 Newel post |
Room A7. Allan House, second floor
20.71 by 6.33 metres. This is labelled as 'Clerks Office' and 'Store Room' in the 1908 plans, the clerks office being formed by a partition at the eastern end. The original partition would have part glazed, running across the room at half room height. The original location of this division is marked by the cessation of skirting boards on both the northern and southern walls and a wall scar visible above the suspended ceiling on the northern internal wall. The original partition has been replaced with modern part glazed units forming a corridor into the room from the staircase
Recently the space has been used for storage and offices, and has had a suspended ceiling fitted below the top level of the windows (Plate 33 and Plate 34). The southern elevation holds the lower half of the large round topped window, the top of which is evident in Room A3. A further four smaller windows are within this elevation, with five in the northern elevation. The northern elevation also holds an access point with double doors at the western end, which would presumably have originally been fitted with a hoist. A door at the west end of the room provides access to Room A8. This appears to have broken through a previous chimney flue which would have serviced a fireplace in Room A8.
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| A7 General view | A7 Suspended ceiling | A7 Main window |
Room A8. Allan House, second floor
6.72 by 6.33 metres. The 1908 drawings record this as the 'Painters Shop', and it currently forms office space (Plate 39). The 1908 drawings show a narrow partition at the north, separating the main room from a flight of stairs to the floor above (Plate 37). This partition has been widened and a doorway broken through between this room and Room A7 where a fireplace is depicted on the 1908 drawings (Plate 36). Although of unknown function, an 'Iron Door' is illustrated on the 1908 drawings within the painters shop. This still exists, but is now within the widened stair partition (Plate 38).
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| A8 Door in flue | A8 Stairs to 3rd floor | A8 Iron door | A8 General view |
Room A9. Allan House, second floor
15.26 by 7.76 metres. On a slightly higher level than the rest of the second floor, Room A9 is reached via a short flight of stairs (Plate 40) from an external landing, and is marked on the 1908 drawings as 'Joiners Shop'. Currently used as a storeroom, the northern elevation holds three windows (Plate 42) and an access point with double doors (Plate 41). The southern elevation holds four windows. The roof is boarded and shows signs of having housed skylights in the past, with some boarding being relatively recent (Plate 43 and Plate 44). The roof trusses shown signs of repair and several are braced and jointed for additional support. A square opening in the upper level of the eastern wall leads into Room A8, though the function of this feature is unclear. Set into the southern door of A9 is a second iron door corresponding with that visible in A8. The purpose of these doors is not known but may be related to fire precaution.
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| A9 Access stairs | A9 Double doors | A9 Window |
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| A9 Roof boarding | A9 Roof structure | A9 Opening to A8 |
Room A10. Allan House, first floor
6.54 by 6.10 metres. This is currently used as an architect's office and, as it was in use at the time of the building survey was only briefly inspected. A suspended ceiling has been inserted and the majority of the walls are panelled.
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| A10 General view |
Room A11. Allan House, first floor
2.39 by 6.18 metres. Area A11 forms the first floor landing, with a toilet area partitioned off (Plate 47).
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| A11 Toilet |
Room A12. Allan House, ground floor
This narrow dog-legged room comprises the boiler room to Allan House. The two principal features within this room are the coal shoot (Plate 48) and a semi-blocked fireplace (Plate 49).
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| A12 Coal shoot | A2 Blocked fireplace |
Room A13. Allan House, ground floor
6.57 by 6.10 metres. This room is accessed via a gently sloping ramp from double doors opening from the courtyard, and is currently used as a paint store, part of which is partitioned for the storage of flammable materials. No features of particular interest were noted.
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| A13 General view | A13 General view |
Room A14. Allan House, ground floor
2.41 by 2.97 metres. This room currently provides toilet and wash room facilities for people employed in the ground floor workshops and courtyard. No features of particular interest were noted. The sanitary ware is late 20th century.
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| A14 General view |
Room A15. Allan House, ground floor
16.57 by 6.09 metres. This space was originally labelled as a store room. Currently the rooms house joinery equipment and stores. The windows have all been blocked and the room is dominated by a modern industrial saw and dust extracting equipment. Access to A16 is up a concrete ramp. No features of note were identified.
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| A15 View to A16 | A15 General view | A15 General view |
Room A16. Allan House, ground floor
6.72 by 6.09 metres. Room A16 is currently being used as a wood store. A mall area of original wooden flooring survives at the northern end of the room. The only features of note are the remains of three iron stanchions cut off at floor level toward the northern end of the room. Like A16 all the window openings have been blocked.
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| A16 Blocked windows | A16 View to A15 | A16 Floor fittings |
Room A17. Allan House, ground floor
15.26 by 7.64 metres. Room A17 is referred to as a joiners shop in the original plans then as fitters shop in a later drawing. The room is accessed from a door in the courtyard but originally the room would have been linked through a wide opening to the blacksmiths wing (B1). The blocked opening was obscured by the wood store at the time of the survey.
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| A17 General view | A17 General view | A17 General view |
Room B1. Blacksmiths Unit, ground floor
15.05 by 6.99 metres. Originally open to Room A17, the blacksmiths unit is now used as storage, and has been stripped of almost all its internal fittings. The only remaining evidence for its previous use is the remnant of a blackened chimney/flue high in the western wall. The wing has a modern steel roof supported on steel trusses.
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| B1 General view | B1 General view | B1 Chimney remains |
Room C1. Workshop Unit, ground floor
18.28 by 8.43 metres. Part of the 1930s extension to the site, this room was originally part of the upper floor of the warehouse area. It is currently used as workshop space. It is well lit by six casement windows in the east elevation, five in the west, and one in the north. A wide opening in the southern wall provides access to Room C2. The roof is open and comprises a series of wooden joists supported by lateral steel beams.
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| C1 General view | C1 General view | C1 Window |
Room C2. Workshop Unit, ground floor
10.38 by 8.44 metres. Four windows in north, three in south plus door
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| C2 General view | C2 Partitioning |
Room C3. Workshop Unit, ground floor
8.55 by 9.98 metres. Originally constructed as a garage, this trapezoidal room is now used as storage for the mechanics workshop on the basement floor (Room C4).
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| C3 General view |
Room C4. Workshop Unit, basement floor
The basement floor of the1930s block is currently being used as a garage workshop. A concrete ceiling is supported on a series of lateral steel beams. The room is lit by the original casement windows in the northern and eastern elevations and accessed from Ouse Street via garage doors.
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| C4 General view | C4 Stairs |
Overview of Allan House
In its original design, the ground floor of Allan House (Rooms B1, A12-A17) provided room for heavy operations/semi industrial activity. These included the blacksmiths (B1) and the joiners/fitters shop (A17), which originally would have been linked through a large opening. Little evidence survives for either of these operations in the current building. The exception is a flue high on the southwestern wall of the blacksmith wing (Plate 64). The location of the flue in relation to the opening between the two wings would suggest that the forge was vented through ducting although no evidence for fittings were observed. The southern and central end of the Allan House on the ground floor was used as a coal house and stores.
The first floor held the administrative section of the works comprising a series of offices (A5, part A7) accessed from the internal staircase (A6) with a door opening onto City Road. The offices were subdivided into smaller units by a series of glazed partitions of which the one in Room A7 has now gone (wall scar visible) and the one in A5 modified. At the western end of this floor there was a painters shop (A8) accessed from an internal staircase from the fitters shop below. There are no surviving fixtures relating to the use of either of these spaces
The top floor was reserved for a second joiners workshop (A9) accessed by a wooden staircase (in situ) from the first floor landing. This room was lit by a series of skylights (now boarded) set in the northeastern side of the roof. The majority of the top floor was taken up by the "sailmakers workroom" (A7), which again was well lit by skylights and windows on both walls. The length of the room is a reflection of the space required to manufacture, prepare or repair sailcloth for shipping. The room was accessed from either end via an internal staircase and serviced by a sack hoist still in situ in the northeastern wall of the building. At the southeastern end of the top floor the room (A5) is labelled as the upholsters and is shown as being open in plan. This is in stark contrast to the current layout which is characterised by an internal part glazed partition and internal store cupboards. It is possible that these represent later insertions related to the use of the building as an office. Originally the entire top floor was open to the roof and lit by skylights on the northeastern side.
As a whole the building was designed and served as an integrated functional unit geared to provide support and materials to ships mooring on the quays at Newcastle. While the functional units of the building have been recorded in the original architects drawings there is very little which survives either in the fabric of the building or its fixtures to attest to these activities. The southwestern elevation of Allan House is impressive, commanding views over the Tyne and would have originally been visible from both Gateshead and Newcastle Quays and at least as far as the Swing Bridge across the Tyne. The courtyard elevations are functional and reflect the activities and purpose of the main structure.
introduction | desk based assessment | building & photographic survey | building appraisal | conclusions & bibliography