Monument record 626/1/0 - Crosfield and Sons Bank Quay Soap Works

Crosfield and Sons Chemical Works at Warrington Bank Quay, operating during the Great War producing Glycerin (1). Located on the OS third edition (2). Started in 1814 by Joseph Crosfield on the site of the old iron foundry and wire works. It used Coal from Haydock and Parr, soda from St Helens and Salt from Cheshire to make soap. In 1880s it had 23 soap pans, and eight frame rooms (3).
It is noted on the 1850 and 1890 plans of Warrington, as a soap and candle works (5&6) It is also shown as having a Lime kiln, smithy, black ash shed, purifiers, a chimney, boiler, and a warehouse on the 1850 plans.
The site contains a Transporter bridge (626/1/1) and two footbridges on the Ordnance survey 4th edition, as well as a high level railway connecting it to the main line.

<1> W D Cocroft, 2000, Dangerous Energy - The Archaeology of Gunpowder and Military Explosives Manufacture (Book). SCH4464.

<2> Ordnance Survey, 1911-1914, Ordnance Survey Second Revision County Series (Epoch 3) 6 inch to 1 mile - Cheshire (Maps and Plans). SCH3843.

<3> Ashmore, O, 1982, The Industrial Archaeology of North West England (Book). SCH3181.

<4> Musson E, 1965, Enterprise in Soap and Chemicals (Book). SCH4537.

<5> Ordnance Survey, 1850-1, Five-feet to the Mile Scale Town Plan of Warrington (Maps and Plans). SCH4485.

<6> Ordnance Survey, 1890, Metric Ten Foot Scale Town Plan of Warrington (Maps and Plans). SCH4536.

<7> Ordnance Survey, 1928-1954, Ordnance Survey Third Revision County Series (Epoch 4) 6 inch to 1 mile - Cheshire (Maps and Plans). SCH4533.