Monument record 4241/29/1 - Hutchinson & Co Chemical Works (No 1 Works)

<1> Roper H C, 1875, Roper 1:540 Town Plan of Widnes, 1875 (Maps and Plans). SCH4490.

This map depicts a chemical works at this location.

<2> Ordnance Survey, 1893-96, Ordnance Survey County Series (Epoch 1) 25 inch to 1 mile - Lancashire, SJ5184, 1893-1896 (Maps and Plans). SCH3847.

This map depicts a chemical works at this location. It comprises one large building, with some smaller buildings and possible chimneys located adjacent to the railway sidings associated with the docks and at the northern end of the large building.

<3> Ordnance Survey, 1907-8, Ordnance Survey First Revision County Series (Epoch 2) 25 inch to 1 mile - Lancashire, SJ5184, 1907 (Maps and Plans). SCH7233.

<4> Ordnance Survey, 1927-1928, Ordnance Survey Second Revision County Series (Epoch 3) 25 inch to 1 mile - Lancashire, SJ5184, 1927 (Maps and Plans). SCH5041.

Almost all the buildings have been demolished, with the exception of a chimney, a possible part of the larger buildings and some small buildings.

<5> Cheshire County Council, 2002, Cheshire Historic Towns Survey: Halton District Part 1: Archaeological Assessments, Widnes p.7 (Report). SCH6976.

Chemical works were founded in the area around the new docks, the first being John Hutchinson’s No 1 works on the east bank of the St Helens Canal, which were opened in 1849 (see 6). Initially the chemical industry, and many of the other works, was clustered around the railway docks and the canal in the area known as Spike Island. In 1865, however, the Phoenix Chemical Works were opened at West Bank and this area gradually became developed. At the same time further chemical works were opened by the West Bank Dock and to the east along the line of the east-west railways. These developments led to a decline in the use of the Spike Island.

<6> Greatbatch, ML & Mercer, PJ, 1985, Spike Island, p.13-4, 22 (Booklet-Leaflet). SCH8929.

Although Hutchinson was producing Alkali in Widnes as early as 1847 the land for these works was not acquired until March 1849. A 75 year lease was granted by the St Helens Canal & Railway Company
and in May 1854 Hutchinson took out a similar lease in order to extend his works to cover a site of just over four acres.
The works themselves were built by Thomas Robinson, a St Helens ironsmith and founder in 1860 of the Widnes Iron Foundry. Alkali works were inevitably large-scale as space was required for the
storing, processing and packaging of bulky chemical materials. Hutchinsons was no exception and consisted of fine spacious buildings containing acid chambers, carbonising furnaces, crystallising tanks and
sheds for storage. The principal products were soda ash, soda crystals, bleaching powder, hydrochloric acid and, after 1866, sulphur.

Weldons Chlorine Still Bases, Acid absorption tower bases and the reamains of Pyrites Kilns have been identified as surviving within this site

<7> Spike Island Project, 2019, Spike Island Project (Written Communication). SCH9232.

Site recording and photographs to record the remains of the No.1 Works. Four tower bases and some of the bricked factory floor of John Hutchinson's factory were unearthed