After flourishing during the high-Victorian and Edwardian eras, Perry was facing competition from the new motor car, and converted their showrooms and manufactory to the production of motor cars, before closing down. The building was sold to \u00a0Anderson’s Bristol Rubber Co. Ltd who operated from 1913 until the 1960s, when it was used briefly by Regional Pools Promotions, before they moved next door to the purpose-built Westmoreland House., leaving the Carriageworks abandoned to decay and dereliction.<\/p>\n
<\/h5>\nA tour around the Carriageworks<\/b><\/h5>\n
Founded in 1804 by T and J Perry, the manufactory covered nearly one and a half acres. The ground floor was a showroom, large enough to hold 30-40 carriages, with offices at the rear which led to a large square yard. Off here was a body-making shop, capable of constructing 6 carriages at a time, one new vehicle being turned out daily. There were also fitting shops, a forge with 8 furnaces, a wood-drying loft and a wheelwrights’ shop, producing both the old elm stock wheels as well as the ‘light, strong and elegant American Warner’ wheels. Completion of the carriages was carried out in the paint-shop, varnishing-shop and trimming-shop, the last concerned with the upholstery and leather work.<\/em><\/p>\n At the back was a piece of ground containing a large shed for timber storage, especially of birch board and ash plank. Abutting onto Hepburn Road were reserve stores for the sundry items such as lamps, cushion straps, whip sockets and mats and another for oil, turpentine etc.<\/em><\/p>\n As well as the main showroom, Perry’s boasted three others on the floors above, including one solely for two-wheeled vehicles. There were lifts to all the floors.<\/em><\/p>\n In the 1890s sixty workmen were employed. Methods were changing with the use of steel and patent indiarubber axle bearings and eventually the carriages gave way to cars. Anderson’s Rubber Company took over the premises in the mid 20th century.<\/em> The architect EW Godwin worked in the Ruskin-influenced arts and crafts and Gothic style, also heavily influenced by Japanese design. <\/p>\n Named after and opened by the benefactor Lady Westmoreland in 1966, Westmoreland House was purpose-built to house the headquarters of the Regional Pools Promotions, who raised money for the charity Scope, known originally as the Spastics Society. This popular Pool was known as the Spastics Pool, before the name became a pejorative term. The building was abandoned in 1982 when the organisation got into financial difficulties, and it fell into decay, becoming a dangerous ruin, inhabited by pigeons and homeless people.<\/p>\n Before it was demolished, Westmoreland house had a monumental quality, becoming an icon for the outsider status of Stokes Croft. It made me think of a Neolithic structure like Stonehenge. I used to live on the 11th floor of Armada House and watched the graffiti artists on ladders painting an enormous gummy smile there one day, a piece which grinned down on the revellers and ravers for many years until the eventual demolition and renewal of the building in 2018.
\nhttps:\/\/www.locallearning.org.uk\/carriage.html<\/a><\/p>\nEdward William Godwin<\/b><\/h5>\n
\nHis career started in Bristol, where he studied engineering then architecture, designing the Carriageworks before moving to London, where he became friends with Oscar Wilde, Whistler and other progressive writers and artists. He designed artistic furniture, wallpaper and theatrical costumes and scenery, wrote and illustrated books about design and was a leading influence on the Arts and Crafts and Aesthetic movements.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disphoria.net\/test\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Coach_and_Harness_Manufactory_Bristol_1842-300x203.jpg\")
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<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disphoria.net\/test\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Godwin.webp\")
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<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\tWestmoreland House<\/h4>\n
\nThe crocodile was painted by the graff artist Rowdy, the gummy smile and skull by Sweet Toof and Cyclops.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disphoria.net\/test\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/late-70s-Westmorland-House-05-300x205.webp\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disphoria.net\/test\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/workers-Westmorland-House-1967-300x219.webp\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disphoria.net\/test\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/BTFEAT-Nov-28-Westmorland-House-03-pools-ad-156x300.webp\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disphoria.net\/test\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/the-doctors-house-behind-westmorland-1-300x230.jpg\")
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disphoria.net\/test\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/3152061610_97d490ac57_b-227x300.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disphoria.net\/test\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/1280px-20061202_ukbris_sc01-300x199.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disphoria.net\/test\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Westmoreland_House_2020-04-30-300x243.jpg\")
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