March 2023
The Visit
Exploring this place with @stranton and @coolboyslim was quite an adventure. To be honest, we didn't have any expectations beforehand. Growing up, I used to spend a lot of time in the Etruria and Hanley area, often visiting the nearby Festival Park. However, I never really paid much attention to this particular site over the years. My only memory of it was when a group of workers from there watched me wandering around the grounds of an empty pub next door. Nevertheless, we managed to find a way into the main building fairly quickly and spent a good 30 minutes exploring every nook and cranny. It's interesting to see how the site looked before the administrators came in and ransacked the place in late 2022, as shown in @raisinwing earlier report.
The History
Situated in the industrial hub of Stoke on Trent, neighboring the once thriving steelmaking giant Shelton Bar which employed over 10,000 individuals at its peak, the primary site of Shelton Bar had been dedicated to steel production since as early as 1830. Operations continued until 1978 when the site was shut down. After the closure of Shelton Bar, the area was transformed into the 1986 National Garden Festival, later replaced by the Festival Park, a hub for leisure and retail development.
Regrettably, details about Taylormade are scarce. Established in the early 1980s by Taylors Foundry of Suffolk, the company acquired the foundry after the previous owner went bankrupt. Specializing in cast iron products, particularly fences and garden furniture, Taylormade employed around fifteen workers before closing down. Fortunately, several similar businesses are still active in Stoke, with most former employees finding new opportunities with these establishments. Taylors Foundry, the parent company, remains unaffected in Suffolk, operating independently in the 'non-ferrous' sector. The closure was attributed to a mix of the pandemic, escalating energy expenses, and a decline in sales.
Taylormade's assets are currently being liquidated to settle debts, with its Cobridge Road factory recently fetching £370,000 at auction, surpassing the guide price of £175,000. The 2200 square meter factory experienced two fires in the year leading up to its closure, although the impact of these incidents on the business's shutdown remains unclear. As per the company's statement of affairs from its final month of operation, it owed over £48,000 to EDF and nearly £190,000 in unpaid taxes to HMRC.
In October 2023, emergency services were called to a fire at the location, as nearby residents reported ongoing issues with trespassing and disturbances. A fence has since been put up around the area, signaling the start of demolition work scheduled for next month. The foundry, Evergreen public house, and petrol station are all slated for demolition to make way for a new Lidl supermarket on the land.
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6/7]
[8]
[9]
[10]
Cheers for looking 
Canon EOS 70D, 10-18mm EFS
Canon EOS 70D, 10-18mm EFS
