Cannington Shaw Bottle Shop, a Scheduled Ancient Monument, is described as “the best surviving example in Britain of a tank furnace glass shop”. “This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979”. There are 12 such Ancient Monuments in the Borough, but only one identified by English Heritage as being at risk.
“At rear of site is former No. 7 bottle making shop. Constructed about 1886 with a Siemens tank furnace heated by producer gas.” The coal fired brick tank channelled the hot exhaust gases back in a controlled manner to help keep the bricks and the furnace hot, reducing the fuel consumption, in some cases by 79%. The working end of the furnace was at the apsidal (a semicircular or polygonal termination or recess in a building) end of the building, where arches were open and tarpaulin used to keep out bad weather.
Since before the 1750s, bottle making had been confined to the old bottle house in Thatto Heath. It was sold around 1845 to Francis Dixon-Nuttall and his brother-in-law, John Merson. They built a small glasshouse near the Ravenhead terminus of the canal. In 1854 Merson sold his share to Francis.
Ravenhead Glass Bottle Works, Warrington Road was opened by Nuttall and Company in 1840s. Nuttall’s amalgamated with Cannington-Shaw and Company in 1850s, and later became United Glass Sherdley Works.
In 1869, Francis, who was living at Nut Grove Hall, was involved in a legal action for an alleged breach of patent relating to the installation of tank furnaces. He lost the case to the plaintiff, John Cannington, who came from a Bristol family and had entered the bottlemaking business here in St. Helens in 1866, in partnership with Edwin Cannington and John Shaw.
Around 1875 Cannington Shaw acquired the Sutton Lodge Chemical Works, which secured their supply of alkali, a vital raw material.
The Tank furnaces helped the rapid development of local bottlemaking, giving rise to the town’s pre-eminence in the 1870s as a bottle making centre. Cannington Shaw employed 870 at their Sherdley Glass Works, Nuttall at Ravenhead 450, and Lyon 200.
The Lyon family, who were mineral water makers, had taken over the Thatto Heath glasshouse, and later took possession of the Peasley Bottle Works.
In 1890 they admitted defeat and were taken over by Cannington Shaw. By 1892 CS employed 1,188 men and women and were described as the largest works of its kind in the world. In 1913 Cannington Shaw amalgamated with five other bottle manufacturers, including Nuttalls, to form United Glass Bottle Manufacturers Ltd. (U.G.B.).
Shortly after this, the No.7 bottle making shop fell into disuse and by 1918 was simply used as a store. It was used as an air-raid shelter in WW2
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“At rear of site is former No. 7 bottle making shop. Constructed about 1886 with a Siemens tank furnace heated by producer gas.” The coal fired brick tank channelled the hot exhaust gases back in a controlled manner to help keep the bricks and the furnace hot, reducing the fuel consumption, in some cases by 79%. The working end of the furnace was at the apsidal (a semicircular or polygonal termination or recess in a building) end of the building, where arches were open and tarpaulin used to keep out bad weather.
Since before the 1750s, bottle making had been confined to the old bottle house in Thatto Heath. It was sold around 1845 to Francis Dixon-Nuttall and his brother-in-law, John Merson. They built a small glasshouse near the Ravenhead terminus of the canal. In 1854 Merson sold his share to Francis.
Ravenhead Glass Bottle Works, Warrington Road was opened by Nuttall and Company in 1840s. Nuttall’s amalgamated with Cannington-Shaw and Company in 1850s, and later became United Glass Sherdley Works.
In 1869, Francis, who was living at Nut Grove Hall, was involved in a legal action for an alleged breach of patent relating to the installation of tank furnaces. He lost the case to the plaintiff, John Cannington, who came from a Bristol family and had entered the bottlemaking business here in St. Helens in 1866, in partnership with Edwin Cannington and John Shaw.
Around 1875 Cannington Shaw acquired the Sutton Lodge Chemical Works, which secured their supply of alkali, a vital raw material.
The Tank furnaces helped the rapid development of local bottlemaking, giving rise to the town’s pre-eminence in the 1870s as a bottle making centre. Cannington Shaw employed 870 at their Sherdley Glass Works, Nuttall at Ravenhead 450, and Lyon 200.
The Lyon family, who were mineral water makers, had taken over the Thatto Heath glasshouse, and later took possession of the Peasley Bottle Works.
In 1890 they admitted defeat and were taken over by Cannington Shaw. By 1892 CS employed 1,188 men and women and were described as the largest works of its kind in the world. In 1913 Cannington Shaw amalgamated with five other bottle manufacturers, including Nuttalls, to form United Glass Bottle Manufacturers Ltd. (U.G.B.).
Shortly after this, the No.7 bottle making shop fell into disuse and by 1918 was simply used as a store. It was used as an air-raid shelter in WW2
