Castmaster Roll entered administration in October 2014. I forget who gave me the lead in the first place but it was probably Dave and Joe as they tend to be the source of most leads on stuff like this! Administrators tried to save the company but predictably by the end of the year all 78 workers had been laid off and an auction of assets was being organized.
We first visited the site at the beginning of May but alas, although it looked very intact, we just couldn't find a way inside! Today's attempt was much simpler however. Luckily we seem to have made it in just about soon enough to see the foundry in a pretty intact state, the machine shop had been emptied already but never fear, the place had a few surprises up its sleeve to make up for that! Firstly we discovered one of the best medical rooms ive seen in a long long time. A amazingly dated room fulled to the brim with crazy old first aid parifinalia. Secondly An anonymous door lead down under the foundry floor into a lovely old air raid shelter.. amazing what can be found when you look!
History on the company is a bit sparse. The Stevenson Road site became a roll maker about 95 years ago. It was known as Davy Roll but, after going into receivership, was reborn as Castmaster Roll in 2003, taken over by new owner Mel Farrar. Rolls were mainly manufactured for use in steel rolling mills with Castmaster being one of the last European suppliers still able to make them. Orders will now have to go out to Turkey or further afield
Strangey the companys website is still live and has some more info on what they once manufacuted http://www.castmasterrolls.com/index.htm
Foundry
Machine Shop
We first visited the site at the beginning of May but alas, although it looked very intact, we just couldn't find a way inside! Today's attempt was much simpler however. Luckily we seem to have made it in just about soon enough to see the foundry in a pretty intact state, the machine shop had been emptied already but never fear, the place had a few surprises up its sleeve to make up for that! Firstly we discovered one of the best medical rooms ive seen in a long long time. A amazingly dated room fulled to the brim with crazy old first aid parifinalia. Secondly An anonymous door lead down under the foundry floor into a lovely old air raid shelter.. amazing what can be found when you look!
History on the company is a bit sparse. The Stevenson Road site became a roll maker about 95 years ago. It was known as Davy Roll but, after going into receivership, was reborn as Castmaster Roll in 2003, taken over by new owner Mel Farrar. Rolls were mainly manufactured for use in steel rolling mills with Castmaster being one of the last European suppliers still able to make them. Orders will now have to go out to Turkey or further afield
Strangey the companys website is still live and has some more info on what they once manufacuted http://www.castmasterrolls.com/index.htm
Foundry
Machine Shop
