C19 tannery, West St, Warwick

1 Origin of use of site as tannery not known, but possible that 19th century works following old tradition in area, as tanneries commonly located in Medieval suburbs. The area is marked as a tannery on an 1851 Board of Health map, but structures marked on maps of 1788 and 1806 may have had same function. By 1851 site had tanning pits and bark-grinding mill clearly shown. Fellmonger and tanner mentioned in West Street in a directory of 1830, and references to these trades continue in other 19th century directories. Shown as tannery and skin works on 1889 Ordnance Survey map. Tannery replaced by IWH Engineering c1949. Archaeological observations of limited groundworks in 1998 noted a wood lined trough and culverted stream within the tannery area.