Spratt's Complex

Coordinates: 51°31′06″N 0°00′58″W / 51.518454°N 0.016034°W / 51.518454; -0.016034

Limehouse Cut, former Spratt's pet food factory

The Spratt's Complex in Poplar (London Borough of Tower Hamlets) is an old pet food factory which was converted c.1985 into approximately 150 live/work units and was among the first warehouse conversions in London.^[1] It is situated on Morris Road between the DLR stations of Langdon Park and Devons Road.

Original markings are visible from the DLR

The complex is called after the old Spratt's dog biscuit factory. Much of the original markings are visible on the buildings, with names painted on the DLR track-side walls, and on the small chimney visible from Morris Road. It is locally known as "Spratt's Works", "Spratt's Factory" and is situated on the river navigation ('canal')known as "Limehouse Cut", which links Bow Locks with Limehouse basin.

The Spratt's Complex comprises six multi-storey period warehouses constructed in reinforced concrete and grouped around courtyards.^[2]

History of the building

The Spratt's Works (1899-1969)

The factory was built prior to 1899 (according to the deeds of some residents, possibly as early as 1860 though the architecture suggests some decades later). In the early 20th century, the Spratt's Works was the largest dog food factory in the world.^[3] James Spratt set up his business in 1860 and soon his business was "a howling success".^[4] By the time the Spratt's Works (Poplar) was opened besides producing dog biscuits it made ships' biscuits and other pet food (including bird seeds). Under the brand name "Poplar", it packed pulses (butter beans, lentils and peas) and traded in live animals (horses, foxes and monkeys) around the world. It supplied biscuits to the troops and polar explorers.

Barges would deliver fish heads for processing into pet food. Before 1914, the factory also made food for human consumption under the "Poplar" brand. In the Second Boer War (1899–1902), four million biscuits a week were made for the British Army.^[5] At the end of World War II "The impression of inscrutability conveyed by the gaunt impressive is cancelled out by the feverish activity inside".^[6] Besides biscuits, the works was also producing dogs', cats' and birds' medicines, dog shampoos and toilet requisites for animals. Also, at that time, there was a dog-show department – something that, perhaps, related back to James Spratt's initial 14-year-old assistant, the future dog show founder Charles Cruft.^[7]

According to the East London News, the Morris Road factory "suffered severe damage as a result of enemy air action"^[8] and "the damage to the factory and working machinery made it almost impossible to carry on the work".^[8] However, looking at the buildings today, it seems that the alleged damage was somewhat overstated.

After the imposition of purchase tax on pet food in 1969, the factory closed down.^[9]

The derelict years (1970-1985)

The warehouses were derelict for some years until they were redeveloped between 1985 and 1989. As local lore has it, dog fighting took place years ago in the basement. Foundry House was derelict, with tape left on the windows from The Blitz and great globs of toffee on the floors left by Appleton's (wholesale confectioners who had occupied the building after Spratt's). Originally, the courtyard was cobbled throughout.

Colman's Wharf was occupied by Gina Plastics until sold for development in 1988, at which time there was a huge industrial bay outside Studio5, on what is now part of the car park. The space at the canal end of the floors of Colman's Wharf was much larger than now, as there was no interior staircase, nor was the present lift shaft part of the building, as large hoists were in use before its development. The ceilings had huge grid works of iron sprinkler pipes complete with large taps and fixings, and the doors that now open onto balconies and those overlooking the canal were of the stable door type, glazed in the upper part and solid in the lower part. The windows are original except for some of those in studios on the third floor facing the City.^[10]

The conversion project (1985-1989)

The complex was split into studio workshops (live/work units) and sold by JJAK (Construction) Ltd as empty shells for leaseholders to fit out.^[11] The first building to be converted was Limehouse Cut. The studio sizes vary between 580 to 1,610 sq ft (54 to 150 m²). The building was featured in the Sunday Times in June 1986^[1] and again in 1989. Back in 1986, the “studio – part workplace, part home – [had] no status in planning law”. At that time the Spratt's Works was a hard-working colony whose residents included artists, photographers, the Queen's tapestry restorer Ksynia Marko, a packaging firm, Roger Law of Spitting Image, sculptor Michael Green and ceramicist Elizabeth Fritsch.^[11] Originally, the planning permission and the lease restricted the [esidential] accommodation to no more than 50% of the space (the rest had to be used for 'business'). In the 1990s, as it became progressively more difficult to get mortgages for properties of this type, the majority of the units were changed to allow 100% residential use. Each unit was originally sold as a shell with utilities run at the entrance of the unit (water, drainage, electricity, gas, telephone and fax lines, TV areal and entry phone cables).^[11] It was up to the leaseholder to fit out the entire unit: partitions, pipes, wires, etc. Although it was up to the leaseholder to design his or her own unit, building regulations required each unit to include a fire lobby.

Patent House, from Morris Road

Today

The building has become extremely desirable for media-based artists, curators, graphic/web/product/fashion designers, animators, illustrators, architects and other creatives.

Additional information

View from the roof garden

Roof garden

At the top of Limehouse Cut building, there is a large 1,500 sq ft (140 m²) communal roof garden with views over Canary Wharf.^[12] It is private and maintained by volunteering residents.

Filming

Filming and photo shoots are regularly taking place in and around the buildings. Prior permission is required by the management company.

Parking

Parking is restricted. In 2014 Ace Security Services (http://www.acesecurities.co.uk) was introduced to deal with illegal parking.

Conservation area

On 8 October 2008, the Langdon Park conservation area was extended to include the Spratt's Complex.^[13]

Usage of the different buildings

• Colman’s Wharf (45 Morris Road, London E14 6PA)

Original use: seed, packing, grain warehouse

Today: live/work units, including Simulation (Studio 11^[14]), South Quay Travel (Studios 20 and 21^[15])

• Limehouse Cut (46 Morris Road, London E14 6NQ)

Original use: grain warehouses, meal grinding, sand and grit, bakery no 2, veterinary medicine, laboratory stores

Today: live/work units, including Michael Green, The Limehouse Recording Studio London (Studio 7^[16] ) C&S Digital (Studio 8A^[17]), Moot Design (Studio 8C^[18]), Rachel Clark (Studio 25^[19] ), Folio Photography (Studio 28^[20]), Debbie Bragg (Studio 38A^[21] ), Everynight Images (Studio 38A^[22] ), Newton Faulkner (singer/songwriter) ^[23]

• Foundry House (47 Morris Rd, London E14 6NJ)

Original use: power house, bakery no 1, bank and delivery warehouse

Today: live/work units, including Spook (Unit 301^[24])

Patent House, from Fawe Street

• Patent House (48 Morris Road, London E14 6NU)

Original use: delivery warehouse, biscuit packing, grain warehouse, blacksmiths & wire workers, saw mills, kennel & box makers, advertising department

Today: live/work units

• One Fawe Street (1 Fawe Street, London E14 6PD)

Original use: grain warehouse, bakeries no 3 & 4 and a flour warehouse^[3]

Today: live/work units, including AB Fine Art Foundry (One Fawe Street^[25] ) and One Fawe Street (Studio 6, Block B^[26] )

References