Conservation work on the Alfred Enderby Smokehouse on the Port of Grimsby has just about been completed.
Started last September, the work by ES Rudkin Ltd has included reinstating historic features as well as improving security features on the building.
The building listed as a Grade II structure, is one of the few remaining smokehouses in the area which still uses the geographically protected cold-smoking method. The work has been funded by a Partnership Scheme in Conservation Areas heritage grant worth £150,000, awarded last year.
The PSiCA is being delivered as part of the Greater Grimsby Heritage Action Zone. The scheme has a total pot of £1m and is a joint project between Historic England and North East Lincolnshire Council, with support from Associated British Ports (ABP).
The traditional chimney cowls have been cleaned and repaired, and cast iron rainwater goods have been completed.
Following the re-rendering of the gable wall, painting of a new advertising sign will be done after Easter, led by Sam Delaney of Creative Start Arts in Health CIC, and using traditional sign writing techniques.
Enderby’s plans don’t stop there, though! A new grant for £150,000 through the same PSiCA scheme has been awarded for works to the next-door building, building 13, the former Marconi building. This will be spent on structural repairs, making way for Enderbys to expand into it.
The grant money will be used to remove the PVC windows and doors, reinstate more authentic Crittal-style windows on the first floor, repair the roof, repair and repoint the masonry and install new cast iron rainwater goods.
Enderbys are aiming to use the new building to expand the business, and also to enable a bigger, more accessible space for group visits and tours to learn about the protected Traditional Grimsby Smoked Fish method.
Patrick Salmon, MD of Enderbys, said: “We’ve been wanting to do these repairs for a long time, but just haven’t had the opportunity to date, so it is great to see the work coming to an end to secure the original building for years to come. If our plans for the new building come to fruition, it will mean that we can involve the community and visitors more in the traditional processes and our work.”
Simon Bird, Regional Director of the Humber ports, said: “It’s great to see this historic building being revitalised and renovated. This smokehouse has been a landmark for many years on the Port of Grimsby and it’s right to see its unique character restored, as part of instilling pride in this part of the port known as the Kasbah. Patrick Salmon has done much to promote the wider seafood industry in Grimsby and the art of cold-smoking, and we look forward to continuing to work with him for many years to come.”
