The Wimpole Parish Registers
This page last updated on: Tuesday 19 February, 2002
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www.wimpole.uk.com The Wimpole Parish Registers This page last updated on: Tuesday 19 February, 2002 |
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The Cundall (Orwell) Folding Machine Co Ltd |
| Introduction
For some fifty years, there was a factory located behind houses 29 to 39 Cambridge Road, Wimpole. Originally built as a malthouse and brewery by Philip Meyer and Arthur Hugh Meyer in 1874, the building later housed companies making products such as paper folding machinery and parachute harnesses. In 1915, the building became a Government controlled factory which made military equipment. When the First World War finished in 1918, the factory fell into disuse and was finally sold by Auction on Tuesday 27th September 1921 to settle death liabilities (see The Grange Sale 1921). It is believed the main buildings were demolished the following year. This page mainly covers the period between 1908 and 1914 when it was known as the Orwell Ironworks and home to The Cundall (Orwell) Folding Machine Co Ltd. |
| Wimpole Photograph Archive | |
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The Wimpole Photograph Archive has a small number of Cundall Photographs showing two groups of workers outside the main gate of the factory in 1911/12 and a rare photograph of the Iron Foundry, which was situated at the southern corner of the complex. The photograph on the right shows local women making parachute harnesses during the first world war. |
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The Cundall (Orwell) Folding Machine Co Ltd. The following article appeared in the October 1909 edition of the "British Empire Paper, Stationery & Printing Trades' Journal". The article and two Cundall product catalogues were kindly lent by Joy Miller of Orwell. Where the "Cundall" Folding Machines are Made "At the kind invitation of Mr William Denton Cundall, who, as we announced in a recent issue, has acquired the whole of the business relating to folding machines hitherto carried on by Messrs Cundall, Sons & Co Ltd at Shipley, Yorkshire, of which branch he had had control for many years, we have had the pleasure of paying a week-end visit to his new works, and to his beautiful home [The Grange] at Orwell [now Wimpole], Cambridgeshire. Here he is in possession of one of the most up-to-date works that could possibly be found for the production of the machines which have made a name for themselves throughout the world. "Feeling that there are many of our readers who would be interested in a short description of the method of manufacture of machines with which they are in daily contact, we had not the slightest hesitation in accepting Mr Cundall's invitation, so we might see for ourselves how these really marvellous pieces of mechanism were constructed, and, to the best of our ability, to transmit our impressions into cold type, assisted by the camera and the blockmaker." |
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Location Plan (1909) |
| "The new
works of the Cundall Folding Machine Co., under which name the business
is worked (Mr W D Cundall being the sole proprietor), are situate on the
main Roman road running from Cambridge to the West, about one-and -a-quarter
miles from its juncture with the Old North Road (formerly known as Ermine
Street). The works themselves lie back from the road about 80 to 100 feet,
and are approached by a wide roadway lying between a row of workman's
houses on the one side and the manager's and the foreman's houses on the
other, these buildings occupying the space between the high road and the
main building.
"On the right of the entrance road, there is a building which is being fitted up as a recreation room for the use of the employees, next to which is the store room, for oils, paints etc. The entrance road then leads right direct between the main, or manufacturing portion of the factory, and a large building of three floors used as general stores. This latter building is plainly shown on the illustration below, and covers a ground area of some 135 by 45 feet. This roadway, dividing the two buildings, continues through to the private gardens surrounding the residence of Mr Cundall, and also affords ready access for carts to all the different departments of the works, which cover a floor space of 35000 square feet, exclusive of the quadrangle or courtyard, round which the buildings are erected and occupied, as shown in the ground plan above." |
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Photograph
of the Cundall Factory in 1909
Two-part panorama taken, (presumably) from an elevated position near Cambridge Road looking South. The photograph makes the factory (particularly the building on the left) look far bigger than it was. |
| "As will be seen, the end of the rear section, which is two floors high, is occupied as a coach house and stables, the whole of the remainder of the section being taken up by the foundry. At right angles to the foundry we have the fettling shop, over which are the foundry stores, and then the forge, and across the court-yard there is fitted a crane by which heavy castings can be rapidly transmitted to the large room on the opposite side of the courtyard, where the planing, drilling, boring, grinding and other machines of the most up-to-date British and American makes, are all ready to do their share in the transforming of the rough casting to the finished machine. This room, which has a floor space of some 100 by 40 feet is the ground floor of the front of the building as seen in the photograph, and is excellently adapted for the purpose, the floor being as rigid as though it were on the solid ground; in fact, this remark applies to every floor in the building which is of very unusual strength." |
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The Erecting Shop |
| "The first
floor of this section is occupied by the erecting and fitting shops, and
the tape making, French polishing and carpenters' shops, so that there
is no loss of time in passing the various parts of the machine from one
department to another, special attention having been paid to the economic
production by saving of unnecessary haulage. The top floor is where the
patterns of the various machines made by the company are kept and is admirably
adapted for this purpose, the ventilation and other requirements being
all that can be desired.
"Descending to the basement, we find a well ordered array of small castings, spindles, and other similar parts, so that any part or parts required can be at once drawn upon and removed with every facility to the machine, erecting or fitting shop. At the northern end of this block and in immediate connection with the erecting and fitting shop, whence the goods are carried by a travelling crane, is the delivery wharf, on the right of which is the engine room, the gas making plant and the electric lighting plant. The gas making plant provides the power for the "Cundall" gas engine of 35 b.h.p., which in its turn drives the various machines and the electric generating plant." |
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The Machine Shop |
| "At the north-east
corner of the main building is to be found the general offices, draftsmen's
rooms and private offices, all equally well appointed as the other parts
of these up-to-date works.
"Although the works have been established but little over twelve months, it is astonishing the progress which has been made and the constant necessity for increasing the output which is required, owing to the numerous orders received by Mr Cundall since the establishment of the new firm. This steady increase is without doubt due to the fact that Mr Cundall lays himself out to produce machines to meet the requirements of his customers instead of simply making a machine and endeavouring to force it on the trade without regard to the necessities of their particular work, which varies in almost every establishment." |
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The Carpenters' Shop |
| "At the present
time there are some fifty hands constantly employed, and there is room for
two other fifties to be accommodated should the exigencies of the trade
demand such a large staff, which, in view of the go-a-head business methods
adopted by Mr Cundall and the sterling value of the machines turned out
by him,is not by any means a unlikely result, and that in the near future.
"Notwithstanding foreign competition, the Cundall machines have always held their own, and their superior merits have been recognised both in this country and overseas. More especially is this so in the case of machines specially built to meet the requisitions of foreign and Colonial makers; many large firms abroad have these machines running, and have sent repeat orders for them,which sufficiently demonstrate their eminently satisfactory qualities. To be able to successfully compete with strong foreign competition of this nature surely constitutes one of the most convincing arguments, one of the very best testimonials in favour of these machines...." |
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A Cundall "Standard" Folder |
| "A general jobbing folder, giving 1, 2, 3, or 4 folds, and making 4, 8, 12, 16, 24 or 32 page sections. The great feature of this machine is its accessibility to all parts. This is as perfect a machine for general commercial work as human intelligence and mechanical ingenuity can devise." |
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"Realising that the machines vary so greatly not only in character and capacity, but also in size, ranging from a miniature machine which will fold to a slip (1.5 inches square) for insertion in packets of tobacco to one taking a double eight crown sheet, it is somewhat difficult to decide as to which to lead off with.... [There follows several pages of detailed specifications of the various folding paper machines] ....."There are many other machines, each deserving of special mention, but we think we have shown sufficient to impress upon our readers the fact that, confining their attention as we have mentioned, solely to the production of folding machines, the Cundall Folding Machine Company, can produce anything required in this class of machine of a quality and at a price which favourably competes with any make on the market. "In conclusion, we may say that the works, being conveniently placed within easy reach of the Royston and the Shepreth stations on the Great Northern Railway and the Lords Bridge and the Old North Road stations of the London and North Western Railway, there can be little delay in the conveyance of machines to any part, a fact which can only be appreciated by those who have experienced the disappointment of the slow conveyance from towns where traffic is great and has a habit of getting blocked sometimes for days together." |
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Cundall Photos | |
Factory Plan | |
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