Comelybank Foundry

Wypers Foundry

  • Paul & Wypers
  • Comelybank Foundry Co. Ltd.
  • Hugh McNicol Ltd.
  • Machan Engineering
Illus: Extract from the 1897 Ordnance Survey Map (National Library of Scotland)

Sites & Monuments Record

103 Broad Street, Denny  SMR 694NS 815 827

Timeline

1895: In October land was measured off in the field lying between two railway bridges on the Ingliston Branchline adjacent to Comelybank for a foundry to be erected by Messrs Paul & Wypers. 

1897: Passed into the hands of James Wright of Gogarfield and Burnbank Found­ry.  Paul went to Carronbank Foundry.

1898: New moulding shop.

1935: Directors Thomas Wyper and George Scott.

1940: Machinery castings, engineers’ castings, ships’ ventilators, brickmaking machinery castings, plough parts, etc.

1979: H McNicol, Managing Director.

1980:  Take-over by Vigour Way Investments, a London company who obtained a majority share holding.  Neil Rennie, manager.

1984:  By this time the company was called Hugh McNicol Ltd.  “grey iron up to Grade 220 (14), max. wt. 3000kg.  Both jobbing and repetition work.  Also aluminium up to 50kg.  Employment range 16-50.”

1985: Closure with the loss of 27 jobs.

Works taken over by Machan Engineering who specialised in the restoration of telephone kiosks and letter boxes.  They also acquired some of Carron Co’s ornate small patterns.

2010: Works closed

Workforce

  • 1913: 30
  • 1935: 20
  • 1987: 27

G.B. Bailey, 2021