New Grange Foundry

Grange Foundry                   1856-1876

New Grange Foundry          1876 –

  • Archibald Ballantine                           1856-
  • Ballantine, A & Sons                                  -1987
  • Ballantine Bo’ness Iron Co Ltd        1987-
1897

Sites & Monuments Record

Links Road, Bo’nessSMR 673NT 006 815
NT 004 815

Timeline

1856:  Founded by the Ballantine Brothers – Archibald and David – together with George Cant.  David had started in Steele’s Foundry.   The name of the foundry was due to the fact that it lay on the lands of the Grange Estate.  The sale of ornamental castings through the Rangoon Post Office created valuable trade.

1876:  The old premises, to the north of Links Road and east of Man of War Street, proved insufficient and the New Grange Foundry was built, it opened in November the following year. 

“It consists of a large warehouse, facing the road; and the light moulding shop, which is covered by six roofs, runs back to the ropewalk.  On the east side of the gate is a coke house, engine house, engineers’ shop, smiths’ shop, and other stores, while above are the pattern shops and drawing lofts.  The dwelling-house of the foreman with the stable forms the east boundary, and a pretty commodious yard takes in the whole ground to the east of the sawmills of Messrs Thomson & Balfour.  A splendid steam crane, by J Bower & Son has been erected in the large moulding shop, and a steam lift to take the iron and coke up to the cupola scaffold.  The whole building is of brick”. 

Spiral stairs a speciality.  In 1877 James John Cadell offered a 19 year lease of the old foundry with its equipment.  James Watt foreman.

1887:  A new moulding shop built and called the Jubilee Shop.  7 miles of ornamental railings were produced for Regent’s Park, London.

1896: Many of the goods were sold on the London market.  These included stable and bow-house fittings, rain-water and hot water goods, spiral and straight stairs, and the Grange portable range.  In 1897 a new pipe moulding shop and warehouse were built.

1930s:  James B Ballantine managing director.

1979: Mr McKenna – works manager.

Illus: The street frontage of the New Grange Foundry looking west.

1984: “Grey iron, SG and alloys, max. wt. 3000kg.  Jobbing and repetition work.  Main products – drainage pipes & fittings, machined duct covers, ornamental & restoration work, engineering castings, gratings, road gullies, manholes.  3 pattern flow air set plants.”

1985: Expansion westward.

1987: January saw the workforce on a three day week.  In May there was a merger with the Bo’ness Iron Founders.

Workforce

  • 1892: 200
  • 1898: 350
  • 1928: 209 as follows:
    • 1 Engineer
    • 20 Pattern Makers
    • 4 Pattern Filers
    • 3 Pattern Storemen
    • 9 Grinders
    • 9 Core Bench Workers
    • 10 Dressers (light)
    • 5 Dressers (heavy)
    • 1 Box Moulder
    • 3 Passers (inspecting)
    • 4 Furnacemen
    • 4 Blacksmiths
    • 29 Fitters
    • 88 Light Moulders
    • 9 Heavy Moulders
    • 6 Labourers
    • 4 Fitter Shop Labourers
    • 2 Storehousemen
    • 3 Other
  • 1979: 110
Illus: Cast iron sign on Links Road.

G.B. Bailey, 2021