Middlesbrough’s historic William Lane Foundry goes up for sale

William Lane Foundry supplies a diverse range of industries and sectors (Parker Barras)

Heritage Unlocked’s long-time collaborator William Lane Foundry, dating back to 1862 and operational in Middlesbrough for over a century, has been put up for sale. The historic Forty Foot Road base has been put on the market with the current owners hoping to see the site’s industrial heritage continue.

William Lane Foundry in the 1980s (Stuart Duffy)

One of the last survivors of Teesside’s heavy manufacturing era, William Lane Foundry boasts a range of major international, cultural sector and heritage organisation customers over the years. This has included components for the Teesside Steelworks, making parts for the iconic Tees Transporter Bridge, bespoke castings for Beamish Open Air Museum, and production of Middlesbrough’s blue plaque scheme.

William Lane Foundry's work in Middlesbrough dates back over a century (Parker Barras)

Specialists in metal working and sandcasting, the work of the Foundry has featured on a number of national TV programmes, including a recent visit by Chris Kamara and filming for Great British Railway Journeys with Michael Portillo where the presenter helped cast a carrot valve for the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.

Stuart Duffy with Michael Portillo during filming for 'Great British Railway Journeys' (Tosh Warwick)

The sale comes at a time of extensive regeneration and new industrial developments along the banks of the River Tees and provides an opportunity for the new owner to be well-positioned to be part of these developments. Recent developments include multimillion pound investment by nearby AV Dawson at their Port of Middlesbrough facility and the development of the Tees Advanced Manufacturing Park (TeesAMP) on the former site of Newport Ironworks.

Staff at the Foundry in the 1950s (Teesside Archives and William Lane Foundry)

Co-owner Stuart Duffy said: “I have worked at William Lane Foundry since I was a teenager and it has been fantastic to continue the foundry and support the manufacturing heritage of the area through our work with such a wide range of customers. Spanning work with artists-in-residence at MIMA, supplying international engineering firms, making parts for the Transporter Bridge or helping keep the North Yorkshire Moors Railway on track, it has been a huge source of pride to see the Foundry make such a contribution to so many areas of business and life.”

The new All Saints' Church war memorial cast at William Lane Foundry which replaced the badly damaged original

“Whilst the decision to sell William Foundry has been difficult, we hope that the new owner can take the Foundry forward either continuing the work done by supporting both established and new businesses and industries in the region, across the country and internationally.”

Historic plans of William Lane Foundry, 1913 (Teesside Archives and William Lane Foundry)

Heritage Unlocked historian Dr Tosh Warwick, a long-time collaborator with William Lane Foundry, added: “The William Lane Foundry has made a major contribution to Teesside’s industrial history and heritage and for over a decade I have worked with the team on some fantastic projects, including more recently on the Teesside Steelworks souvenir medals produced at William Lane. The firm are unique in the town and I hope that their legacies and ways in which their work contributes to sharing history and producing bespoke products continues.”

The sale of William Foundry includes the modern day foundry, the original foundry, separate office block, stores and workshop and land making for a total site area of 0.25 acres. Estate agent Parker Barras are inviting offers of over £225,000. More information can be found at https://parkerbarras.co.uk/property/for-sale-industrial-units-forty-foot-rd-middlesbrough-ts2-1hg/

Distributed by Heritage Unlocked on behalf of William Lane Foundry.