Description and History of Site:-
Site cleared and redeveloped.
The first works on this site are thought to be those of Sugden and Wheatley, textile machine manufacturers of Meadow Lane, Leeds as early as 1823. The works were first referred to as the 'Sun Foundry' in 1839. Sugden moved out and the works taken over by Charles Todd in 1844, building railway locomotives. This business moved out in 1858 and the works were occupied by Messrs. Carrett, Marshall & Co. initially also producing locomotives but later specialising in pumping engines. This company went out of business in 1870. The works were then acquired by Messrs. Hathorn, Davis, Campbell, and Davey in 1872 to produce steam engines and pumping engines. The works were visited by members of the Iron and Steel Institute in 1876 who reported that:

[The Company] "... has been principally engaged in the manufacture of Mr. Davey's differential pumping engines, as well as hydraulic engines, compound engines, and separate condensers. The works occupy two acres of ground, and give employment to 300 hands. When the members visited these works, the proprietors were engaged with engines and machinery for the Croydon Waterworks. The Sun Foundry consists of a foundry, with two 15-ton power cranes, and one 10-ton hand crane, a smiths' shop fitted with steam hammer, and four machine shops, with two 20-ton travellers, and one of 10 tons, as well as two 6-ton jib cranes. The firm have a boring machine for boring cylinders up to 120 inches diameter by 12 feet stroke. The Croydon engines in course of construction had cylinders 30 inches by 60 inches diameter, and 7 feet stroke, and were capable of lifting 2,500 gallons per minute 200 feet high. Messrs. Bathers, Davis, Campbell, and Davey had also in hand some hydraulic pumping engines, to be principally employed in draining the "dip" workings of mines, &c. Differential engines have been made by this firm up to 400 horse-power."

In 1898 and 1899 the foundry supplied a pair of triple expansion pumping engines to the Leeds Corporation for installation and use at the North Lane pumping station (WYK01040) of the Leeds Waterworks.

By 1934, Hathorn, Davey & Co. had gone into liquidation and the Sun Foundry was taken over by Sulzer Pumps in 1936 where they continued to use the works producing pumps up to the late 1970's when the company moved to more modern premises at Manor Mill Lane in South Leeds.

Further Reading and References:-
http://www.leedsengine.info/leeds/histsun.asp
https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/1876_Iron_and_Steel_Institute:_Visits_to_Works
E J Connell, Industrial Development in South Leeds 1790-1914 (Volume 2), PhD thesis, University of Leeds, 1975.
Robert Vernon, Hathorn, Davey of Leeds: Manufacturers of Steam Pumping Machinery 1872 to 2016 (February 2021) ISBN: 978-1-8383621-0-2.

Help us improve this entry

The compilers welcome corrections or additional information on all sites.
Any information provided will be verified before appearing on the web site.

Email comments

Key Words :- iron foundry

Address :- Dewsbury Road, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS11 5LN
Grid Ref :- SE 3010 3235
Co-ordinates :- Lat 53.786606 , Long -1.544632
Local Authority :- Leeds Council
Pre 1974 County :- Yorkshire - West Riding
Site Status :- Site demolished or no longer extant
Site Condition :- Site redeveloped to industrial / commercial use
Site Dates :- 1823 -
Record Date :- 8 August 2018

Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © Nick Nelson