Tesco Extra - Pool, Camborne, Cornwall, UK - Converted Factories on Waymarking.com

John Heathcoat was born in Derbyshire in 1783. A farmer’s son, he was apprenticed out to a stocking maker near Loughborough but he soon developed a real knack for machinery and began developing his own designs, which eventually led to the ‘Bobbinet’ lace machine, which mechanised lace production.

Making big swathes of lace by machine revolutionised what had been a very painstaking, hand-driven industry and to this day Heathcoat is quite unpopular in areas of Devon like Honiton that relied on handmade lace.

In Loughborough Heathcoat’s innovations also made him unpopular; other local merchants were copying his machinery and didn’t like the fact that he was trying to patent it. In 1816 his factory was attacked by “an armed and angry mob.” Interestingly Luddites were blamed for the attack but it seems much more likely the mob was paid by other merchants to try and scupper Heathcoat’s business.

Throughout time the diversified and produced other textile garments, including filters for gas masks during the war

(visit link)

The 1930s saw the development of elastic fabrics which in the 1940s were concentrated at a factory at Carn Brea, Cornwall. In the First World War Heathcoat's made shells (or wadding for them), and in WW2, parachutes, aircraft components, and agricultural machinery.

Tesco Extra Superstore
The Factory has been converted into a retail outlet for the Tesco supermarket chain.

Given the size of the building, it affords to have an in-store bakery, cafe, dispensing chemist. As it is a "Tesco Extra" store also sells clothing and household goods.
There is still evidence within the superstore of the premise's previous use.
With the "saw edge" roof - Northern Light windows (Characteristic of factories, at the time having roof windows pointing North to allow light in but not direct sunlight onto the factory floor.)
The roof which still has the original profile, has been insulated and improved, however, inherent with so many roof valleys, the store often has water ingress issues and constantly trying to rectify them.
There is still a sprinkler (fire suppression) system throughout the store. Which given the factory floor area of the original factory, would have been required, especially under current legislation. It is understood that Tesco has adopted and maintained the sprinkler system
The store opens 06:00 to 22:00 Mon - Sat and 10:00 - 16:00 on a Sunday

Address:: Tesco Extra Pool Carn Brea Redruth, Year built: 1930 Web page: [Web Link] Year converted: Not listed

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Date Logged Log   06/19/2024 MoreOutdoor visited it