'World's first' pin factory restored with £150,000

A pin factory thought to be one of the first in the world has been successfully renovated thanks to £150,000 of funding.

The Pin Factory Annexe in Gloucester began life as a tithe barn in the 16th Century but was converted into an industrial setting for women and children to produce clothes pins from 1743.

Historic England allocated the funding so the façade of annexe could be restored and the sash windows replaced to maintain the structural integrity of the building.

Louise Williams, chief executive of the Folk of Gloucester, a historic complex housing the annexe, said the building needed to be honoured to "make sure that it lasts for another 500 years".

Ross Simmonds, head of region for Historic England in the South West, said the Pin Factory Annexe was a "fantastic part" of the city's history.

At the unveiling of the renovation on Thursday, he said the public body was "delighted" to be able to support the renovation through its Heritage At Risk Capital Fund.

"In many respects, this is where the pin factory as an idea, as a concept, started before going off around the world," he said.

Williams said it was "astounding" that the Folk of Gloucester, thought to have been made with timber from the Forest of Dean, "is still standing".

"It's seen its way through the Civil War and we get the privilege of being its current custodians to make sure that it remains a central place and point for the community to access," she said.

Referring to the Gloucester Civic Trust, which runs the Folk of Gloucester, she said: "If there wasn't this dedicated, committed group of volunteers, trustees and staff who want to preserve and conserve our history, this wouldn't happen and it would just deteriorate to a point of no repair and disappear."

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