Thurso foundry to get dramatic new lease of life
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THURSO Players are about to give the old foundry – next to the town’s mill theatre – a dramatic new lease of life.
They have bought the building with the aim of turning it into a rehearsal and set construction facility which will enable them to put on more shows, according to spokesman John Firth.
He explained that the work will be carried out in phases with the first priority being to save the premises.
“The foundry building complex has been slowly crumbling over the years.
“The weakest sections have been demolished and now only one L-shaped section of the building complex remains.
“Much of the roof has collapsed into the structure exposing some of the first-floor timbers to the Caithness weather.
“Without urgent action the whole of this iconic structure could be lost.
“The building has to be made wind and water tight to prevent it being lost to the community,” he said.
So the Players decided to try and buy the foundry to provide much needed space to fulfil its future plans and to save the building. The purchase was completed last year.
Mr Firth said the old foundry will provide storage, rehearsal space and work areas for scenery, wardrobe and props.
“We now will be actively working with Highland Council, our architects, local firms and the community to save the building.
“The size of the project means that it will proceed in multiple stages,” he said.
“The first phase of the project will aim to maintain the integrity of the building.
“This process will involve making it weather tight, removing the remains of the existing roof, replacing them with a temporary roof and reinstating the windows. To do this will require a significant fundraising programme and this will be the focus for this year.
“We will also work with our architects to design a new internal layout for the building that will meet our needs.
“The perilous state of the foundry means that Thurso Players are seeking the services from anyone in the community with relevant experience, who can support with technical, financial or any other manner of assistance to help us deliver this project.”
Other parts of the foundry have been restored as the Mill Theatre – home of the Players – and Thurso Youth Club in previous decades.
At present, the Players put on four to five productions a year at the mill, undertake rehearsals for the annual pantomime while the Thurso Juniors are also based there.
“We are bursting at the seams. The Mill is being used to rehearse plays, build scenery, run the Friday night Juniors sessions, store props and house a comprehensive wardrobe. Additionally, a large volume of scenery is stored in rented garages across Thurso, adding to the running costs of the players,” said Mr Firth.
But once the renovation of the foundry is complete they will have more space, be able to expand and bring an old Thurso building back into public use.
It has a long history stretching back to the 19th century.
In the early 1800’s, local politician and landowner, Sir John Sinclair, moved the mill from a location near Ormlie to its current site at Millbank.
The relocation involved the installation of a half-mile lade – the channel constructed to carry a swift current of water from the salmon pool to drive the mill wheel.
This renewable energy source meant that the site became an industrial centre for Thurso for over a century.
Between 1827 and 1836 the production of iron increased significantly in Scotland and with the expansion of the railways there was a industrial boom.
This led to a foundry being constructed in Pulteneytown, Wick and the Millbank Foundry in 1841.
The main role of these foundries was to convert pig iron into malleable iron to suit local needs.
The foundry was owned and run by the MacKidd family, who were responsible for the design of agricultural machinery, including a patented drill scarifier.
The availability of water energy meant that the foundry was expanded to include lathes and drilling machines, which supported the development of the tools.
James MacKidd was an accomplished and successful businessman who ran the business from the 1840s until 1910 – the success of the business was seen by the expansion on the site.
Following his death in 1910 the foundry began to decline until it ceased trading in 1912.
The following year, it was re-launched as The Thurso Engineering and Foundry Company, by William Hutchinson.
The business expanded upon the services provided by the agricultural business, generating additional services to support the emerging electrical distribution industry.
Later in the century Hutchinson also branched out into other areas, with a coal yard at Scrabster, and the purchase (from Thurso Electrical Power Station) of an ice-making plant at the Millbank site.
Engineering work on the site continued until the 1950s when a new industry delivered a massive blow to the business.
The start of the nuclear industry at Dounreay and the offer of high wages to those building the complex enticed the workforce to leave Millbank.
In December 1958, the foundry was acquired by Mr Bruce who supplied industrial gases and engineering components for all types of machines and motor cars.
The business ceased to operate in 2003 and the site has been unoccupied since then.
But that is to change with Thurso Players plans for the old foundry.
