Another Peasant Tangent - a Francis W. Troup factory

Recently I was surprised to discover that I walk past a Francis W. Troup designed building on the way to work everyday.  Not a building in Haslemere, but in London.  There is a listing of all the buildings that Troup was identified as having designed in Jackson's F.W.Troup: Architect 1859-1941 (Building Centre Trust, 1985), and this is how I made the discovery.  

164-180 Union Street, London
Spicers Ltd' Envelope Factory extension
designed by F.W.Troup in 1914

Jackson records that in 1914 Troup designed an "extension to an existing red brick building, it was a six storey, sixteen bay, ferro-concrete framed structure faced in white glazed bricks above a blue brick plinth.  The functional quality of the fabric was echoed in the fittings - metal windows, and patent stone lintels and rainwater heads made by Stuart's Granolithic Company Ltd."  The building was at an envelope factory for Spicers Ltd, and this was the second building that Troup designed for Spicers Ltd, the first being Blackfriars House (New Bridge Street, London) in 1913.  

the main entrance to 164-180 Union Street, Southwark, London

the meeting of the old Envelope Factory building (182-194 Union Street)
with the extension designed by Francis Troup in 1914 (164-180 Union Street)

The building stands at 164-194 Union Street (Southwark, London), the Troup section of the building stands at 164-180 Union Street and is now called Linton House.  The blue brick plinth looks black to me, but perhaps it always was this colour.  The white gloss bricks set the building apart.  The mass of metal windows still prevails.   The rainwater heads are too far above street level to see clearly but I suspect they have been replaced.


Linton House is host to a number of offices and a cafe.  The view from the road is dominated on one side by the Shard.   I wonder what F.W. Troup would make of it now.  In the present day, this building intrigues passers-by who can look through the basement windows into the Paxman Limited showroom and workshop, "one of the world's leading horn makers".  


As an amateur, I can see no obvious connection between this building and those on Kings Road, Haslemere but I thought I would share.

Paxman Limited showroom,
164 - 180 Union Street, London
building designed by F.W. Troup in 1914

182-194 Union Street, Southwark, London
original Spicers Ltd's Envelope Factory
for which F.W.Troup designed the extension:164-180 Union Street

164-194 Union Street, London
originally Spicers Ltd's Envelope Factory
with F.W. Troup's extension on the right in white brick

Linton House interior office view

the view from outside 164-180 Union Street
is now dominated by the Shard