About Barley Mow, Chiswick

Wallpaper manufacturer, Arthur Sanderson & Sons of Berners Street WI opened a wallpaper printing works in Chiswick in 1879. The firm's factory was built on the site of an old militia barracks. Many wallpapers produced at Chiswick were printed by hand, by wooden block, in the time honoured method, but Sandersons also led the way in producing good quality machine-printed wallpapers. The business grew and, in the early 1880s, the original factory was sold to the Army and Navy Stoores and a second factory built on adjoining land in Barley Mow Passage. Another building was put up in 1892-3 and in 1902-3 an additional building on the other side of Barley Mow Passage, connected to the main works by a footbridge. This distinctive white-tiled building was designed by CFA Voysey and was his only industrial building. Now offices and studios, called Voysey House, it is a listed building.

On 11 October 1928 a terrible fire broke out in Sanderson's older building. It took 17 fire engines and around 100 firemen to bring it under control and reduced to ashes machinery, stock and much of the premises. For a week a mountain of smouldering paper `glowed like a volcano'. The local fire brigade described it as the `worst fire we have ever had to deal with'. Although the firm was up and running again within three months the fire had caused damage to the business as well as its premises. It prompted Sandersons to look for a larger and more modern factory and in 1930 the firm moved to Perivale. The old factory is now the Barley Mow Workspace.

Compiled by Gillian Clegg, author of Chiswick Past (1995), The Chiswick Book (2004) and Brentford and Chiswick Pubs (2005), all available at local bookshops. © Gillian Clegg 2007