Factory, built in 1930-32 for wet processes … a milestone in modern architecture - and especially concrete architecture - in Britain. Its appearance is the direct outcome of its construction … concrete mushroom columns carry galleries round a packing hall the full height of the building, which is wrapped in a glass curtain wall. (1)

Pharmaceutical factory for wet processes. 1932 by Sir E Owen Williams for the Boots Company. Reinforced concrete. Flat and multi-pitch concrete roofs with inset glass discs. Canted square mushroom columns carrying continuous floor slabs Notable for the innovative use of structural reinforced concrete and glass cladding: the earliest use of such a structural system in a large scale industrial building in England. (2)

The opportunity to construct a model factory on a new site was taken in the 1920s when Jesse Boot acquired 156 acres of land, to the south of Beeston, on which he constructed a purpose built factory complex with later office buildings. In doing so Jesse Boot made direct reference to American corporate working models with a sense of creating a modern industrial environment - spacious, light and healthy for the workers - alongside the introduction of efficient conveyor belt production. Such concepts of appropriateness and suitability for purpose - using the latest structural techniques and Materials - were a driving force in the construction of D6, the wet processes factory, constructed 1930-32, and D10, the dry processes factory, constructed 1937-38, both designed by the civil engineer, Sir Owen Williams. (5)

Seen on DOE (Listed Buildings) Maplet 2/25. National Heritage List for England listed building record last amended 26.04.2013 (3) (4)

Listed Buildings Slides, 2 slides (Photograph). SNT2648.

Palmer M & Neaverson P, 1992, Industrial Landscapes of the East Midlands, p 58 (Monograph). SNT5.

Peter Higginbotham, 2000, The Workhouse, The National Heritage List for England (Website). SNT6126.

Cambridge Architectural Research Ltd., 2008, Conservation Management Plan For The Boots 'Wets' Factory D10 (Document). SNT4731.

<1> Pevsner N, 1979, The Buildings of England: Nottinghamshire 2nd ed., p 70 (Monograph). SNT4.

<2> DOE, 1987, Dist of Broxtowe (Published document). SNT6117.

<3> Historic England, 2021, National Record of Historic Environment (Digital archive). SNT5271.

<4> Historic England, 2011, National Heritage List for England (NHLE) (Digital archive). SNT6251.

<5> Linda Monkton and Pete Smith, 2009, Nottingham: the Creation of the City's Identity - Characterisation Report (Published document). SNT6269.