Alexandra Warehouse & Its Neighbours

Fox's Warehouses
Alexandra Warehouse (pictured right) and the adjoining malthouse (twin roofs in the background) were built for members of the Fox family, who were prominent corn merchants during the last 30 years of the nineteenth century. For a time, the family also made use of the adjoining Great Western Warehouse, of which only the ground floor remains after a fire (extreme left).

No 4 Warehouse, in front of the malthouse, (centre) is a modern replacement for a large wooden shed. For the office building (far right), see Harbour House.

Alexandra Warehouse
This warehouse was built in 1870 for the corn merchants J E & S H Fox. Attached to the west end was a small steam-powered mill which the brothers used for preparing cattle food. Five years later, the warehouse was badly damaged by a fire which started in the eaves, well above the reach of the primitive fire appliances of the day. It was soon rebuilt, with the eaves being replaced by parapets. The Fox family continued to occupy the building with various partners until c1900, then it was used by the Bristol Steam Navigation Co for storing imported sugar until c1925, after which it was occupied by businesses that were not related to the canal.

Great Western Warehouse
This warehouse was built in 1863 for William Partridge but was immediately sold to corn merchant W C Lucy. It became part of the Fox family's business by 1891, and later it was used by the Bristol Steam Navigation Co for storing imported sugar until c1930, after which it was occupied by businesses that were not related to the canal. In 1945, while being used by a firm producing breakfast cereal, the warehouse was largely destroyed by a spectacular fire. After this, most of the structure was demolished, leaving only the ground floor which was given a new roof.

Alexandra Malthouse
The malthouse between the two main warehouses was built in 1888 for corn merchants Fox Clinch & Co, and the sketch (right) shows how the buildings were linked together. An inclined iron shoot allowed the malthouse to receive grain direct from an upper floor in the Great Western Warehouse, and hoists in the malthouse could be worked by ropes from the steam engine behind the Alexandra Warehouse. In the early twentieth century, like the neighbouring warehouses, the malthouse was used for storing imported sugar and grain, and then from c1930 it was occupied by businesses that were not related to the canal.

No 4 Warehouse
The brick building in front of the malthouse is a replacement for a large wooden shed that had become structurally unsafe. It was used for storing perishable goods discharged from coasters in the later days of commercial operation.

Sources: TNA RAIL 829 & 864 minute books; GJ 28 Aug 1875; Goad Insurance Map 1891; Citizen 3 Jan 1945; Glos Arch Rate books.