Work starts to convert pin factory into events space

Work has begun to convert a historic pin factory into a community space for events.

Constructed more than 280 years ago, Gloucester's Folk Pin Factory's annexe, which sits behind the Folk of Gloucester building, is undergoing a £142,000 refurbishment.

During the project, the annexe's deteriorating windows and western wall will be restored. It will then act as a community space for craft workshops, as well as potentially housing a bar for music and theatre events.

Louise William, Folk of Gloucester CEO, said their plan was to turn the ground floor into an interactive space and educational environment, with upstairs as a community hub.

The restoration is one of seven projects chosen in the south-west of England to benefit from Historic England's Heritage at Risk Capital Fund.

This £15m fund is being used to help people to save historic sites across the country.

The Folk of Gloucester's main buildings are three timber-framed merchant's houses from the 16th-17th Centuries.

By 1743, the top floor of one of the buildings was being used as a pin factory at a time when pin making was an important industry in Gloucester.

By the early 19th Century, the process had become increasingly mechanised, and a three-storey annexe had been created within the old barn at the back of the house.

As part of this, a set of large Yorkshire sash windows were installed in the south side of the building, providing light and much-needed ventilation to reduce dust and fumes.

It is these factory windows that need to be restored to maintain the structural integrity of the building.

Follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.