Spratt's Complex is a housing development in Poplar, London. The former pet food factory was converted into approximately 150 live-work units beginning in 1985. This was one of the first such warehouse conversions in London. The complex is on Morris Road, lining Limehouse Cut canal, and is situated between the DLR stations of Langdon Park and Devons Road. The complex, which once operated as Spratt's dog biscuit factory, consists of six multi-story warehouses made of reinforced concrete grouped around courtyards. Much of the original factory markings and lettering are visible on the buildings, painted on the DLR track-side walls and also on the small chimney visible from Morris Road. The complex is also locally known as "Spratt's Works" or "Spratt's Factory".
History
The Spratt's Works (1899-1969)
The factory was built prior to 1899. In the early 20th century, the Spratt's Works was the largest dog food factory in the world. James Spratt set up his business in 1860 and soon his business was "a howling success". The location along Limehouse Cut allowed barges to easily deliver fish heads and other supplies to the factory for processing. The company was not restricted to dog biscuits: in the Second Boer War, four million ship's biscuits a week were made for the British Army. Before 1914, the factory made other food for human consumption under the "Poplar" brand, such as pulses, and did international trade in live animals. According to the East London News, in World War II, the Morris Road facilities "suffered severe damage as a result of enemy air action" and "the damage to the factory and working machinery made it almost impossible to carry on the work". By the end of the war "the impression of inscrutability conveyed by the gaunt impressive is cancelled out by the feverish activity inside." Besides biscuits, Spratt's Works was also producing dogs', cats' and birds' medicines, bird seed, dog shampoos, and toilet requisites for animals. There was also a dog-show department during this period, possibly owing to James Spratt's initial 14-year-old assistant, the futuredog show founder Charles Cruft. After the imposition of purchase tax on pet food in 1969, the factory closed down.
The derelict years (1970-1985)
The warehouses were derelict for some years until they were redeveloped between 1985 and 1989. As local lore has it, dog fighting took place years ago in the basement. The Foundry House was derelict, with tape left on the windows from The Blitz and great globs of toffee on the floors left by Appleton's. Originally, the courtyard was cobbled throughout. Colman's Wharf was occupied by Gina Plastics until sold for development in 1988, at which time there was a huge industrial bay outside Studio5, on what is now part of the car park. The space at the canal end of the floors of Colman's Wharf was much larger than now, as there was no interior staircase, nor was the present lift shaft part of the building, as large hoists were in use before its development. The ceilings had huge grid works of iron sprinkler pipes complete with large taps and fixings, and the doors that now open onto balconies and those overlooking the canal were of the stable door type, glazed in the upper part and solid in the lower part. The windows are original except for some of those in studios on the third floor facing the City.
The conversion project (1985-1989)
The complex was split into studio workshops and sold by JJAK Ltd as empty shells for leaseholders to fit out. The first building to be converted was Limehouse Cut. The studio sizes vary between. The building was featured in the Sunday Times in June 1986 and again in 1989. Back in 1986, the "studio – part workplace, part home – no status in planning law". At that time the Spratt's Works was a hard-working colony whose residents included artists, photographers, the Queen's tapestry restorer Ksynia Marko, a packaging firm, Roger Law of Spitting Image, sculptor Michael Green and ceramicist Elizabeth Fritsch. Originally, the planning permission and the lease restricted the accommodation to no more than 50% of the space. In the 1990s, as it became progressively more difficult to get mortgages for properties of this type, the majority of the units were changed to allow 100% residential use. Each unit was originally sold as a shell with utilities run at the entrance of the unit. It was up to the leaseholder to fit out the entire unit: partitions, pipes, wires, etc. Although it was up to the leaseholder to design his or her own unit, building regulations required each unit to include a fire lobby.
Today
The building has become extremely desirable for media-based artists, curators, graphic/web/product/fashion designers, animators, illustrators, architects and other creatives.
Additional information
Roof garden
At the top of Limehouse Cut building, there is a large communal roof garden with views over Canary Wharf. It is private and maintained by volunteering residents.
