The Spratt's Works (1899-1969)

The factory was built prior to 1899, possibly as early as 1860 according to the deeds of some residents, though the architecture suggests construction took place some decades later. In the early 20th century, the Spratt's Works was the largest dog food factory in the world.^[3]

The building now known as Colman's Wharf was originally a seed, packing, grain warehouse. Limehouse Cut was once a series of grain warehouses, along with buildings for meal grinding, sand and grit processing, baking, veterinary medicine and laboratory stores. Foundry House was once a power house, as well as a bakery, bank and delivery warehouse. Patent House was originally a delivery and grain warehouse, with space for biscuit packing, a blacksmiths and wire workers, saw mills, kennel and box makers, and an advertising department. One Fawe Street was historically a grain warehouse, flour warehouse and bakery.

James Spratt set up his business in 1860 and soon his business was a "howling success".^[4] 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 (1899–1902), four million ship's biscuits a week were made for the British Army.^[5] Before 1914, the factory made other food for human consumption under the "Poplar" brand, such as pulses (butter beans, lentils, and peas), and did international trade in live animals (horses, foxes, and monkeys).

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".^[6] By the end of the war "the impression of inscrutability conveyed by the gaunt impressive is cancelled out by the feverish activity inside."^[7] 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 future dog show founder Charles Cruft.^[8]

After the imposition of purchase tax on pet food in 1969, the factory closed down.^[9]

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 (wholesale confectioners who had occupied the building after Spratt'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.^[10]

The conversion project (1985-1989)

Patent House, from Morris Road

The complex was split into studio workshops (live/work units) and sold by JJAK (Construction) Ltd as empty shells for leaseholders to fit out.^[11] The first building to be converted was Limehouse Cut. The studio sizes vary between 580 to 1,610 sq ft (54 to 150 m²). The building was featured in the Sunday Times in June 1986^[1] and again in 1989. Back in 1986, the studio - "part workplace, part home" - had no status in planning law. At that time, residents of the building included the Queen's tapestry restorer Ksynia Marko, a packaging firm, Roger Law of Spitting Image, sculptor Michael Green and ceramicist Elizabeth Fritsch.^[11]

Originally, the planning permission and the lease restricted the residential accommodation to no more than 50% of the space, with the rest having to be used for business. 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 (water, drainage, electricity, gas, telephone and fax lines, TV aerial and entry phone cables).^[11] It was up to the leaseholder to design and fit out their own unit, including partitions, pipes and wiring. Building regulations required each unit to include a fire lobby.

Today

Patent House, from Fawe Street

The building is now a series of "live/work units" used by artists, designers and architects, and other creative professions.

View from the roof garden

At the top of Limehouse Cut building is a large 1,500 sq ft (140 m²) communal roof garden with views over Canary Wharf.^{[lower-alpha 1]} It is private and maintained by volunteering residents.

On 8 October 2008, the Langdon Park conservation area was extended to include the Spratt's Complex.^[12]