Humber Motor and Cycle Works Folly Lane Coventry

Thomas Humber founded the Humber cycle company at Sheffield in 1868, but it was not until 1889 that the company opened its fourth factory - this in Coventry.  There was a brief flirtation with such oddities as tricycles and quadricycles — one of which sported front wheel drive and rear wheel steering. In 1899 the first Humber car, the 3½ horsepower Phaeton, was built at Beeston, Nottingham, but the first Coatalen designed car, the Voiturette, did not appear until 1901. This was followed by the 1903 Humberette, which sported a tubular frame and 5hp single-cylinder engine. Larger cars came in the shape of the 1902 four-cylinder 12hp, which was soon followed up in 1903 by a three-cylinder 9hp and a four-cylinder 20hp model.  After 1905, the smaller models were discontinued, allowing Humber to concentrate on the production of its staple 10/12hp model and the larger 16/20hp. In 1907, this range was supplemented by the arrival of the Humber 15hp. Humber cars continued to be produced in Coventry and Beeston until 1908, but as a result of financial difficulties, the Beeston factory was closed (despite producing higher quality cars), allowing the company to concentrate on production at the newly completed Folly Lane factory.  By 1913 Humber had become the second largest manufacturer of cars in the United Kingdom.

NEW MOTOR CAR AND CYCLE WORKS COVENTRY – The Humber (Limited) new motor and cycle works were formally opened at Coventry on the 12th inst. For the last few years the business of the company has been conducted in several local buildings. The new works, erected just outside the city, allow for concentration at a single spot, and thus obviously permit of great convenience in production and economy of management. The new buildings alone cover 13.5 acres of land, and allow scope for the employment of 5,000 hands. Surrounding the main portion of the works are roads 30 feet wide, intersected by roads of two-thirds that width. Some of the shops and stores are of large size; the engine test shop is 100 feet by 40 feet, and the chassis-erecting shop has a superficial area of 402,000 feet.  The tool shops are replete with machinery for the production of tools. The works, designed under the direction of Mr Walter Phillips, the company’s manager, were stated by Mr E Powell, the chairman, to be capable of producing 150 cars and 1,500 cycles per week. [The Times 18 March 1908 page 5]

HUMBER LIMITED. THE FOLLY LANE WORKS, the first contract. The new works of Humber Limited, in Folly Lane, when completed will be of great extent. The firm have acquired 27 acres of land, and the whole scheme of building covers 18 of them, excluding what will be taken for sewering purposes. …. In the area of the Coventry Rural District Council in which Humber Limited are settling, there no system of dealing with sewage, and the firm propose to put down septic tanks.

The first contract has been accepted: it amounts to about £40,000, and Mr. F. Gowing of Birmingham is the contractor. This provides for the erection of repairing, (362 feet by 60 feet), running and electricians shops, smithy 280 feet by 50 feet; body work shop 300 feet by 120 feet; paint, upholstering and finishing departments, 300 feet by 245 feet and timber store and saw mill 300 feet by 50 feet. These measurements will give an idea of the magnitude of the work. The shops will be of one storey and will, it is expected, occupy about 12 weeks in erection, The completion the first contract will, in all probability, be followed the building of a two-storey office block and mess and reading rooms. The last and greatest work will be the provision or machine, polishing and many other shops—the completion, fact, of a scheme that will enable the firm to carry on the whole of their business on the site. At present Humber Ltd have a number of factories in different parts of the city, which, of course, do not make for economy of working. It may be expected, therefore, when the proposed new factory is completed, that good deal of present expenditure will be avoided. The accommodation to be provided for cycle manufacture will be equal to a thousand machines a week. The proposed loop line of the London and North Western Railway Company will run within a short distance of the factory. The architects to the works are Messrs Harrison and Hattrell. [Coventry Herald 18 January 1907 page 5]

FOLLY LANE ESTATES. The building of the new Humber factory, in Folly Lane, is, progressing as satisfactory as can be expected, and the second section is being proceeded with all haste. The work being done in three sections, and the second includes the offices, which have just been commenced. We understand that negotiations have been proceeding between Messrs. Harrison and Hattrell. agents for the adjoining estates, and engineering syndicate, with view to the latter’s purchase of one the adjacent sites, but it is feared that the negotiations have fallen through [Coventry Herald 26 April 1907 page 8]

FOLLY LANE AND HUMBER SEWAGE - From the minutes of the General Works Committee: The City Engineer reported that the Humber Co.. Ltd., had agreed to pay the sum of £100 towards the expense of repairing the road across Gosford Green and the portion of Folly Lane near thereto, which had been damaged by extraordinary traffic to their new works, and that accordingly had put the repairs in hand. Resolved that the action of the City Engineer be confirmed. Read letter from Messrs. Harrison and Hattrell, on behalf of the Humber Company Ltd., inquiring upon what terms the Committee would prepared to allow the Humber Company to drain their new factory into the city sewers. Resolved that the City Engineer be instructed to report upon the whole circumstances of the case. [Coventry Herald 29 March 1907 page 2]

NEW WORKS "FOLLY LANE” - At a meeting of Coventry Rural District Council yesterday, there being present the Chairman (Mr O H P Petre) and Mr. T. O. Beamish. Mr. Hattrell (Messrs. Harrison and Hattrell) attended on behalf of Humber  Limited, with a view to the widening of Folly Lane in front of the new works now being erected by the firm. Mr. Hattrell made an offer, which will be confirmed in writing, and the matter then considered the Council Mr. Hattrell suggested that at the same time the Council consider the question of giving another name to Folly Lane, as Humber Limited did not like it. Humber Limited was going on with the whole scheme of building. [Coventry Herald 1 March 1907 page 5]

THB HUMBER FACTORY FOLLY LANE DEVELOPMENT - At the monthly meeting of the Coventry Rural District Council yesterday the plans of Messrs Harrison and Hattrell were submitted for the proposed offices of Humber Limited, fronting Folly Lane. [Coventry Herald 1 November 1907 page 8]

THE NEW HUMBER WORKS. At Coventry, on Thursday, was opened the largest motor and cycle factory in the world. The buildings alone cover 13.5 acres, the factory gives employment to 5,000 hands, and has a capacity of 150 motor cars and 1.500 bicycles per week. There are many firms who would be glad to have such an output a year, but the enormous demand for the Humber productions has necessitated the building of this mammoth factory with its miles upon miles of shafting and acres of machinery—two of the machine shops alone cover two acres each. The works have been built under the personal supervision of Mr Walter Phillips, who has been the Coventry manager of the company for sixteen years, and who has brought to bear on the building and equipment a quite unique knowledge the peculiar requirements. The works for the most part consist of single-storey buildings, designed give the greatest efficiency in production, combined with low cost of manufacture and comfort for the employees. This large factory has been erected amongst the pleasant environs of the city of Coventry, that the cycles and cars which forth to the world with the Humber name are given birth amidst surroundings which singularly apropos when consider their subsequent careers. The works are built entirely of substantial red brick, and have glass and slate roofs, northern light, and several shops have lantern roofs. The shop floors are all cemented, on a bed of concrete; but in certain shops, for the purpose of particular work, wood and tiled surfaces are provided over the concrete. Surrounding the main portion of the works are roads 30 feet wide, intersected with 20 feet roads, with a dust-proof finish, one portion of the roads for heavy goods traffic and other for cars. Escape staircases arc provided on all buildings over one storey, and the roofs these buildings are flat, and covered with vulcanite and two inches of gravel, thus keeping the shops cool in summer and warm in winter.

A few Facts and figures may illustrate, although but partially, the immensity of this British triumph. The offices and their grounds alone cover 29,000 square feet. The main machine shop covers 71,400 square feet, and the rows of machinery in it are 340 feet in length. There are over 1,000 machine tools in this shop alone. The tool shops—simply for making tools for use in the factory—are themselves as large as many motor works. Fifty thousand gallons of lubricating oil are required to supply the whole of the shops. Belting runs into innumerable thousands of feet. Great overhead trolleys are running backwards and forwards carrying the large quantities of steel required to feed the devouring demands of the rows of giant machinery. Seventy men are doing nothing else but testing engines, and then these are fitted on testing frames and sent out on the road, where 150 cars a week are thoroughly tried. The bill for petrol used in testing alone amounts to a small fortune. In the stores are great rows of hides ready for use in upholstering cars—row upon row in seemingly trackless forest, yet all laid out with that perfect order and precision which marks the whole factory. In the stores lie some 300 tons of the finest charcoal tinned plates, and tons upon tons of copper tubes, of which over 100,000 feet are used every month. A special experiment shop is a notable feature. Every day new ideas and inventions are submitted to Humber, and every one of these is tested and carefully investigated. In the timber seasoning stores the stock is kept up at 2,500 tons of the finest brands of timber which money can buy. The cycle frame-building shop keeps a thousand hands always at work, and here again the great stocks are noticeable. The works have been built by Messrs F. Gowing, the well-known Birmingham contractors. The architects have been Messrs Harrison and Hattrall,(sic)  of Coventry.  [Western Daily Press 14 March 1908 page 6]

Reference    Coventry Herald 18 January 1907 page 5
Reference    Coventry Herald 1 March 1907 page 5
Reference    The Times (London, England), Wednesday, 18 March, 1908 page 5
Reference    Sheffield Independent 13 March 1908 page 8 – opening
Reference    Leamington Spa Journal 13 March 1908 page 8