Camperdown Works: Cox's Stack, Lochee

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Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved. © Copyright and database right 2024.

General Details and Location

Category
AT RISK
Name of Building
Camperdown Works: Cox's Stack
Other Name(s)
Cox's Lum
Address
Lochee
Locality
Postcode
Planning Authority
Divisional Area
Reference No
4543
Listing Category
A
OS Grid Ref
NO 38282 31636
Location Type
Urban
HS Reference No
25044

Description

Magnificent 282' 10" chimney stalk in form of Italian campanile, polychrome brick on ashlar base. The best industrial chimney in Scotland. The only comparable structure in England is the India Mill chimney, Darwen, 1867 310 feet. The 2 campanile chimneys in Bradford-Saltaire 1868, circa 150 feet and Manningham, 1873, 250 feet are stone built. The campaniles at Tower Works, Leeds, circa 1900, are much smaller. None match the exuberant decoration of Cox's stack. (Historic Environment Scotland List Entry)

Camperdown works, at its peak, stretched over 35 acres and employed 5000 workers, becoming one of the largest mill complexes in Britain (C McKean & D.Walker).

The American Civil War created greater prosperity for Dundee mill owners, who invested much of the income generated into new buildings. At Den Works, Baxter brothers built 2 new mills and refurbished another along with a new calendar and foundary. At the same time James Mclaren erected the remarkable Cox's Stack at a cost of £6000, with the Gilory's added 2 new blocks to their Tay Works. (Walker &Gauldie)

Following closure of the Camperdown Works in 1981, the entire site was redeveloped with some parts of the former works being retained and converted into residential use. Cox's Stack was originally located adjacent to single storey sheds; these were cleared away during redevelopment to make way for the Stack Leisure Park with the chimney retained as a landmark feature, linking the new commercial park with residential housing.
Building Dates
1865-6
Architects
G A Cox with James Maclaren

Category of Risk and Development History

Condition
Fair
Category of Risk
Moderate
Exemptions to State of Risk
Field Visits
18/03/2010, 27/5/2016
Development History
March 2010: External inspection finds the lower wall of the Stack has been graffitied. Some of the polychromatic bricks have lost their glazed facing.
Whilst the Stack was retained as a landmark building, it is difficult to access and has become a target of anti-social behaviour, particularly since the Stack leisure park has been largely vacated by retailers. Acts of vandalism have included attempts to remove parts of the structure. Whilst the surrounding green area is owned by Dundee City Council, the Stack is in separate ownership.
27 May 2016: Inspection finds sections of damp and eroding brickwork to all elevations, with efflorescence and poor pointing in places. As previously noted, sections of masonry have been vandalised, exposing the brickwork, on the eastern elevation with blockwork now lying next to the base. The lightning conductors to the West and East elevations are no longer connected to the ground. The adjacent leisure park is now majority tenanted.

Guides to Development

Conservation Area
Lochee
Planning Authority Contact
PAC Telephone Number
01382 433105

Availability

Current Availability
Unknown
Appointed Agents
Price
Occupancy
Vacant
Occupancy Type
N/A
Present/Former Uses
Name of Owners
Unverified see FAQ on ascertaining ownership
Type of Ownership
Unknown

Information Services

Additional Contacts/Information Source
Bibliography
Architects and Architecture on Tayside (1984) B.Walker and S.Gauldie p149; Dundee an illustrated architectural guide(1993) C.McKean and D.Walker p109
Online Resources
Classification
Textile Industries
Original Entry Date
26-MAR-10
Date of Last Edit
02/06/2016