Friday Photo – The Reliance Works, Pickering & Mayell

This week’s Friday photo is of a JQ favourite located on Caroline Street. Formally the Reliance Works of Pickering & Mayell Ltd, this property dates from 1826 and was originally constructed as a pair of houses with rear workshops.

Spot the beautifully-preserved ghost signs on the front and side of the building and they’ll give you a clue about the building’s history. Pickering & Mayell was a jewellery-case-making works specialising in silver. Some of the early occupants were noted silversmiths, George Unite and Nathaniel Mills. The building retains a lot of its original features and if you look closely at the side of the building lining Kenyon Street, you’ll notice that some of the original wooden-framed windows survive. That’s pretty impressive if I don’t say so myself!