Rodboro Buildings
A Grade II listed former motor-vehicle factory in Guildford, Surrey, now occupied primarily by a JD Wetherspoon pub.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Rodboro Buildings is a historic industrial building on the corner of Bridge Street and Onslow Street in Guildford, Surrey, England. Constructed in 1901 for the Dennis Brothers motor and cycle manufacturing business, it is regarded as one of the earliest purpose-built motor-car factories in England and is an important surviving example of the country's early automobile-manufacturing architecture. The building is Grade II listed for its architectural and historical significance, particularly its connection with the development of British car production. The factory was established after John Dennis and his brother Raymond outgrew workshops in Guildford's former barracks on Onslow Street. The original complex consisted of three interconnected, three-storey buildings with a basement. Its steel frame, brown-brick cladding, red-brick detailing, large windows and roof lights created a relatively modern industrial environment with substantial natural illumination. The western section was occupied by the Dennis company in 1901 while construction of the remainder continued. The building was designed for an integrated manufacturing operation. The basement provided storage, while the ground floor contained offices, a showroom and a Crossley engine-driven dynamo. Vehicle assembly and finishing took place on the upper floors, with a lift allowing vehicles and materials to move through the factory. By 1902, Dennis was producing approximately 300 vehicles annually at the site. The premises also supported engineering development, including work on a worm-driven rear axle introduced to replace the chain drive used on earlier cars. An extension in 1904 enabled Dennis to expand from passenger cars into commercial vehicles, initially vans and buses. Continued growth led the company to establish a larger factory at Woodbridge Hill, north of Guildford. The first Dennis fire engine produced at the Bridge Street works appeared in 1908. By 1913, production had moved entirely to Woodbridge Hill, although the original building continued to accommodate company offices and commercial-vehicle servicing until its closure and sale in 1916. The building later acquired its present name from the Rodboro boot and shoe company, which occupied the premises from 1919 until 1927. Its subsequent occupants reflected the changing industrial and commercial life of Guildford. Engineering firms, a stationer and printer, a Kodak subsidiary, and various ground-floor retailers used parts of the building. During the Second World War it was initially used by the Red Cross to prepare prisoner-of-war parcels before being requisitioned for munitions production. After the war, several earlier occupants returned, and the building also accommodated a manufacturer of cricket sweaters, a confectionery warehouse and wholesalers. From the 1960s it became associated with dance schools and nightclubs, while its ground-floor units had at different times included shops and vehicle-related businesses. Plans in the 1980s to demolish it for road widening prompted heritage intervention. English Heritage listed it Grade II in 1986, recognising its place in the history of British motor manufacturing. The property remained unused for roughly 15 years after listing. JD Wetherspoon subsequently reached an agreement with Guildford council to renovate the building and convert much of it into a public house. The Rodboro Buildings pub opened on 17 December 1998 and retained the historic name. It closed temporarily for refurbishment in 2013 and reopened on 6 September that year. The reopening commemorated the building's automotive history: John Dennis, a grandson of one of the founders, attended in a Dennis 8HP car manufactured at the site in 1902, while the Dennis Society brought preserved Dennis buses. Today, the lower ground floor, ground floor and part of the first floor are used by the JD Wetherspoon pub. Other parts of the building accommodate the Academy of Contemporary Music. The property therefore combines heritage conservation, hospitality and contemporary educational use while retaining visible links to Guildford's early motor industry.
History
Rodboro Buildings began as a purpose-built factory for the Dennis Brothers, a Guildford company founded and operated by brothers John and Raymond Dennis. By 1900 their motor and cycle business had outgrown workshops in the former barracks on Onslow Street. A new factory was consequently built in 1901 at the junction of Bridge Street and Onslow Street. The complex comprised three linked steel-framed buildings, each three storeys high with a basement, and used brick cladding, red-brick architectural detailing, large windows and roof lights. The first part of the factory was occupied in 1901, before construction of the rest of the complex had finished. Its layout supported a vertically integrated manufacturing process. Storage occupied the basement; offices, a showroom and an engine-driven electrical generator were located on the ground floor; and vehicle assembly and finishing took place on the upper floors. A lift at the south-eastern end moved vehicles between levels. The factory was producing about 300 vehicles a year by 1902 and was also used for engineering development. One notable innovation associated with the works was the development of a worm-driven rear axle, which replaced the chain-drive arrangement used on earlier Dennis cars. An extension completed in 1904 supported production of commercial vehicles, including vans and buses, in addition to cars. The company's expansion soon required a larger production site at Woodbridge Hill, approximately one mile north of the town centre. The first Dennis fire engine produced at the Bridge Street factory was completed in 1908. By 1913 all vehicle manufacturing had moved to Woodbridge Hill, but the older premises remained in use for Dennis offices and commercial-vehicle servicing. The factory was eventually closed and sold in 1916. The next major occupant was the Rodboro boot and shoe company, which took over the premises in 1919 and brought skilled workers from Northampton and Bedford. Shoe production continued until 1927, giving the building the name by which it is now generally known. During the following decades the premises changed uses repeatedly. Engineering businesses such as Webbers and Blackburn Engineering occupied the building, followed by Dowdeswell, a stationer and printer, and Taylors, a Kodak subsidiary. Individual ground-floor units were also used by small retailers and automotive businesses. At the beginning of the Second World War, the Red Cross used the building to prepare parcels for prisoners of war. The premises were then requisitioned for munitions manufacture, which continued through the war. In the post-war period Dowdeswell and Taylors returned, while Keefe & Lewis used the building to produce cricket sweaters for county and national teams. Other signs and records point to use as a confectionery warehouse and wholesale premises. By the 1960s, parts of the building had become a dance school and nightclub venue. The survival of the structure came under threat in the 1980s when demolition was proposed as part of a road-widening scheme. English Heritage intervened and listed the building Grade II in 1986, emphasising its connection with the early history of car production in Britain. It remained derelict for approximately 15 years. JD Wetherspoon later agreed with Guildford council to renovate the building for use as a pub. The Rodboro Buildings opened on 17 December 1998. A further refurbishment led to a temporary closure in 2013, followed by reopening on 6 September. The event drew attention to the site's origins: John Dennis, a grandson of a Dennis founder, arrived in a Dennis 8HP car built at the factory in 1902, and members of the Dennis Society attended with preserved Dennis buses. The current arrangement uses the lower ground floor, ground floor and part of the first floor as a JD Wetherspoon pub, while the remaining upper-floor space is occupied by the Academy of Contemporary Music. The building thus survives as both a listed industrial monument and an active mixed-use property.
- 2013
Pub reopens after refurbishment
[1]The venue reopened on 6 September following refurbishment, with a commemorative appearance by a Dennis 8HP car and preserved Dennis buses.
- 1998
Conversion to JD Wetherspoon pub completed
[2]After a prolonged period of dereliction, the renovated building opened as The Rodboro Buildings pub on 17 December.
- 1986
Grade II listing granted
[1]English Heritage listed the building for its architectural and historical importance, especially its place in British car-making history.
- 1940
Wartime munitions use begins
[1]After an initial Red Cross role preparing prisoner-of-war parcels, the building was commandeered for munitions manufacture.
- 1927
Shoe manufacturing ends
[1]Rodboro's boot and shoe production at the building came to an end.
- 1919
Rodboro boot and shoe company takes occupation
[1]Rodboro moved into the premises and began shoe manufacturing, establishing the building's enduring name.
- 1916
Dennis vacates and building is sold
[1]The former factory closed as a Dennis production location and was sold.
- 1913
Vehicle production transferred to Woodbridge Hill
[1]Dennis moved all manufacturing activity to its larger Woodbridge Hill site, leaving the Bridge Street building for offices and servicing.
- 1908
First Dennis fire engine leaves the works
[1]The first Dennis fire engine produced at the Bridge Street factory was completed.
- 1904
Factory extended for commercial vehicles
[1]An extension allowed Dennis to expand production beyond cars into vans and buses.
Products and positioning
A preserved early automobile-manufacturing building that functions as a locally significant heritage venue, JD Wetherspoon pub and contemporary music-education site.
Automotive manufacturing · 1901
Dennis motor vehicles
The building was originally designed for Dennis Brothers production of cars, cycles and later commercial vehicles. Its manufacturing history included vans, buses and development work on vehicle components. Production had moved to Woodbridge Hill by 1913, but the original factory remains historically associated with the early Dennis range and with the development of Dennis fire engines.
Hospitality venue · 1998
The Rodboro Buildings pub
A JD Wetherspoon public house occupying the lower ground floor, ground floor and part of the first floor of the listed building. It opened in 1998 after adaptive reuse and continues to operate under the historic Rodboro Buildings name.
Music education
Academy of Contemporary Music facilities
Parts of the first and second floors are used by the Academy of Contemporary Music, giving the former factory an educational and creative-industry function alongside its pub use.
Brand decisions
2013
Refurbishment and heritage-focused reopeningOtherBackground
The JD Wetherspoon pub required renovation after more than a decade of operation.
Action taken
The venue closed for several weeks, underwent refurbishment and reopened on 6 September.
Aftermath
The reopening reinforced the building's connection with Dennis Brothers through the appearance of a 1902 Dennis 8HP car and preserved Dennis buses.
1998
Historic factory converted into public houseStrategyBackground
Rodboro Buildings had been unused for approximately 15 years after receiving listed status.
Action taken
JD Wetherspoon agreed with Guildford council to renovate and adapt the building as a pub while retaining its historic name.
Aftermath
The Rodboro Buildings pub opened on 17 December 1998, returning the property to active public use.
1986
Heritage listing protects the former factoryStrategyBackground
The building faced possible demolition in connection with a proposed road-widening scheme.
Action taken
English Heritage granted Grade II listed status because of the building's architectural qualities and importance to British motor-manufacturing history.
Aftermath
The listing prevented straightforward demolition and preserved the structure for later adaptive reuse, although the building remained derelict for many years.
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