Built by the English Steel Corporation in 1956 Harman and Minnis (2004, p 195) describe the West Machine Shop of the River Don as characteristic of " new style of architecture in the post war boom". Other buildings to the east and west of the machine shop appear to have been rebuilt largely since the 1987 OS although there may be surviving elements dating back to the 1930s. Previous to the 1930s development of the site much of its southern and western area was covered in high density terraced housing.