BARROW’S King of Bricks William Gradwell started his building empire as a joiner in Roose from 1844 and moved to Barrow in 1855.

His first important contract was for a wood pier on Roa Island, which was completed in 1847

His Hindpool Saw Mills covered seven acres in Hindpool Road – now Hollywood Park - and worked with timber brought in at Devonshire Dock.

He built The Hindpool Central School in Holker Street in 1876 – its latest use was as the Alfred Barrow School before in closed in 1979 and the site was cleared for a Kwik Save store.

Gradwell built the Duke of Edinburgh Hotel, St James’ Church, between 1867 and 1869 and the North Lonsdale Hospiral, between 1882 and 1887.

He was also responsible for Barrow Presbyterian Church, Barrow Shipbuilding Works and Barrow Working Men’s Club and Institute.

His firm built Crellin Street around 1866 for John Crellin.

In the early 1870s he started work on the Barrow Steam Powered Corn Mill.

This had electric lighting by 1885. It closed in 1967 and was destroyed by fire in 1972.

Gradwell also built Ramsden Square

Another of his firm’s contracts was the building of a new Barrow Post Office on the approach to the High Level Bridge.

The architect was Henry Tanner and the building opened on December 15 in 1890.

The Lancashire Evening Post on December 16 in 1890 noted that the cost was £3,600 and said: “It is built of local brick, with dressings of St Bees sandstone.

“The contractors were the executors of the late William Gradwell.”