Although sadly no longer in existence, the foundry at R.A. Lister was probably the heart of the factory, where the raw metal was poured and shaped into intricate castings ready for machining and assembling into the machines which were sold throughout the world.

The first foundry, started in 1867, was situated at the bottom of Long Street but this was soon expanded to cope with production demand. In the mid 1930s a brand new mechanised foundry was opened which allowed parts to be provided to the assembly lines as they were needed. This foundry continued through until the end although with modifications and improvements. In the late 1970s, the coke fired furnaces were replaced by electrically powered units providing much greater control of the melting process. Unfortunately though this didn't save the foundry and following the recession of the 1980s and increasing competition from abroad throughout the 1990s the Lister-Petter site was acquired by the South West of England Regional Development Agency and most of the buildings at the northern end of the site were demolished in 2002 and 2003. This including the foundry which had ceased working some months before.

Note: for further views of the foundry buildings see the Factory 2002 slide show.
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