Carolyn and Peter Hammond’s Then & Now Brentford has this picture of the premises of the Peerless Pump Company seen from the river front in around 1982.

The large house to the right, surrounded by the factory premises, dates back to the 1720s.

It was originally a pair of semi detached houses, one fronting onto Ferry Lane and the other looking the opposite way.

They were bought by the Rowe family, owners of the Thames Soap Works in 1806 and the right hand half became the home of the Rowe family and of later owners of the works, while the left hand half was used for offices for the works.

The dividing wall between the two houses was not breached until 1952.

After the soap works closed in the 1930s the buildings were used by Alfred Lockhart (Marine) and the houses became the administrative offices and caretaker’s flat.

In the 1950s the premises were bought by Varley Pumps & Engineering, later the Peerless Pump Company and the houses went though more changes but were still used as offices. Peerless Pump finally left the site in 1989.

The modern photograph shows the development of the area as part of the Ferry Quays estate of flats, shops and restaurants.

The old House has been restored and is still partly offices and partly residential.