Chancery Lane Safe Deposit vault info

Faris23

Hello,

I am trying to find out where was all the old Milner’s vaults taken before the remodel in 1953 by John Tann? does anyone have photos of the vaults.

safeman

Faris23 wrote
Hello,

I am trying to find out where was all the old Milner’s vaults taken before the remodel in 1953 by John Tann? does anyone have photos of the vaults.

The original Vaults were originally at the top end of Chancery Lane when built in 1876. The main supplier of security equipment was indeed Milner but there were vast extensions added around 1900 with equipment by the newly founded Ratner Safe Co. who were to become the largest supplier of Safe Deposits in the country.
When bomb damage weakened the structure in WW1 it was decided to relocate and add the London Silver Vaults as two separate adjoining strong rooms. The first site was completely redeveloped and no doubt the doors would have gone to scrap for which there was a great demand just after the war.
The new site was further down Chancery Lane with the entrance in a short side street called Southampton Buildings. This work was completed by John Tann Ltd.in the mid 1930s.
Which vault, the old or the new, do you seek pictures? Only engravings are available for the first as far as I know and photography is forbidden in the second although one or two do exist.

[unknown]

safeman

safeman wrote
The original Vaults were originally at the top end of Chancery Lane when built in 1876. The main supplier of security equipment was indeed Milner but there were vast extensions added around 1900 with equipment by the newly founded Ratner Safe Co. who were to become the largest supplier of Safe Deposits in the country.
When bomb damage weakened the structure in WW1 it was decided to relocate and add the London Silver Vaults as two separate adjoining strong rooms. The first site was completely redeveloped and no doubt the doors would have gone to scrap for which there was a great demand just after the war.
The new site was further down Chancery Lane with the entrance in a short side street called Southampton Buildings. This work was completed by John Tann Ltd.in the mid 1930s.
Which vault, the old or the new, do you seek pictures? Only engravings are available for the first as far as I know and photography is forbidden in the second although one or two do exist.

corrections ; WW2 and 1950’s.

[unknown]

Faris23

so most of the original vaults where scrapped and none where saved? I wish I could see some of the original doors. Are you sure they where not moved to any other location not even one or two?

safeman

Faris23 wrote
so most of the original vaults where scrapped and none where saved? I wish I could see some of the original doors. Are you sure they where not moved to any other location not even one or two?

The cost of properly uninstalling and removing a very heavy strong room door from a demolition site would itself outweigh the value not to mention that an 1876 design would be far below the specification for the 1950s. i.e. high explosives.

This is not a strong room door but a Milner cash safe from roughly the same period which illustrates the lock and boltwork casing which is attached to the back of the door plate by heavy hex-head screws.

[unknown]