Introduction
The Locker Group is proud to support The Wire Works exhibition — a major heritage project celebrating Warrington’s world-famous wire industry.
Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the project began in 2020 to preserve and share the stories of the people, companies and innovations that shaped the town’s industrial history.
Celebrating Warrington’s Wire Heritage
Warrington has a long and proud connection with wire manufacturing. In fact, the town became so closely associated with the industry that the local rugby team earned the nickname “The Wire”.
For more than 140 years, Locker has been part of that history. Thomas Locker is believed to have been the first person in the world to weave wire mesh using a steam-powered loom — a major innovation during the Industrial Revolution.
Today, Locker Group continues that tradition by designing and manufacturing woven wire mesh solutions for industrial, architectural and heatshielding applications.
Supporting The Wire Works Exhibition
Locker Group donated wire mesh materials used in several of the exhibition’s central artworks.
The company also helped demonstrate how wire mesh remains relevant in modern engineering and design applications.
One of the exhibition highlights was a wire mesh rugby ball sculpture created by Locker’s Peter Bradburn. The sculpture linked together:
- Warrington’s industrial history
- Locker’s manufacturing heritage
- The town’s rugby culture
The rugby ball also included a working Faraday cage compartment. Visitors could place their mobile phone inside and observe how woven wire mesh blocks electromagnetic signals.
This type of Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) and Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) shielding remains an important modern application for specialist wire mesh products.
Working with Local Artists
Locker Group partnered with Warrington artist Christine Wilcox-Baker to help create the exhibition’s featured wire mesh artwork.
Christine previously collaborated with Locker on a large King Canute sculpture made entirely from woven wire mesh for the RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park.
For The Wire Works exhibition, she created “Winnie” — a sculpture representing an early female wire worker. The artwork highlights the important role women played in the local wire industry over many generations.
Supporting Future Designers and Engineers
The project also involved architecture students from Priestley College in Warrington.
Using donated Locker wire mesh, the students created six sculptures inspired by the town’s history and industrial heritage.
Locker team members Adrian Billingsley and Joe Harrison also visited the college to give a presentation on the use of wire mesh in architectural applications.
The collaboration helped demonstrate how traditional manufacturing materials can still inspire modern design, engineering and creative projects.
A Project Built Around Community
The Wire Works project was led by Warrington Borough Council in partnership with:
- Culture Warrington
- Local volunteers
- Artist Laurence Payot
- Artist Christine Wilcox-Baker
- Media company Ludovico
Together, the project helped bring Warrington’s industrial history to life for a new generation.
Learn More About Locker Group
Locker Group designs and manufactures woven wire mesh solutions for industrial, architectural and heatshielding applications.
From filtration and screening to architectural facades and offshore shielding systems, Locker continues to support customers worldwide from its Warrington manufacturing base.
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