Stanch

I spotted this on a derelict factory in Bailey Lane whilst rambling around Sheffield last week. A Google search revealed that I looked at just the right moment as someone had recently enquired about the carving on a local message board and the answers were to be found as under:

This is the Dog Brand trademark of J & Riley Carr Ltd the manufacturing company that occupied the building until the 1950's. The business was established by Riley Carr in 1806 in Bailey Lane but relocated to Herries Road South in 1954. Originally the company were concerned with merchanting steel and making steel and saw fenders but later manufactured saws, files and machine knives.

The phrase "a stanch (or staunch) dog" means a good, reliable hunting dog.