# Marconi Radio Factory - Chelmsford - July 2011



## nelly (Jul 25, 2011)

The Marconi Radio Factory, Chelmsford

This was a return visit after getting busted by plod in March after only 20 minutes. 
Back then we only touched the out buildings but had seen enough for it to be put on the back burner. 
With my new baby daughter expected within the week then I was under orders to stay near to home so I could hot foot it back if the "head appeared". 
Little did I know that I would be spending ten hours in a police cell and wouldn't walk through the front door until the early hours of the next morning 

Explored with the brilliant Skeleton Key and a non member called Ben

The History

Marconi's New Street factory was built in 1912 next to the Great Eastern Railway. A railway siding ran across New Street into the factory yard and brought materials in one end of the works and took finished radio equipment out of the other.

At the South end of the building two huge aerial masts once stood, the 450ft (137m) high "Marconi Poles" formed Chelmsfords most prominent landmark.







During the Second World War the Marconi Company employed more than 6,000 people in Chelmsford. Producing vital military communications equipment, the New St factory became a target for bombing and was hit in May 1941 with a loss of 17 lives.

In 1920, two years before the BBC was established, the New Street factory made history as the site of the first official British sound broadcasts including the famous concert by Dame Nellie Melba which was heard all over the world.


















































































































































Right, just to let you all know that the place is PIR'd up to the hilt, sec were on the way almost as soon a we entered and unfortunately we ended up here for nearly 11 hours




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## Ramsgatonian (Jul 25, 2011)

This is great, I love the exterior shots especially.


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## UrbanX (Jul 25, 2011)

Wow! What an explore! 
Was it all worth it?
Some amazing photos, they just get better. Were the plod impressed with your pics?


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## Priority 7 (Jul 25, 2011)

Nice shots bud shame about the ending but lets be honest if it wasn't for one then it would just have been a "Please leave lads".


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## nelly (Jul 25, 2011)

UrbanX said:


> Wow! What an explore!
> Was it all worth it?
> Some amazing photos, they just get better. Were the plod impressed with your pics?



Thanks mate, first explore with the new camera, the police offered no critique of my shots, heathens!!!



Priority 7 said:


> Nice shots bud shame about the ending but lets be honest if it wasn't for one then it would just have been a "Please leave lads".



Should make it clear that P7 is not saying that one of my splore buddies caused us to get nicked, it was a 3rd party that wasn't there that caused us trouble


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## Priority 7 (Jul 25, 2011)

Cheers for making that clearer bud I re-read it and it is very misleading


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## Scaramanger (Jul 25, 2011)

Sorry to hear of the harsh treatment by the plod....

Yet another important building left to crumble in the dust..


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## PaulPowers (Jul 25, 2011)

Nicely done

Shame about the end but it's just another story to tell and the pics look worth it


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## Acebikerchick (Jul 25, 2011)

Wow, brilliant....


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## skeleton key (Jul 26, 2011)

What a day a a true explore on the move lol.
Survived an hour and a half till the curtain fell 
Nelly and Ben top draw fellas
SK / Neil


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## GhoulishGadgets (Jul 27, 2011)

Hi,

I actually went there to do a presentation to the engineers there about 4 or 5 years ago I think, just around the time that it was about to close.

I fell in love with the place then, a total fascination for me and wish I'd had more time that day to see more.

A few of my memories..
- we was in the building opposite the 'wavy' roof building, the room was like the one with the brown wooden walls with one door and openings, may even be the same one.
- the glass in the windows was very cool - really old, orignal glass, where you could see the uneven and warped finish, looking out towards the main building with the 'wavy' roof.
- the main reception was my best experience there, there was a wall, with many holes (bullet i think) and a protective glass cover, also a memorial list - the holes being made in the war when the place was attacked.
- the staff we spent the day with explained marconis love of the sea etc, giving rise to the wavy roof and the impression of a ship on the sea, they said if the building is (was?) viewed from a distance, the taller building bits being the ship and the wavy roof the sea.

I thought it was criminal what was being said for it's future - back then it was going to be demolished for residential development, but a certain part (a frontage I think) was going to be preserved as it's protected.

I can't say what I'd been told was 100% accurate etc, but that was from quite senior staff there, but people do gossip and add to stories over time etc, I'd be interested to know how much of their story is/was true.

I strongly see the need for the results of UE and applaud those who do it and share their work.
I wish more places like this would allow visits to document these places before they're lost for good.
But I do see the need for security in places like this, I hate the braindead, ignorant morons that just want to damage and destroy for no good reason.

Thanks

Si


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## nelly (Jul 27, 2011)

Thanks Si, some nice memories there.

The wavy roofed building is very nice but I didn't know that information about the ship effect, cheers


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## Em_Ux (Jul 28, 2011)

Nice shots Nelly.

Sorry to hear it didn't end very well.

I've seen this place from the outside. Did you see the Goldfish outside?


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## nelly (Jul 28, 2011)

Em_Ux said:


> Did you see the Goldfish outside?



Thanks Em and no. We had done that side on a previous visit and concentrated on the bigger buiuldings this time. Besides I'd forgotton my fish food


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## Em_Ux (Jul 28, 2011)

nelly said:


> Thanks Em and no. We had done that side on a previous visit and concentrated on the bigger buiuldings this time. Besides I'd forgotton my fish food



Yeah it would of been a bit rude to not turn up with the food


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## Raggy (Jul 29, 2011)

Looks like an amazing site, it would be criminal to demolish such beautiful buildings


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