# Chemical plant Wirral September 2015



## Lavino (Sep 13, 2015)

visited the croda chemical plant myself @woopashoopaa @telf @the Kwan and thanks to Kwan for giving us the tour of this huge site. Covered the whole site apart from the one with the clock tower and it did look rather good. We had heard that security patrolled the site on a motorbike we did here one but never saw one. But we did see the metal fairies who were so busy they ran past us in one room and didn't even see us lol. So here's some history and some of my photos...


THE HISTORY
Croda was originally owned by Price's Patent Candle Company. In 1853, Palm oil was brought into Liverpool and so the company needed a site to use the palm oil closer to Liverpool than taking it to London by boat. The company build what is now Bromborough Pool village and opened a new factory in Bromborough. The factory opened in 1855 and the company went from having 84 staff in 1840 to a remarkable 2300.

In 1919 the company was taken over by Lever Brothers who used the site for soap production. There is no longer any evidence of either of these companies having used the site. In 1936 the Lever Brothers pulled out of candle production but continued to use the site until 1997 when ICI bought it off Unilever (Unichema on-site), formerly Lever Brothers/Margarine Union.

Since then it has been known as Croda International and continued production of fatty acids and glycerol until late 2009 when the site ceased production. The site is still very much live, but is in the process of being decommissioned and demolished, which has resulted in the loss of 115 jobs mainly held by people living in Bromborough Pool village.


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## smiler (Sep 13, 2015)

You Nailed this one Lavino, fantastic report and pics, Thanks


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## krela (Sep 13, 2015)

Haha love the no mincing sign.


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## Telf. (Sep 13, 2015)

Some cracking shots there m8, thanks for a great day, and I always thought them metal fairies came out after dark, I've honestly never seen any before this trip.


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## Tizzme (Sep 13, 2015)

49 year old,and ive just had to lookup MINCING :embarrassed:


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## Lavino (Sep 13, 2015)

Telf. said:


> Some cracking shots there m8, thanks for a great day, and I always thought them metal fairies came out after dark, I've honestly never seen any before this trip.



Think they were as surprised to see us as we were to see them haha. Funny when we head the hacksaw and we all looked at each other thinking it was one of us doing it. And when Kwan went in security office and thought he was sat there ha never seen him move as fast ..


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## HughieD (Sep 14, 2015)

Blimey...that is one BIG site with some real variety. Liked that.


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## UrbanX (Sep 14, 2015)

Blimey that place looks huge! Nice and varied too. 
Cracking set of images, and that is the best sign in the world!


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## krela (Sep 14, 2015)

Had more chance to have a proper look now. Thank you for a new (to me) industrial site, my favourite kind of site. 

So who's taking me and when are we going?! 

Thanks Lavino, love it.


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## Lavino (Sep 16, 2015)

Thanks for all your comments


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## TheNarrator (Sep 16, 2015)

Awesome post! I like how their awards are still sat near the reception!


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## Bill_UK (Sep 16, 2015)

Amazing pics, not far from me also.


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## 4201Chieftain (Sep 17, 2015)

Really nice!! No mincing ha ha ha


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