British Cellophane Ltd. Bridgewater

[krela]

I recently visited this place with Reaperman and WoTS (thanks for picking me up on your way through guys)

History:

Apologies for the terrible wikipedia grammar!

In 1937 British Cellophane set up production on a site in Bridgwater, when unemployment levels in the town were high. The new buildings covered 59 acres of the former Sydenham Manor fields, and had direct railway access. The factory produced cellophane up until late 1940 during World War II, when it started switching production to war munitions and specifically bailey bridges for the pending invasion of Europe. These was first used in Italy in 1943 by the Royal Engineers. Production ramped up through early-1944 for D-Day.

After the war the Bridgwater factory returned to producing cellophane, with its products exported worldwide. In 1957, a secondary facility was started at Dalton in Lancashire. A subsidiary Colodense Ltd, of Bedminster, Bristol produced specialist printed and coloured bags for lose food packaging in supermarkets. In 1962 it was employing 750+ people. In 1974 the company won the Queen's Award to Industry and by the late 1970s the site produced 40,000 tonnes of cellophane packaging film a year, employing 3,000 people. In 1988 three separate factories on the site were producing cellulose and polyethylene film, and bonded fibre fabric. The rail link closed in 1994, and the Dalton factory was closed after the company was bought by UCB Films (later Innovia Films). The Dalton plant then employed 450 people.

In 2004, due to dwindling sales of cellophane as a result of alternative packaging options, and the fact that viscose was becoming less favoured because of the polluting effects of carbon disulfide and other by-products of the process, Innovia decided to close one of its two plants at either Bridgwater or Tecumseh, east of Topeka, Kansas. British economic development officials offered a $120,000 tax break over three years to Innovia to preserve the Bridgwater plant, while Kansas offered $2 million if it kept the plant at Tecumseh open. As a result, the profit making Bridgwater factory closed in the summer of 2005, while the loss-making factory in Tecumsah remained open.

Photos:

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I would prefer not giving out information about visiting the places I go to so please don't PM me for it. It's not difficult to find if you look around yourself.

 

[King Al]

Very nice good to see your out exploring again, Love the one of the roof top, and the one with the chimney in the background - Looks like you had a nice day for it

 

[sheep2405]

Nice Photos dude....

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[CrashOverride]

Nice camera skills there, looks like a great explore

 

[graybags]

Nice phots guys, one thing I won't forget is the smell of the place......

 

[krela]

one thing I won't forget is the smell of the place......

Yeah, it surprised me how little the place smelt given how bad it was when it was open.

 

[mr_bones]

When i first saw pictures of this place, i thought it looked interesting but never knew it was on such a large scale. Looks like a great explore - and good to see you are still out and about when time allows. Photos are great, and nicely varied.

Great work Krela

 

[Foxylady]

Helluva lot to see...very interesting explore. Excellent photos Krela.

 

[Reaperman]

That looks great, I'll see if i can get a few of my photos up soon. I really like the way yours have turned out. It was a good trip we covered a fair bit of new ground and I had the chance to repeat a few of my lost photos which was a real bonus for me.

I'll try and get some photos up from our other locations soon.

PS, Cheers to Krela for allowing us to kip on your sofa! It was much appreciated.

 

[havoc]

On my list of to do places this, looks fantastic, some quality pics too!

 

[Fennesz]

Great photos! Pass this place almost every day and i too will never forget the stench it left over the town...

 

[Ratters]

krela, fantastic photo's of a great looking place

could you or someone possibly pm me the location please?

 

[ThenewMendoza]

I do like the look of this place. Good pics, nice one.

TnM

 

[bungle666]

nice pics krela, i think im gonna have to take a visit there next time im down that way!!

it looks great!!


bungle

 

[chelle]

Excellent presentation and great pics too...looks like you had the weather for this explore

 

[The Duke]

Top $ photo's. Has anyone found the big house in the middle of the site?

 

[krela]

Top $ photo's. Has anyone found the big house in the middle of the site?

The site isn't entirely abandoned...

 

[Woodsy]

^^^ Indeed.

Cracking shots either way! I feel some new rolls of XP2 are going to be used at some point soon!

 

[rigsby]

Nice photos. British Cellophane is a realy good explore.
Did you see the post office and wage office?

 

[zender126]

Great photos
Ive heard about this place, nice to see it in your pics cos its too far away from me!