The Bata shoe factory and estate was built in East Tilbury the 1930s by Czecheslovakian entrepeneur Thomas Bata. It was modelled on the original factory in Zlín, now in the Czech Republic, and hence survives as an unusual piece of Czech industrial Modernism here in Essex. The factory was converted into the Thames Industrial Park…
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Following intense bombing during the Second World War, Londoners were in need of new homes – and fast. The solution adopted by the Government was a unique scheme which saw temporary homes being built in factories, sometimes by prisoners of war, to speed up the construction process. 1,500 homes were destroyed in Lewisham in the…
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Located near the village of Dailly on the western coast of Scotland, Dalquharran Castle is a category A listed building which was completed in 1790. Two castles actually exist on the site, an older one which was abandoned in the 19th Century and this one which was in use until the 1960’s. The estate, including…
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Silver End is a village in the Braintree area of Essex, constructed in the late 1920s as a self-contained ‘model village’ by Francis Henry Crittall; who established his Crittall Windows factory at the centre of the village. Crittall steel-framed windows achieved international popularity in everything from military buildings to the Titanic. Crittall aimed to provide…
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The plotlands was an area of natural land available for rent/purchase as holiday spots, popular with Londoners who wanted to escape to the countryside. No proper development was really carried out and the residences, pathways, and streets, were the handywork of those visiting Dunton for leisure. It was used as a plotlands site until 1980…
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Woodhouse Farm dates back to the early 17th century and is Grade II listed, despite being modified over the years. It lies derelict next to the former RAF Rivenhall site near Whitham however since visiting the site we’ve seen plans which show that the farm will be restored and made into a visitor heritage museum….
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Taken in 2017, we captured the start of demolition of dozens of houses as part of a multi-billion pound regeneration scheme of Canning Town and Custom House, with 10,000 homes set to be built on the site of these now demolished homes. The single storey buildings on Wouldham Road, Chedworth Close, Rathbone Street and Clarkson…
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Canvey Island’s civil defence sirens – used to warn residents of air raids in WWII, potential nuclear bombs in the Cold War, and flood emergencies since the North Sea Floods of 1953, remained installed and frequently tested until around 2014. It is not entirely clear if this siren was from WWII, but even if this…
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Shortly before BTP Liam wrote this article, he began reading the book ‘Southend at War’ by the excellent local author Dee Gordon. Beyond the Point’s affiliation with the Imperial War Museum Centenary Partnership meant that it would be both appropriate and useful to create a short documentary on Southend in the First World War inspired…
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Built as a nod to Canvey’s Dutch heritage and the two remaining cottages from the 17th Century, 1930s’ pioneer Lt. Cpl. Fielder built three houses shaped like them yet taller on the ‘Zeeland Estate’. The two survivors, off Long Road down Beechcroft Road, had thatched roofs. The 1930s black and white photographs are from CanveyIsland.org…
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