Barnbow WW1 site walk

[harrym1byt]

Rather late to let you know, but two maybe three of us are meeting outside Wilsons pie shop near the Crossgates Centre entrance on Austhorpe Road, at 11am tomorrow (Monday 24th October) to take a walk to the Barnbow WW1 Shell factory. The site has been much in the news recently, for the part it played in supplying munitions, the largest in the UK. Its an open invitation for anyone who might be interested. You can contact me on 075 111 28933.

[volvojack]

Good luck with your walk Harry, hope it stay's dry.


... erm afterwards if you feel like stretching your legs a bit could you pick me up three Wilsons pies, come down the A.61 / A.38 to Gloucester where you and the pies will be made very welcome

[harrym1byt]

It stayed dry and the pies were very welcome too. Sorry, they would have been cold by the time I got to Gloucester

We are planning a second look around the site sometime soon, if anyone fancies? It is a larger site than we expected, but not much to see.

[volvojack]

My Brother in Law worked there some years ago but said although there should have been opportunities to earn good money the best jobs were given by the Charge hands to the lads in the "Clique" and you were not in you got by passed. As a coincidence he now lives on Austhorpe Lane directly opposite the old site.

Another friend of mine from Beeston worked there and he said it was chaotic , the amount of waste and bad workmanship that was covered up mainly by the Union men. even once a whole tank turret was written off.
The other thing was that on a Friday lunchtime workers could go have a few pints in the Manston pub and then when they went back to the gate the security would not let them in so they were allowed to go home, end of story. can't imagine many employers letting that happen.

[harrym1byt]

Volvojack - that is not the same factory. The one you mentioned above is the tank factory on the south side, the one we were exploring was the WW1 shell/ munitions factory much further along Manston Lane and on the north, side which partially surrounded the farm buildings at the end. It was the largest such shell making facility in the UK, mostly 'manned' by women.

We are pencilling in a second 'expedition' to explore the site some more, for the Saturday 12th November, should anyone want to join us.