De La Rue Printworks, High Wycombe. September 2009.

De La Rue is a major printing company that manufactures items for which high security is necessary, chiefly passports and banknotes. It was founded by Thomas de la Rue in 1821, and quickly became a well-respected printing firm. Over the years it acquired contracts for high-importance work, such as banknotes and stamps, and in 1862 became the only foreign printer to manufacture stamps for America (albeit the Confederate States). Over the years the company expanded with a number of facilities, and is still successful today. It was however deemed that this particular factory was unnecessary and so it was shut down in mid 2003. I am unsure of its age, although vague information found on the internet states that it was sixty-nine years old when it closed and that it was a Harrisons factory until the late 1960's.

Sadly it is pretty well stripped out, although the remaining boilers are brilliant. Still, a site of this size always has a certain charm with its vast factory floors, even if a lot of them are totally dark. Also, I apologise if I've gone overboard on the wide angle shots - particularly the second to last one, of the stairs. My first day with a 10-20mm and I may have gone a little over the top...







Nice roof too.










Thanks go to Landie Man for finding this!

Nothing wrong with a wide-angle lens!
Nice pics and interesting history.

Nice pics Liam. I work near H/Wyc in Marlow, looks like a brilliant place.

It was harrisons till the 1980s, I have family who worked there before it was de la rue in the 80s

I came across this one when looking for a Compressor factory nearby, (which as it turned out had recently been Reduced to a pile of rubble. ) We never had time to get inside De La Rue so its good to see some interiors.

Personally I think you've done pretty well with the 10-20. you've resisted the urge to take photos with shockingly distorted verticals which is the most important thing It's a common mistake people make start to use them.

I'm a bit suprised its still there tbh, I had a feeling it would have gone by now!

An enjoyable selection of photographs -thanks LCH

Looks like an interesting site! Like the wide angle shots!

Hi, had a trip there a couple of weeks ago on a friday, there was activity and a car parked inside, looked like engineers decommissioning some machinery, left ond went home.

Not seen this one before looks good! Could you PM me a flashearth?