The factory was commissioned by Packer and Co in 1901, designed by the architect F Shove and built by Bristol’s pre-eminent builders of the time: William Cowlin & Sons. The factory was designed as four principle buildings with three glazed hauling ways between them. The main buildings are made from brick, cast iron columns and timber flooring (which was becoming increasingly un-fashionable in large factories). A later 5 storey concrete framed and brick clad building, was erected on the eastern end of the site sometime before the Second World War. The factory was closed in 2006, bringing an end to over 100 years of chocolate production on the site.
Today
Planning permission was granted in April to transform the factory into a series of apartments and offices. The design firm Squarepeg owns the site and intends to create flagship cycle and eco-friendly studio apartments, due to the site’s close proximity to the Bristol-Bath cycleway. Work was already begun and a number of machines from the site have been cleared.
A lot more information including history can be found at:
<a href="http://www.greenbankchocolatefactory.../drawings.html" rel="nofollow">www.greenbankchocolatefactory.../drawings.html</a>
The Mcfly music video Lies was filmed inside the factory as can be seen:
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byPmV-Zbmmk" rel="nofollow">www.youtube.com/watch?v=byPmV-Zbmmk</a>
