British Xylionite Factory - Brantham - July 2016

Hey everyone,

So am not sure if anyone saw my post looking to get back out there, but I finally did! Met with a great guy WarBuildings and I got to breath in that amazing derelict smell and enjoy natures take on reclaiming this huge site.

In case you have been locked in a box for the past decade here is some history:

British Xylonite (BX) Plastics was a former plastics engineering and production company. The company was one of three subsidiaries of the

British Xylonite Company established by 1938. BX Plastics made xylonite (also known as celluloid or ivoride) and lactoid (also known as casein) at a plant to the south of Brantham in Suffolk, on the north bank of the River Stour across the river from Manningtree in Essex. The company was liquidated in 1999.

The British Xylonite Company had been established by English inventor Daniel Spill in 1877, with American investor Levi Parsons Merriam. It established factories at Hackney Wick and Homerton, in East London, and then expanded to Brooklands Farm near Brantham in 1887 and Hale End near Walthamstow in 1897.



By 1938 British Xylonite had established three subsidiaries - BX Plastics, Halex and Cascelloid. Halex was based in Highams Park, Hale End, in North London and made finished goods (including table tennis balls). Cascelloid had been acquired in 1931, based in Leicester and Coalville, and made toys. Cascelloid was later renamed Palitoy and sold to General Mills in 1968 and then to Tonka 1987, which was acquired by Hasbro in 1991.

Distillers acquired a 50% interest in BX Plastics in 1939, and Distillers then acquired the rest of the British Xylonite group in 1961, merging it into a 50:50 joint venture with Union Carbide's Bakelite company in 1962 to form Bakelite Xylonite in 1963. Distillers sold its 50% interest to BP in 1967, and Union Carbide's European interests were acquired by British Petroleum in 1978, including the remaining Bakelite Xylonite plants.

The Brantham site had been sold in 1966 to British Industrial Plastics, a subsidiary of Turner & Newall, who were in turn acquired Storey Brothers of Lancaster in 1977. The company became Wardle Storeys in 1984. The site finally closed in 2007 and has remained empty since.

--------------------------

I love this place, and haven't seen it all! The decay is beautiful, there is some lovely street art, and is a lovely safe place for me getting back into exploring. Hope the pics are ok!

_MG_0165 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/tams_pics/, on Flickr
_MG_0178 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/tams_pics/, on Flickr
_MG_0198 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/tams_pics/, on Flickr
_MG_0199 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/tams_pics/, on Flickr
_MG_0204 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/tams_pics/, on Flickr

_MG_0212 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/tams_pics/, on Flickr
_MG_0242 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/tams_pics/, on Flickr

_MG_0260 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/tams_pics/, on Flickr

_MG_0266 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/tams_pics/, on Flickr

Great shots.

Very good post and good photographs as well. This place has gone through quite a lot of owners in the past. You also gave a good history write up.

Very nice!

Nicely Done, Thanks

nice bit of history and a great read! super pics too. heard about this place a couple years ago but not taken the plunge as yet..
can you recommend anywhere to park?

Great shots,great history.Thanks for sharing.

Really nicley done - love how the vegitaion is taking over - war buildings is a top geezer - you picked a really good egg to go with.
good job

do you know the street or where about this? i live near and think about visiting.

chleo.x1 said:

do you know the street or where about this? i live near and think about visiting.

Click to expand...

Brooklands Farm, Brantham. But it's been redeveloped.

I wonder if the firm made the plastic 'coolie hat' lampshades the army used
in barrack rooms and offices in the 1950s and 1960s. Cleaning them needed
a gentle touch so as not to break them.

Look at all that Dexion!

Xylonite from what i read from my books here many years ago and hence from memory was derived from guncotton (see Spons 'Workshop Receipts') and was an imitation ivory, used for cutlery handles and better quality fishing rod handles.

Just-jo said:

Look at all that Dexion!

Xylonite from what i read from my books here many years ago and hence from memory was derived from guncotton (see Spons 'Workshop Receipts') and was an imitation ivory, used for cutlery handles and better quality fishing rod handles.

Click to expand...

If that is so, then most of my grandparents' cutlery had Xylonite handles, and somewhat yellowed. My present cutlery drawer has some distinctly old-fashioned knives, forks and spoons with similar 'plastic' handles consisting of two halves riveted onto a flat stainless steel inner section.