Wrexham Industrial Estate
Redwither Tower, largest office building on the estate
|
|
 Location within Wrexham
|
|
| Location | Wrexham, Wales |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 53°02′20″N 2°55′37″W / 53.039°N 2.927°W |
| Owner | Welsh Assembly Government |
| No. of tenants | 300 |
| No. of workers | 7000 |
| Size | 550 hectares |
| Website | www |
Wrexham Industrial Estate is an industrial estate in the north of Wales, situated in the county of Wrexham on the eastern outskirts of the town. Originally the site of a World War II munitions factory, the estate later became known as the Wrexham Trading Estate. It has now grown to cover approximately 550 hectares (1,359 acres) and in geographical terms is the largest in Wales, and second in the UK after Trafford Park in Manchester, and one of the largest industrial estates in Europe. There are around 300 businesses, providing employment for approximately 7000 people. The estate will be the location of a new prison that is due to open in 2017.
The Wrexham Industrial Estate had its origins as a Royal Ordnance Factory, ROF Wrexham, during World War II. The site employed 13,000 workers. The factory made cordite, an explosive propellent for shells. The site was chosen for its distance from German bomber bases in Europe while having good rail networks and a rural location that provided a good supply of labour. The complex was spread over a large area to minimise any damage from aerial attack. The main buildings were camouflaged and existing farm buildings were left in situ to help protect the site against reconnaissance. Many of the original buildings can still be seen today and still house smaller businesses on the estate; these can be distinguished from the 1950s buildings by large grids near the roof, essential for ventilation of the buildings.
The Ministry of Works built a large water abstraction and treatment plant at Sesswick on the River Dee, just to supply the plant, which was amalgamated into the Wrexham Water Company (now Dee Valley Water) in 1951.
To connect the site to the national rail network, a large marshalling yard of 10 separate roads was constructed, and these connected to the works' internal network of rail lines. A passenger platform was built for military usage. All the cordite produced at the plant was taken by these sidings, along the Wrexham and Ellesmere Railway and then to Crewe. For shunting works, locomotives with diesel engines were used instead of steam as they were less likely to ignite any stray cordite, however it is known the works had possession of an 1859 0-4-0ST known as Victory.
...
Wikipedia