Branston Depot
Branston Depot is a former ordnance facility at Branston, Staffordshire.
| Branston Depot | |
|---|---|
| Branston, Staffordshire | |
 Branston Depot | |
  Branston Depot Location within Staffordshire | |
| Coordinates | 52.7886°N 01.6564°W |
| Type | Depot |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Ministry of Defence |
| Operator |  British Army |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1917–1918 |
| Built for | War Office |
| In use | 1940-1961 1964-1975 |
History
The site was originally conceived as the National Machine Gun Factory but by the time construction was completed in November 1918 the First World War was over and no machine guns were ever manufactured there.[1] Crosse & Blackwell briefly used the factory for producing pickle (Branston Pickle) between 1920 and 1925 and the Branston Artificial Silk Company produced Rayon there between 1927 and 1930.[1] In the late 1930s the site was again acquired by the War Office, purchased and converted at a cost of £500,000, to serve as the Army's main clothing depot.[2] During the Second World War Branston Depot served as a major ordnance facility; the depot closed in 1961 when operations moved to Bicester.[1] Parts of the site were used for the storage of components for Royal Ordnance between 1964 and 1975[1] and more recently parts of the site have been developed for housing.[3]
References
- "Branston Depot History". Burton on Trent History. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
- Steer, Brigadier Frank (2005). To The Warrior His Arms: the story of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps 1918-1993. Barnsley, S. Yorks: Pen & Sword.
- "Branston Depot gets green light despite concerns". Burton Mail. 21 October 2013. Retrieved 28 June 2016.