epw022964 ENGLAND (1928). The tannery on Westgate, Chichester, 1928. This image has been produced from a damaged negative.

This tannery can be seen in the distance in photo EAW018169 taken 16th August 1948.

Research of these records may be helpful: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/A2A/records.aspx?cat=182-ams10810&cid=-1#-1

Dear all,



I've been having a look at this and I think it's the tannery inbetween the River Lavant and Westgate, on the west side of Chichester. Would you agree?



Yours, Katy

Britain from Above cataloguing Team Leader

Hi Tony D and Class31, thanks for following up on my post of this morning. I'll include this one in the work I'm doing to update located images!



It's really interesting looking back over the "conversation" about this image. Now I'm wondering why it didn't occur to me sooner that the site was a tannery...but contributors were on the right lines thinking about a "light" industry that would have buildings with these characteristics. I've never visited Baker and Co (http://www.jfjbaker.co.uk/index.php) but it would be very instructive to compare their premises.



Yours, Katy

"In 1937 British Cellophane set up production on a site in Bridgwater, when unemployment levels in the town were high. The new buildings covered 59 acres (240,000 m2) of the former Sydenham Manor fields, and had direct railway access."



The above quote from Wikipedia satisfies thge query re road/rail and accounts for the ventilation. In view of the date of the photo could this be the precursor?

I think this might be a small pottery or ceramic tile factory. Natural light is needed for hand painting, the chimney may be for a kiln, hence the pigeon box vent on the shed next door. Open sided buildings might be drying sheds. The far building looks like a railway station, I've marked where it looks like the platform ends. Textile and chemical processes usually require a good water supply (and not just for power) there doesn't seem to be one here.