1971 blue sky view over autumn trees, looking east towards the smoking chimneys of the former Swanscombe and Northfleet Cement Works, from Knockhall Road, near the Ingress Tavern, Greenhithe, North Kent, UK
1971 blue sky autumnal view from Knockhall Road, near the Ingress Tavern at Greenhithe, North Kent, looking east towards the smoking chimneys of the former Swanscombe and Northfleet Cement Works. The history of cement manufacturing at Swanscombe and Northfleet dates to the late 18th century. In the 1790s clergyman, James Parker patented 'Roman Cement' (a dry mixture of chalk and clay mixed and fired) and set up a factory at Northfleet. In 1825 James Frost patented 'British Cement' (the chalk and clay mixed with water and the slurry fired) and set up a factory at Galley Hill, Swanscombe (chimney let of shot). In the 1820s Leeds businessman, Joseph Aspdin patented 'Portland Cement', the forerunner of modern cement with gypsum added to the mix. In 1834 John Bazley White bought the Swanscombe Works, at Galley Hill. In 1846 William Aspdin, son of Joseph Aspdin , took over the Northfleet works. In July 1900 twenty-four cement manufacturing companies in the UK merged to form the Associated Portland Cement Manufacturing Company (APCM). In 1920 the Cement Marketing Company was established to control the sale of all cement sold by APCM. The 'Blue Circle' logo was introduced. In the 1960s APCM commissioned a new Northfleet Works, which opened in 1970 as one of the largest and most advanced cement factories in the world, with an annual output of over 1 million tonnes of cement (chimneys right of shot). It has its own deep water jetty on the Tames for exports. In 2001 APCM 'Blue Circle' cement was taken over by Lafarge of France. In 2008 the Northfleet Works was closed due to a shortage of chalk reserves. Demolition commenced in 2009. The Swanscombe Works, the largest cement plant in Britain between 1840 and 1930, was demolished in 1993. In the early 1970s the Greenhithe, Swanscombe, Northfleet landscape was badly disfigured by chalk pits, many of which have now been filled in and built on or in. The industry also created a large amount of white dust.
Size: 1615px × 1084px
Location: Knockhall Road, near the Ingress Tavern, east to former cement works, Greenhithe, Kent, UK
Photo credit: © robert harrison / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 1971, autumn, autumnal, blue, cement, chalk, chimneys, day, factories, factory, greenhithe, historical, history, industry, kent, knockhall, landscape, northfllet, road, sky, smoke, smoklng, social, sunny, swanscombe, trees, uk, view, works
