Site of Marconi School of Wireless Communications (EHER 15732)

Late 19th century villa converted to training college with large scale 1930s and 1950s additions.

The Marconi School of Wireless Communications (Th 71800757), was established in 1921 in a pre-existing Victorian villa, Telford Lodge, which had formerly been occupied by Chelmsford College - a private secondary boarding school known as Botwrights. Ordnance Survey maps indicate that the villa was built between 1873 and 1897 (0S Essex LIV.4, 1873 and 1897). The site was considerably expanded during the mid- 930s with the construction of a new double storey, Modernist style accommodation block to the rear of Telford Lodge, which replaced an earlier rear extension. Adjacent to this was constructed the new purpose-built Marconi School of Communications. This double-storey brick building was built in Modernist Deco style with a projecting semi-circular turret at its western end; facilities inside the college included a library, teaching and research laboratories, and offices. Over the main entrance a stone plaque read MWTCO (Marconi Wireless and Telegraph Company), set in relief. This building, and the extension to Telford Lodge, was designed by William Walter Wood FRIBA and erected by Messrs H Potter of Chelmsford. It was also around this time that three timber huts ere built in the grounds, to house radio transmitter and receiver equipment, one of which survived until the time of closure (Baker 1970, 275). During the Second World War a reinforced concrete air raid shelter was buik at the rear of Telford Lodge. Linked to Marconi's post-war business expansion and the need to train customer's engineers the college was considerably enlarged during the early 1950s. Starting in 1950 a single storey drawing office was added to the rear of the 1 930s school building. Three years alter a new double storey and single storey technical block covering 20,000 sq. ft was begun, when completed it could accommodate 100 students, and included two lecture rooms, ten laboratories, a workshop, a technical library, a quiet room, and rooms for teaching staff. By the mid- 950s the 1930s training block had been converted into further accommodation and the 1950 drawing office converted into a dining room. During the 1960s the two pre-fabricated huts were added to the site, other minor buildings on the campus included a bicycle shed and store shed. The college closed in the late 1990s. <1> In March 2000 the site was cleared with the exception of Telford Lodge, prior to demolition a lull survey was undertaken by Essex County Council Field Archaeology Unit (for the full report see Garwood 1999). <2>. Information from NRHE Marconi College was built during the 1930s to train company employees. It comprises a two-storey 1930s college building, a dining hall and a pre-fabricated 1970s structure. The college also occupied a large Victorian villa on Arbour Lane which was used for accommodation. At the time of investigation the college was empty. <3>