Late 19th century explosives factory and village, Kynochtown (EHER 7239)

A late 19th century explosives factory and gunpowder works - its site is now covered by a Mobil Oil Refinery.

Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: 19th century explosives factory sited on the Essex marshes between Shell Haven and Holehaven Creeks, with associated housing estate and village. The site is not marked on the 1959 OS map and seems to be an extension of Shell Haven oil refinery. Extend area of site to include area to the north as per NMP plot. <1> - <4> Gunpowder Factory 1897-1920. Much of the site lies on undeveloped land to the north of the oil refinery and survives as earthworks/parch marks. Prior to any further development this area should be evaluated in accordance with PPG 16. Evidence in the form of building foundations, water supply systems, wheelpits and underground drive shafting are likely to be present. <5> Established 1897, producing nitro-glycerine, guncotton, cordite, and possibly gunpowder. <6> The Explosives Factory at Kynochtown was licensed in 1897 for the manufacture of certain nitroglycerine based compounds including the propellant cordite. The factory was built by Kynoch Limited, ammunition manufacturers originally based at Witton. Birmingham. The construction of Kynochtown was the result of company policy from the early 1890s whereby they desired to move into explosives manufacture. To this end they established one factory on the east coast of Ireland at Arklow and purchased a pre-existing Gunpowder Works at Fernilee in Derbyshire (SK 07 NW 18). Kynochtown was a new creation named after the parent company. The factory was laid out on virgin ground on reclaimed marshland adjacent to the river Thames, formerly known as Borley Farm it covered 200 acres (81 hectares). The site was surrounded on three sides by water, by the Thames, Shell Haven Creek and Hole Haven Creek. Reclaimed coastal or riverine marshland was a favoured choice for the new chemical explosives factories as they offered large uninhabited open spaces across which factory could be spread unimpeded by local topography. They also offered easy access to river and coastal transport for the movement of raw materials and finished products. Historic photographs show that the majority of the factory buildings were either of timber or corrugated iron construction, though a number were brick built. The majority were also raised on concrete piers to keep their interiors dry and free from periodic flooding. The buildings were all connected by timber walkways at floor height, most of which had tramways running down their centres. Products of the factory included nitroglycerine, guncotton and cordite and .303 inch rifle cartridges. The manufacture of gunpowder or blackpowder is also alluded to on the site and is supported by the photograph of a gunpowder granulating machine in the archive of historic photographs held by the Mobil Oil Company. Due to its isolation a small company village was also erected. This included 40 houses and bungalows, stores, schools, an institute and a post office and telegraph office. The factory was later connected to Corringham station by the Corringham Light Railway, which opened in 1900, it took workers to and from and provided another method of receiving and dispatching goods from the factory. A company hotel called Kynoch Hotel was also constructed on the opposite side of Shell Haven Creek. Explosives manufacture ceased in January 1919 and the factory and its contents were auctioned later that year. In the 1920s its site was purchased by the Cory Brothers Limited and it was developed as an oil refinery (TQ 78 SW 10). It remained in their hands until 1950 when it was purchased by the Vacuum Oil Company, later known as the Mobil Oil Company, the present site owners. The company village was renamed Coryton and survived until 1970 when it was demolished to make way for an expansion of the refinery. The majority of the Explosives Factory was demolished in the 1920s and its area has been covered by the oil refinery. Recent aerial photography has shown a number of features around the periphery of the site which may relate to the Explosives Factory or represent earlier dismantled sections of the oil refinery. No contemporary plan of the factory showing the functions of the buildings is known, although contemporary Ordnance Survey maps show its plan form. <7> - <9> See also: <10> - <17>