Chemical firm Marchon Products Ltd was established by Frank Schon and Fred Marzillier in 1939. In 1940 they moved their operations from London to Cumbria, and in 1943 they moved to a site in Kells, Whitehaven. Marchon Products was acquired by Albright and Wilson Ltd in 1955. Various chemical works were built at the Whitehaven site, which covered an area of over 100 acres. The works included a phosphate plant, fatty alcohol plant, sulphuric acid plants, an anhydrite mine and more. Chemicals for firelighters, detergents and intermediates for shampoos and toothpastes were produced at the site. In 2005, the Marchon chemical works at Whitehaven was closed.
This image was catalogued as part of the Breaking New Ground Project in partnership with the John Laing Charitable Trust in 2019-20.
This is part of the Series: JLP01/08 John Laing Photographic Collection Black and White Negatives; within the Collection: JLP01 John Laing Photographic Collection
© Historic England Archive. John Laing Photographic Collection
Mid 20th Century Chemical Works, Construction, Industrial Heritage
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