Billingham Tips
Billingham is a town that lies in the borough of Stockton on Tees in north east England. The earliest records show the town to have been founded during the middle of the sixth century BC by a group of Saxons known as Billa’s people, from which the name originates. The town expanded quickly after the First World War was declared, due to a high demand for explosives. It was selected to be the site of a new chemical works to supply ammonia for the war in 1917 but by the time the works had been completed in 1920, the war had ended. The site was taken over by the Brunner Mond Company who converted it to fertiliser manufacture before merging with three other companies to become ICI who then began manufacturing plastics in 1934. The technologically advanced plant was inspiration to Aldous Huxley in the writing of Brave New World when he visited the newly opened site. He gave a detailed description of the processes he saw. Henry Thorold was another enthusiastic author who described Billingham as “one of the most extraordinary experiences, a sight almost unique in England” in the Shell Guide to County Durham and went on to describe “steaming, sizzling tall steel towers, great cylinders and pipes everywhere…”
Billingham Town Details | County Durham County Page | County Durham Attractions | More County Durham Tips
Brit Quote: |
|
On this day: |