Somerdale Factory facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fry's Somerdale Factory |
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| General information | |
| Coordinates | 51°25′23″N 2°29′41″W / 51.4231°N 2.4946°W |
| Construction started | 1924 |
| Completed | 1935 |
| Client | J. S. Fry & Sons |
| Owner | Cadbury |
Somerdale was a famous chocolate factory in Keynsham, near Bristol, England. It was originally built by the Fry family. Later, it became a big production site for Cadbury. The factory closed in 2011.
Contents
The Factory's History
After the First World War, two big chocolate companies, Cadbury and J. S. Fry & Sons, joined together in 1919. Because of this, Egbert Cadbury started working with the Fry family's business.
Egbert Cadbury and Cecil Roderick Fry helped move Fry's factories from central Bristol to a new, large area. This new place was called Somerdale Garden City. It was a huge, open space of about 228 acres (0.92 square kilometers). They chose this spot after a national competition in 1923.
Building a New Kind of Factory
The Fry family were Quakers. This meant they believed in treating their workers well. So, the new factory was built with lots of social areas. These included sports fields and large recreation grounds. These areas are still used by the town of Keynsham today.
It took 11 years to move all the production to Somerdale. New buildings were slowly put up, and chocolate making moved there step by step. The factory was fully finished in 1935. At its busiest, over 5,000 people worked at Somerdale.
The factory even had its own power station and a railway line. This railway connected to the Great Western Railway at Keynsham railway station.
Somerdale During World War II
During World War II, people couldn't buy as much chocolate because of rationing. This meant the factory had extra space. Rolls Royce used this space to make Merlin engines, which were used in airplanes.
Famous Chocolates Made at Somerdale
Many well-known Cadbury chocolates were made at the Keynsham factory. These included:
- Fry's Chocolate Cream
- Double Decker
- Dairy Milk
- Chocolate Buttons
- Creme Eggs and Mini Eggs
- Cadbury's Fudge
- Chomp
- Crunchie
- Curly Whirly
Workers at the factory were sometimes called 'chocolate welders'. They said the Crunchie machine could make over one million bars every day!
Why the Factory Closed
On October 3, 2007, Cadbury announced they planned to close the Somerdale factory by 2010. This meant about 500 jobs would be lost. The land where the factory stood was also very valuable, which was another reason for the closure.
Dan Norris, a local Member of Parliament, said the news was a "hard and heavy blow" for the workers and the whole Keynsham community.
Efforts to Save the Factory
In late 2007, people started campaigns to try and save the factory. One local person tried to get English Heritage to protect the site. They hoped this would stop the land from being sold for houses and the factory from being torn down.
In February 2010, Kraft Foods took over Cadbury. They confirmed the factory would close in 2011. Production was moved to a factory in Skarbimierz, Poland. However, Kraft Foods promised that some Cadbury products would still be made in the United Kingdom. The Somerdale factory officially closed on March 31, 2011. After that, the machinery was sent to Poland.
Ancient Roman Villa Remains
In the factory grounds, near the main road entrance, are the remains of a small Roman villa. It is about 50 feet (15 meters) square. These remains were found in 1922 when the factory was being built. They were then moved to their current spot. Two stone coffins were also found during this discovery.
What Happened Next: Regeneration
In early 2012, the 220-acre (0.89 square kilometer) site was sold to a company called Taylor Wimpey. They planned to build:
- 700 homes
- A care home for older people
- Shops
- A restaurant
- A nursery and primary school for 210 children
The plans also kept the existing sports facilities and included rebuilding the Fry Club.
In August 2014, some parts of the factory were torn down. This included 'block d', to make space for the new Fry Club. By September 2014, show homes were open, and houses began to be sold.
The old factory buildings are now a retirement village run by the St Monica Trust. It is called "The Chocolate Quarter." A new "Block D" has been built, with 44 apartments for independent living.
To keep the Fry Club as a social place for the area, a new building opened in November 2015. This new Somerdale Pavilion offers leisure, health, and entertainment services. It also has facilities for weddings and private parties.
See also
In Spanish: Somerdale Factory para niños
