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Summary

Bardney Sugar Factory opened in 1927, and was in operation until February 2001.

Full description

Bardney Sugar Factory is located south of the B1190, next to the River Witham in Bardney. Plans to build a sugar beet factory in Bardney began in 1925, and land for the factory site was purchased in 1926. The Lincolnshire Beet Sugar Company Ltd. was registered in January 1927, with construction of the factory beginning shortly afterwards. The factory was one of the first of its kind in the country, and came into operation on the 10th of October 1927. Beets were primarily delivered to the factory by rail in the early years of operation, as well as by barges on the River Witham. Three daily trains also brought factory workers to and from Lincoln in time for shift changes until the line closed in the 1960s. During the Second World War, German and Italian prisoners-of-war were brought from the camp at Potterhanworth to work in the factory, and logs show that some of their wages were paid in cigarettes. All the windows and ventilation had to be covered during the 'Blackout', to prevent the factory from becoming a bombing target during the war. The company also brought in workers from Ireland, and continued to do so until 1976. Regular expansion and improvements were made to the factory and surrounding infrastructure as production levels increased. The company purchased accomodation and sports field in Lincoln, and the Lincsgran Sports & Welfare Club was formed in 1930. The club held regular social and sporting events, as well as an annual 'Beet Ball' for employees and their families. Operations increased, and new products were developed and packaged on site from the 1980s. The Bardney factory began to produce golden syrup and black treacle in 1980, and other flavours of syrups were produced starting in 1989. The closure of the sugar beet processing facilities was announced on the 23rd of January 2001. The final delivery of beets was made on the 30th of January 2001, and the final shift in the processing facilities was on the 9th of February 2001. The Finished Products and Packaging Plant continued to operate after the closure of the processing facilities. In the 74 years that the factory was in operation, 29.6 million tonnes of beets were processed, and 4.1 million tonnes of sugar were produced. Most of the machinery was dismantled and shipped to factories in Russia once beet processing ended at Bardney. {1}

A programme of historic building recording was conducted at the factory site in July 2018, prior to the proposed demolition of some of the structures. The main factory building and many of the surrounding outbuildings were recorded in detail. {2}

<1> Kim Walker, 2018, The History of Bardney Sugar Factory, - (Website). SLI16100.

<2> Lincolnshire County Council, 2019, Bardney Sugar Factory, - (Report). SLI16491.

Monument Types

• SUGAR REFINERY (Early 20th Century to 21st Century - 1927 AD to 2050 AD)

Associated Events

• Historic Building Survey of Bardney Sugar Factory

Sources and further reading

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