Bata shoe factory (East Tilbury)
Encyclopedia
The Bata shoe factory in East Tilbury
is what remains of an industrial estate in Essex
which produced shoes for over 70 years. Founded in 1932 by Tomáš Baťa
, the factory was "one of the most important planned landscapes in the East of England" in the 20th Century. The factory closed in 2005.
was founded in 1894 by Tomáš Baťa
in Zlín
(then Austro-Hungarian Empire, today the Czech Republic
). After the plea of a Tilbury clergyman to alleviate unemployment during the Great Depression
and in part to overcome customs tariffs on foreign products, construction began in 1932 on the Bata shoe factory in East Tilbury
. For the remaining years of the 20th century, the factory was an economic force in the Tilbury area and provided a unique model of a Company town
in Britain complete with worker housing, schools and entertainment.
in the area. The factory's architecture "predates" and "perhaps eclipses" other British examples of modernist architecture
such as Highpoint I
or the Isokon building
, according to The Guardian
. Built of welded steel columns, roof trusses and reinforced concrete walls, the estate's buildings were quite atypical of other red-bricked and sloped-roofed London
suburbs. All the social needs of the workforce were met by the factory, and "Bata-ville" had all the services of a normal town, including a theater, sports facilities, hotel, restaurant, grocery and butcher shops, post office, and its own newspaper.
caused turmoil for Bata Shoes generally, but the factory in East Tilbury thrived and "British Bata" was born.
As male factory workers were called to arms, their wives often took over their jobs. While in the armed forces, employees received the company newspaper, the Bata Record, along with food and cigarette parcels. At least 81 Bata employees from the Tilbury factory died in the war. At the end of hostilities, Bata's home office and other facilities throughout eastern Europe were nationalized by communist regimes.
and includes a Grade II listed building.
app known as Thurrock Mobile Explorer. This describes a route around the Bata estate and provides information about the history and environment at numbered points.
helped design and build the Tilbury factory, and rose to become managing director of the British Bata company. The Tusa family lived in nearby Horndon on the Hill, from 1939, though John Tusa was born in Czechoslovakia.
East Tilbury
East Tilbury is a village in the unitary authority of Thurrock borough, England and one of the traditional parishes in Thurrock.-History:In Saxon times, the location on which the church now stands was surrounded by tidal marshland...
is what remains of an industrial estate in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
which produced shoes for over 70 years. Founded in 1932 by Tomáš Baťa
Tomáš Bata
Tomáš Baťa was a Czech entrepreneur, founder of Bata Shoes company, one of the world's biggest multinational retailers, manufacturers and distributors of footwear and accessories.-Career:...
, the factory was "one of the most important planned landscapes in the East of England" in the 20th Century. The factory closed in 2005.
Background
Bata ShoesBata Shoes
Bata Shoes is a large, family owned shoe company based in Bermuda but currently headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, operating 3 business units worldwide – Bata Metro Markets, Bata Emerging Markets and Bata Branded Business. It has a retail presence in over 50 countries and production...
was founded in 1894 by Tomáš Baťa
Tomáš Bata
Tomáš Baťa was a Czech entrepreneur, founder of Bata Shoes company, one of the world's biggest multinational retailers, manufacturers and distributors of footwear and accessories.-Career:...
in Zlín
Zlín
Zlín , from 1949 to 1989 Gottwaldov , is a city in the Zlín Region, southeastern Moravia, Czech Republic, on the Dřevnice River. The development of the modern city is closely connected to the Bata Shoes company...
(then Austro-Hungarian Empire, today the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
). After the plea of a Tilbury clergyman to alleviate unemployment during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and in part to overcome customs tariffs on foreign products, construction began in 1932 on the Bata shoe factory in East Tilbury
East Tilbury
East Tilbury is a village in the unitary authority of Thurrock borough, England and one of the traditional parishes in Thurrock.-History:In Saxon times, the location on which the church now stands was surrounded by tidal marshland...
. For the remaining years of the 20th century, the factory was an economic force in the Tilbury area and provided a unique model of a Company town
Company town
A company town is a town or city in which much or all real estate, buildings , utilities, hospitals, small businesses such as grocery stores and gas stations, and other necessities or luxuries of life within its borders are owned by a single company...
in Britain complete with worker housing, schools and entertainment.
Architecture
In 1933 the first "Bata houses" for workers were built, set among gardens in a checkerboard pattern, which were distinct from the more typical Victorian terraced housingTerraced house
In architecture and city planning, a terrace house, terrace, row house, linked house or townhouse is a style of medium-density housing that originated in Great Britain in the late 17th century, where a row of identical or mirror-image houses share side walls...
in the area. The factory's architecture "predates" and "perhaps eclipses" other British examples of modernist architecture
Modern architecture
Modern architecture is generally characterized by simplification of form and creation of ornament from the structure and theme of the building. It is a term applied to an overarching movement, with its exact definition and scope varying widely...
such as Highpoint I
Highpoint I
Highpoint I was the first of two apartment blocks erected in the 1930s on one of the highest points in London, England at Highgate. The architectural design was by Russian-born architect Berthold Lubetkin, the structural design by Danish engineer Ove Arup and the construction by Kier.Highpoint I...
or the Isokon building
Isokon building
The Isokon building in Lawn Road, Hampstead, London is a concrete block of 34 flats designed by architect Wells Coates for Molly and Jack Pritchard. They were built between 1933 and 1934 as an experiment in communal living. Most of the flats had very small kitchens as there was a large communal...
, according to The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
. Built of welded steel columns, roof trusses and reinforced concrete walls, the estate's buildings were quite atypical of other red-bricked and sloped-roofed London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
suburbs. All the social needs of the workforce were met by the factory, and "Bata-ville" had all the services of a normal town, including a theater, sports facilities, hotel, restaurant, grocery and butcher shops, post office, and its own newspaper.
World War II
The German occupation of CzechoslovakiaGerman occupation of Czechoslovakia
German occupation of Czechoslovakia began with the Nazi annexation of Czechoslovakia's northern and western border regions, known collectively as the Sudetenland, under terms outlined by the Munich Agreement. Nazi leader Adolf Hitler's pretext for this effort was the alleged privations suffered by...
caused turmoil for Bata Shoes generally, but the factory in East Tilbury thrived and "British Bata" was born.
As male factory workers were called to arms, their wives often took over their jobs. While in the armed forces, employees received the company newspaper, the Bata Record, along with food and cigarette parcels. At least 81 Bata employees from the Tilbury factory died in the war. At the end of hostilities, Bata's home office and other facilities throughout eastern Europe were nationalized by communist regimes.
Latter years and demise
The Bata factory in East Tilbury remained in steady use for over 70 years, but production was gradually shifted to facilities closer to its export markets in the 1960s. Factory downsizing began in the 1980s and the Bata industrial estate came to a close in 2005. The East Tilbury (Bata) Conservation Area was designated in 1993 by Thurrock CouncilThurrock Council
Thurrock Council is the local authority for the borough of Thurrock in Essex, England. Since 1997, Thurrock has been a unitary authority, combining the functions of a non-metropolitan county with that of a non-metropolitan district....
and includes a Grade II listed building.
Trail
In June 2011, an interactive trail was launched as an iPhoneIPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
app known as Thurrock Mobile Explorer. This describes a route around the Bata estate and provides information about the history and environment at numbered points.
People
Jan Tůša, the father of John TusaJohn Tusa
Sir John Tusa is a British arts administrator, and radio and television journalist. From 1980 to 1986 he was a main presenter of BBC 2's Newsnight programme. From 1995 until 2007 he was managing director of the City of London's Barbican Arts Centre...
helped design and build the Tilbury factory, and rose to become managing director of the British Bata company. The Tusa family lived in nearby Horndon on the Hill, from 1939, though John Tusa was born in Czechoslovakia.
See also
- Bata Shoe MuseumBata Shoe MuseumThe Bata Shoe Museum is a museum in downtown Toronto, Canada that collects, researches, preserves, and exhibits footwear from around the world. It offers four exhibitions, three of which are time-limited, as well as lectures, performances and family events....
- Bata ShoesBata ShoesBata Shoes is a large, family owned shoe company based in Bermuda but currently headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, operating 3 business units worldwide – Bata Metro Markets, Bata Emerging Markets and Bata Branded Business. It has a retail presence in over 50 countries and production...
- Tomáš BaťaTomáš BataTomáš Baťa was a Czech entrepreneur, founder of Bata Shoes company, one of the world's biggest multinational retailers, manufacturers and distributors of footwear and accessories.-Career:...
- Svatopluk TurekSvatopluk TurekSvatopluk Turek was a Czech novelist, known under pen name T. Svatopluk.After studying arts at the university he worked as graphics designer in Baťa company in Zlín....
External links
- English Heritage Historic Area Appraisal
- Bata Shoes corporate history page
- Bata Reminiscence and Resource Centre
- Home Guard practice at the Bata factory
- University of Essex lecture Shoemakers to the world: The Bata estate on the Essex marshes, 1939-1960
- Financial Times obituary for Thomas Bata
- Bata-ville: We Are Not Afraid Of The Future (film)
- Nearly identical Bata factory in Maryland, USA