Former Parker Pen Factory

Image: © Simon Carey Taken: 26 Aug 2012

The site was originally an army transit camp set up to transport troops to France from Newhaven during World War One. At the end it was used as a rehabilitation camp for those returning then abandoned until 1921 when Felix Macauley established a fountain pen factory on the site. The factory was taken over by Valentine & Co in 1930 who rebuilt much of it in 1934 and would go on to produce firing pins during the Second World War. During this period the American company, Parker Pen acquired an interest in the firm and took it over after 1945, later rebuilding much of the factory over 50s and 60s. By the 70s the factory was a major local employer providing work for over 1000 people. However, the downtown in the world economy coupled with the introduction of automation soon reduced this number. The firm itself was bought out by the management in the 1980s then taken over by Gillette in 1990s and sold on to Sanford in the 2000s. In the course of becoming part of a larger conglomerate the factory found many of its operations moved abroad and it eventually closed in 2010. Part of the site out of shot to the left has been rented by a lighting firm but the rest remains empty awaiting redevelopment. A green embankment visible on the left beyond the fence is the remains of an old river bank of the River Ouse.

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