Blackswarth allotments

Image: © Neil Owen Taken: 2 Feb 2022

Some of Netham's land has been preserved for food production along Fireclay Road. It should be noted that this area used to be covered with an extensive heavy industry complex in the nineteenth century, known locally as the Brillos. The Netham Works used to manufacture chemical products, chiefly Sodium Carbonate (washing soda). The company imported a plant from Spain called Barilla, soon to be corrupted to Brillo, which contained 25% of the substance. As the business came under pressure from others, it folded and the area became regenerated in the 1950s; today there are many non-chemical firms operating in some larger buildings, but the odd patch of allotments still survive.

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