W. & C. French, also known just as French, was a civil engineering company based at Buckhurst Hill in south-west Essex.
| Company type | Public company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Civil engineering |
| Founded | 1870 |
| Defunct | November 6, 1973 |
| Successor | Kier Group |
| Headquarters | 50 Epping New Road, Buckhurst Hill, Essex, IG9 5TH |
Area served | UK, Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, Malawi, Spain |
| Services | Road construction |
History
editThe business of Messrs W. and C. French was established by William French and his brother Charles French in 1870.[1]
In the Second World War it constructed many RAF airfields and also built Mulberry harbour units.[2]
On 19 September 1949 it became a public company, when the Chairman of the company was Charles Samuel French, the son of William French. Another director was Brigadier John Linnaeus French CB CBE (18 November 1896 – 12 March 1953), a former commander of Colchester Garrison, and brother of Charles. Its transport depot was at Loughton. They had other depots at Colchester and Wisbech and carried out most of its work in East Anglia. The company was acquired by Kier Group in 1973.[3]
Incidents
editA 19 year worker at Pease Pottage on the M23 motorway contract, on 19 March 1974, had his hand burned on an overhead 11kV transmission line, and had to have the hand amputated.[4]
Major projects
edit
- The Coronation Channel at Spalding, Lincolnshire on the River Welland completed in 1953[5]
- Improvements at Acton Lane Power Station, completed in September 1966[6]
Education
edit- New facilities at New Hall, Cambridge completed in 1965[7][8][9]
- South Woodford halls residence for Queen Mary College, completed in 1964[10][11]
Hospitals
edit- The second stage of Princess Alexandra Hospital, Harlow, completed in 1962[12]
Housing developments
edit
- Development of 1,340 houses in Houghton Regis in Bedfordshire, completed in May 1958[13][14]
- High-rise flats at Stoke Newington, the Milton Gardens Estate, completed in c. 1964[15]
- Owen Waters House, 12-storey high-rise block, Ilford, completed in 1964[16]
Commercial buildings
edit- BP House at Great Parndon, completed in mid-1967[17][18][19]
- Comet House, the corporate headquarters of BOAC, completed in c. 1964[20]
- The computer building for BOAC, completed in c. 1966[21]
- Daily Mirror Building near Holborn Circus (now the headquarters of Sainsbury's), completed in 1959[22][23]
- the Debenhams store in Romford (formerly Stone's), completed in c. 1964[24]
Railways
edit- The first two miles of the Piccadilly Line Heathrow extension, from Hounslow West tube station to Hatton Cross tube station, completed 1975[25]
- Harlow Town railway station, completed in 1963[26][27]
- Tower Hill tube station, completed in c. 1967[28]
Reservoirs
edit- Covenham Reservoir completed in 1978[29]
- Foremark Reservoir, south Derbyshire, completed in c. 1973[30]
- Grafham Water (originally known as Diddington Reservoir) completed in 1965,[31][32][33]
- Hanningfield Reservoir completed in 1957[34]
- Hilfield Park Reservoir completed in c. 1966[35]
- Queen Elizabeth II Reservoir (Walton South Reservoir) completed in 1962[36][37]
- Wraysbury Reservoir completed in 1971[38][39]
Roads
edit- Bracknell central gyratory, completed in c. 1974[40]
- Gatwick Airport Link Road, completed in c. 1975[41]
- A12 Brentwood bypass completed in 1965[42][43]
- A12 Ufford to Wickham Market completed in 1976[44]
- A19 Sunderland Bypass and Hylton Viaduct completed in c. 1971[45]
- A47 King's Lynn southern bypass, completed in 1975[46][47]
Motorways
edit- A1(M) Durham Motorway, Bowburn (A177) to Carrville (A690), completed in May 1969[48]
- M11 Redbridge to Loughton completed in 1975[44]
- M18 Thurcroft (M1) to Wadworth (A1 M) completed in 1967[49]
- M18 Thorne to East Cowick, with the Langham Interchange, completed in 1975
- M23 Hooley to Merstham completed in 1975[44]
- M23 Merstham to Pease Pottage completed in c. 1975[50]
- M3 Basingstoke East to Hawley, Hampshire completed in c. 1968[51][52]
- M4 Wootton Bassett to Liddington completed in 1971[53]
- M5 Oldbury to Ray Hall, completed in 1972[54]
- M5 Edithmead to Dunball, completed in c. 1971[55][56]
- M6 Carnforth to Farleton completed in 1970[57]
- M6 Farleton to Killington completed in 1970[57]
- M62 Pole Moor to Outlane completed in 1970[58]
- M62 Outlane to Hartshead completed in 1972[59]
- M62 Pollington to Rawcliffe completed in 1975[60]
- Runnymede Bridge (now the M25), completed in 1961[61][62]
Airfields
edit- BOAC maintenance depot (now British Airways) at Heathrow Airport completed in 1955[63][64]
- Extensions to East Midlands Airport buildings, completed in c. 1967[65]
- Edinburgh Airport runway extension completed in c. 1973[66]
- Gatwick Airport extended by 1,090ft, completed in May 1973[67]
- London Heliport completed in 1959[68]
- RAF Alconbury completed in 1940[69]
- RAF Downham Market completed in 1942[70]
- RAF Duxford completed in 1943[71]
- RAF Earls Colne completed in 1942[72]
- RAF Graveley completed in 1942[73]
- RAF Kings Cliffe completed in 1943[74]
- RAF Rivenhall completed in 1943[75]
- RAF Thurleigh completed in 1941[76]
References
edit- ^ "Allan George French". The Bancroftian Network. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ Hartcup, p. 94
- ^ "Colin Busby". Building. 2001. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
- ^ Crawley and District Observer Friday 28 June 1974, page 26
- ^ "The River Welland major improvement scheme" (PDF). South Holland Life. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ Times Friday January 8 1965, page 19
- ^ "New Hall Archives". Janus. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ Times Friday June 22 1962, page 8
- ^ Times Thursday October 21 1965, page 24
- ^ Times Monday December 3 1962, page 14
- ^ South Woddford
- ^ Times Monday February 5 1962, page 12
- ^ Luton News Thursday 8 May 1958, page 1
- ^ Times Wednesday June 1 1960, page 19
- ^ Times Thursday February 6 1964, page 10
- ^ Times Thursday September 10 1964, page 10
- ^ Times Saturday December 18 1965, page 13
- ^ Times Wednesday December 22 1965, page 13
- ^ Times Wednesday February 16 1966, page 19
- ^ Times Friday April 26 1963, page 4
- ^ Times Monday January 3 1966, page 12
- ^ Times Friday December 13 1957, page 18
- ^ Times Tuesday December 16 1958, page 14
- ^ Times Friday March 13 1964, page 18
- ^ Times Thursday March 11 1971, page 4
- ^ The Sphere Saturday 20 August 1960, page 35
- ^ Times Tuesday March 5 1963, page 17
- ^ Times Wednesday November 4 1964, page 7
- ^ "British construction projects". Manchester University. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ Birmingham Daily Post Monday 29 January 1973, page 7
- ^ "Buckden: A Huntingdonshire Village". p. 154. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ Times Tuesday October 30 1962, page 18
- ^ Times Monday July 4 1966, page 18
- ^ "Hanningfield Facts". Essex & Suffolk Water. Archived from the original on 25 July 2008.
- ^ Times Monday March 21 1966
- ^ Historic England. "Queen Elizabeth II Reservoir (1464683)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ Times Saturday March 31 1962, page 5
- ^ "The Queen Mother Reservoir, Datchet" (PDF). Ground Engineering. October 1976. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ Times Friday September 26 1969, page 23
- ^ Bracknell Times Thursday 11 January 1973, page 31
- ^ West Sussex County Times Friday 19 April 1974, page 20
- ^ Times Wednesday March 11 1964, page 22
- ^ "News and views – Brentwood by-pass opens". Autocar: 1158. 26 November 1965.
- ^ a b c "Construction contracts". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 8 July 1975. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ Belfast Telegraph Tuesday 3 February 1970, page 3
- ^ Lynn Advertiser Friday 7 April 1972, page 1
- ^ Lynn Advertiser Friday 17 March 1972, page 1
- ^ Newcastle Journal Thursday 21 November 1968, page 12
- ^ "Thurcroft to Wadworth". Motorway Archive. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ Crawley and District Observer Friday 28 June 1974, page 26
- ^ Surrey Advertiser Friday 20 December 1968, page 22
- ^ Reading Evening Post Friday 9 October 1970, page 1
- ^ Times Thursday January 13 1972
- ^ Birmingham Daily Post Wednesday 24 May 1972, page 10
- ^ Cheddar Valley Gazette Friday 22 January 1971, page 13
- ^ Western Daily Press Wednesday 20 January 1971, page 1
- ^ a b "Bridges on the M6 Motorway" (PDF). Concrete Quarterly. January 1971. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ "Pole Moor to Outlane". Motorway Archive. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ "Outlane to Hartshead". Motorway Archive. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ "Pollington to Rawcliffe". Motorway Archive. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ Times Friday November 17 1961, page 7
- ^ Times Tuesday October 13 1959, page 5
- ^ "BOAC maintenance headquarters". Engineering Times. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ Times Tuesday February 24 1953, page 14
- ^ Times Tuesday January 31 1967, page 10
- ^ Times Monday September 17 1973, page 28
- ^ West Sussex County Times Friday 4 August 1972, page 20
- ^ "Westland Heliport Opening" (PDF). British Universities Film and Video Council. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ "Alconbury Station". Airfield Research Group. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
- ^ "RAF Downham Market". Traces of War. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
- ^ Historic England. "Duxford: Control Tower (Building 209) (1392871)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
- ^ "Earls Colne airfield". American Air Museum. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
- ^ "RAF Graveley". Air Gunner Bob Gill. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
- ^ "Premises, sites etc within 30 miles of Harrington Museum" (PDF). Harrington Museum. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
- ^ "Exploring WWII RAF Base". YouTube. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
- ^ "Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire and Cambridgeshire WWI and WW" airfiels". Roll of Honour. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
Sources
edit- Hartcup, Guy (2011). Code Name Mulberry: The Planning Building and Operation of the Normandy Harbours. Pen & Sword Military. ISBN 978-1848845589.