Histories: Heathcoats Factory, Pool, abt 1950-1975; started 1946 old Women’s Auxillary Air Force camp at Bridge near Portreath

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» Place: Women’s Auxillary Air Force camp, Bridge, Illogan

Heathcoats Factory, Pool, abt 1950-1975; started 1946 old Women’s Auxillary Air Force camp at Bridge near Portreath - closed Carn Brea factory 1975

1946 expanded into Cornwall, initially based at old Women’s Auxillary Air Force camp at Bridge near Portreath ; making surgical stockings, major supplier to newly formed NHS in late 1940s.
factory moved to Carn Brea where also made other tights and stockings, in particular dancewear tights, most notably for the Sadler’s Wells ballet company in 1950s.
aerial photograph is of new, modern factory at Carn Brea, built in mid-20th century.
... closed the Carn Brea factory in 1975
...Heathcoat’s founded 1808 by John Heathcoat – inventor of the Bobbinet machine used to make netting; innovators in the production of stretch net fabric, using different fibres from silk and cotton to Rayon and Nylon; also made stretch knit fabric for corsetry and swimsuits....
Archives and Cornish Studies Service 17 February 2024 ·

Archives and Cornish Studies Service

17 February 2024

Heathcoat’s was founded in 1808 by John Heathcoat – inventor of the Bobbinet machine used to make netting. They were innovators in the production of stretch net fabric, using different fibres from silk and cotton to Rayon and Nylon. They also made stretch knit fabric for corsetry and swimsuits.

The factory originally started in Loughborough, then moved to Tiverton in Devon, where it is still based today.

In 1946 they expanded into Cornwall, initially based at the old Women’s Auxillary Air Force camp at Bridge near Portreath. The Cornwall factory started making surgical stockings and were a major supplier to the newly formed NHS in the late 1940s.

The factory moved to Carn Brea where they also made other tights and stockings, in particular dancewear tights, most notably for the Sadler’s Wells ballet company in the 1950s.

This aerial photograph is of the new, modern factory at Carn Brea, built in the mid-20th century.

Following a decline in orders and the increase of cheaper imported goods from overseas, Heathcoat’s closed the Carn Brea factory in 1975, resulting in significant local job losses.

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Owner of original	Archives and Cornish Studies Service \| Facebook
Date	17 Feb 2024
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Linked to	Heathcoats Factory, Carn Brea, Pool, Cornwall; Pool, Cornwall; Carn Brea, Cornwall; Bridge, Illogan; Women’s Auxillary Air Force camp, Bridge, Illogan

» Place: Women’s Auxillary Air Force camp, Bridge, Illogan