free hit counter
H.J. Berry and Son - Feb 2016 | Oblivion State Urban Exploration

Post a thread

Post a thread in one of the forums

Browse the forums

Browse threads and contribute to reports

Contact Staff

Contact the team

H.J. Berry and Son - Feb 2016

Landie_Man

Full Member
OS Full member
Joined
Jul 12, 2013
Messages
564
Reaction score
360
Points
63
Location
Aylesbury
H.J. Berry & Sons Ltd.

Well here goes; possibly one of the most eccentric and colourful factories, or even derps that I've ever explored!  So much colour!

Visited as the third and final site of mine and Mooksters February Nothern Road Trip.  This factory was quite clearly the heart of village in which it ran and it most probably devastated the local area when the heart of said village was torn out in 2010.  

A massively muddy access across the fields for a mile or so brought us into the grounds of this little but fascinating place.

The oldest part of HJ Berry's furniture manufacturing company was the old Kirk Mill which shut down in 1886.  It was later acquired for furniture making. The rest of the factory was built across the river at a later date.

In 2010, H.J. Berry closed down after calling in administrators. At the time of the closure, HJ Berry was the country's oldest surviving furniture manufacturer and the owners turned down a £1million offer to save the company from shutting down for good.

H.J. Berry was a large buisiness and even featured on a TV show "Sir Gerry's Big Decision" and were offered £1,000,000 ($1,423,689) but turned it down due the amount of stipulations for the TV show.

The company was proud of the fact they had not fired a single employee for 60 years, but the Euro decreasing in value and the prices in cheaper Asian made furniture caused the firm to collapse in early 2010.

#1
25791653662_c02ccb0f7a_b.jpg


#2
25611782470_0589cd18bc_b.jpg


#3
25279614704_2e43a7f4e2_b.jpg


#4
25283596733_bd8429280c_b.jpg


#5
25886382766_fbb074bd79_b.jpg


#6
25279262054_8a504d399e_b.jpg


#7
25791330782_5eec43266c_b.jpg


#8
25611513090_253f444595_b.jpg


#9
25611485790_842912e253_b.jpg


#10
25611460790_f2a1f1c50f_b.jpg


#11
25886116726_1427edb8f3_b.jpg


#12
25611609780_253ede4ae0_b.jpg


#13
25886328806_d665c9e482_b.jpg


#14
25912116625_212ecbc9d6_b.jpg


#15
25791183532_ea1e63bc56_b.jpg


#16
25817300191_8655858dd7_b.jpg


More At:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/landie_man/albums/72157663811340883

 

Maniac

OS Full member
OS Full member
Joined
Nov 3, 2008
Messages
1,269
Reaction score
324
Points
83
Location
Kent
That production line is INSANE with all those things hanging off those rails. It looks like it stretched on for miles, or did you just photograph the same room a lot?

Cool place! :)  

 
Top