Freshford Mill and the Peradin Factory

Just after the Second World War Freshford Mill was chosen as the site for a factory for Peradins Bonded Rubbers. Peradins  made rubber components for the motor industry.  One must suppose that due to the economic conditions that prevailed after the war it was considered more important to rebuild industrial production and that the planning department of what is now Bath and North-East Somerset rubber stamped the planning application. The Green Belt legislation wasn't enacted until 1947.

 The factory also provided valuable employment for some local people although many were bussed in from Bradford and Trowbridge. The old buildings that were called Freshford Mill actually occupied only part of the present day extensive site. After a failure to get planning permission to extend the site in 1980 Peradin, which had become part of BTR (British Tyre & Rubber), moved production gradually away from Freshford.  The factory finally closed in 1995. They left behind a site that has since deteriorated into a state of dereliction. An organisation that enjoys exploring our industrial heritage  has provided an extensive, though unofficial survey of the present day (1992) site. The site can be viewed  at: http://www.explorationstation.co.uk/freshfordnew.html It certainly is an eyesore, although given another century, left alone, it will have been completely taken over by nature. Some more recent photographs are recorded here