W. & C. French

Last updated

W. & C. French Limited
Company typePublic company
IndustryCivil engineering
Founded1870 (1870)
DefunctNovember 6, 1973 (1973-11-06)
Successor Kier Group
Headquarters50 Epping New Road, Buckhurst Hill, Essex, IG9 5TH
Area served
UK, Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, Malawi, Spain
ServicesRoad construction

W. & C. French, also known just as French, was a civil engineering company based at Buckhurst Hill in south-west Essex.

Contents

History

The 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]

Major projects

British Airways Heathrow building BAHeathrowHangar.jpg
British Airways Heathrow building

Education

Hospitals

Housing developments

Owen Waters House View of Owen Waters House from Fullwell Avenue - geograph.org.uk - 3625961.jpg
Owen Waters House

Commercial buildings

Railways

Reservoirs

Roads

Motorways

Airfields

References

  1. "Allan George French". The Bancroftian Network. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  2. Hartcup, p. 94
  3. "Colin Busby". Building. 2001. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  4. "The River Welland major improvement scheme" (PDF). South Holland Life. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  5. Times Friday January 8 1965, page 19
  6. "New Hall Archives". Janus. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  7. Times Friday June 22 1962, page 8
  8. Times Thursday October 21 1965, page 24
  9. Times Monday December 3 1962, page 14
  10. South Woddford
  11. Times Monday February 5 1962, page 12
  12. Luton News Thursday 8 May 1958, page 1
  13. Times Wednesday June 1 1960, page 19
  14. Times Thursday February 6 1964, page 10
  15. Times Thursday September 10 1964, page 10
  16. Times Saturday December 18 1965, page 13
  17. Times Wednesday December 22 1965, page 13
  18. Times Wednesday February 16 1966, page 19
  19. Times Friday April 26 1963, page 4
  20. Times Monday January 3 1966, page 12
  21. Times Friday December 13 1957, page 18
  22. Times Tuesday December 16 1958, page 14
  23. Times Friday March 13 1964, page 18
  24. Times Thursday March 11 1971, page 4
  25. The Sphere Saturday 20 August 1960, page 35
  26. Times Tuesday March 5 1963, page 17
  27. Times Wednesday November 4 1964, page 7
  28. "British construction projects". Manchester University. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  29. Birmingham Daily Post Monday 29 January 1973, page 7
  30. "Buckden: A Huntingdonshire Village". p. 154. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  31. Times Tuesday October 30 1962, page 18
  32. Times Monday July 4 1966, page 18
  33. "Hanningfield Facts". Essex & Suffolk Water. Archived from the original on 25 July 2008.
  34. Times Monday March 21 1966
  35. Historic England. "Queen Elizabeth II Reservoir (1464683)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  36. Times Saturday March 31 1962, page 5
  37. "The Queen Mother Reservoir, Datchet" (PDF). Ground Engineering. October 1976. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  38. Times Friday September 26 1969, page 23
  39. Bracknell Times Thursday 11 January 1973, page 31
  40. West Sussex County Times Friday 19 April 1974, page 20
  41. Times Wednesday March 11 1964, page 22
  42. "News and views – Brentwood by-pass opens". Autocar : 1158. 26 November 1965.
  43. 1 2 3 "Construction contracts". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . 8 July 1975. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  44. Belfast Telegraph Tuesday 3 February 1970, page 3
  45. Lynn Advertiser Friday 7 April 1972, page 1
  46. Lynn Advertiser Friday 17 March 1972, page 1
  47. Newcastle Journal Thursday 21 November 1968, page 12
  48. "Thurcroft to Wadworth". Motorway Archive. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  49. Crawley and District Observer Friday 28 June 1974, page 26
  50. Surrey Advertiser Friday 20 December 1968, page 22
  51. Reading Evening Post Friday 9 October 1970, page 1
  52. Times Thursday January 13 1972
  53. Birmingham Daily Post Wednesday 24 May 1972, page 10
  54. Cheddar Valley Gazette Friday 22 January 1971, page 13
  55. Western Daily Press Wednesday 20 January 1971, page 1
  56. 1 2 "Bridges on the M6 Motorway" (PDF). Concrete Quarterly. January 1971. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  57. "Pole Moor to Outlane". Motorway Archive. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  58. "Outlane to Hartshead". Motorway Archive. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  59. "Pollington to Rawcliffe". Motorway Archive. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  60. Times Friday November 17 1961, page 7
  61. Times Tuesday October 13 1959, page 5
  62. "BOAC maintenance headquarters". Engineering Times. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  63. Times Tuesday February 24 1953, page 14
  64. Times Tuesday January 31 1967, page 10
  65. Times Monday September 17 1973, page 28
  66. West Sussex County Times Friday 4 August 1972, page 20
  67. "Westland Heliport Opening" (PDF). British Universities Film and Video Council. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  68. "Alconbury Station". Airfield Research Group. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  69. "RAF Downham Market". Traces of War. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  70. Historic England. "Duxford: Control Tower (Building 209)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  71. "Earls Colne airfield". American Air Museum. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  72. "RAF Graveley". Air Gunner Bob Gill. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  73. "Premises, sites etc within 30 miles of Harrington Museum" (PDF). Harrington Museum. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  74. "Exploring WWII RAF Base". YouTube. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  75. "Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire and Cambridgeshire WWI and WW" airfiels". Roll of Honour. Retrieved 18 February 2025.

Sources