Back to the Ford Foundry

On my second visit to the old Ford Foundry, I had a much freer reign, and got around a much wider area. Walking into Mould Line 7 again, there was a fashion shoot in progress, which was part of the reason that there were two security guards on duty.

That made it less likely for there to be intruders removing the remaining copper from the site, although as I found this was by no means a guarantee. I made my way through to the back of the foundry, and into the 'Personnel' areas. Without any electricity on the site, this area is pitch black. I had a small torch in my camera bag, and it was enough to find my way into a couple of rooms.

There's very little there now. The rooms have been emptied or turned upside down, but I did get a shot down one of the light-less corridors before heading back to the light.

I headed outside and crossed the passageway to the canteen area. This was one of the main parts I was interested in seeing, but I didn't stop long. I grabbed a quick shot, and headed for the door. There was almost certainly someone else in there, and I didn't want to wait around to find out who. I later found out from the guards that there were people in there harvesting the copper pipes - while there were 10 other people on the site! Some people have no nerves.

I carried on, and climbed the steps on the outside and squeezed through a door, and found my way to a vantage point overlooking the main mould line area. The fashion shoot continued below, and the shafts of sunlight filtered through the gaps again. There are some interesting little things still hanging around here - a printer, with paper and data still hanging from it, a boot, a hard hat decorated like the England flag, a pneumatic drill - the general detritus of an industry long since wound up.

There are many brand new parts on the site too. I found may way through the 'Goods Inward' door, and while most of the parts shelves now lie empty, there are still filters and other parts sitting in their wrapping, never to fulfil their destiny of being part of a brand new Ford.

Finally, I took some shots of the exterior. Sadly, the moody looking clouds of the morning had cleared, so it didn't provide the perfect backdrop for the gritty exterior, but I did get the chance to get a shot of the thing that originally piqued my interest in the place. I was interested by a phone box that was tucked away in a gap between two buildings. I wondered what it was there for, and imagined people on the night shifts maybe calling home to say goodnight to their kids in the days before mobile phones.

I should manage another couple of visits to the site, and hopefully uncover a few more exciting parts of its past before the place is finally pulled down for good. The 'Demolition in Progress' signs are already up in parts, so time is running out.

Ford Foundry

Leamington's Ford Foundry closed about 4 years ago, taking with it hundreds of jobs and the heart of an iconic part of the town.

I've spent 10 years going back and to past that building, and recently, it's been sold and plans for development made public. Looking more closely at it now, I noticed small details that I'd never seen before - Quality Starts Here, Goods Inward, the red phone box in an alcove outside the building - and I began to think about the people that used to work there. The stories, the history, the livelihoods that were made there.

I wanted to get inside, so I made my enquiries and managed to set up a (legitimate) site visit. I know plenty of people have made their way in there by other means, but I wanted the luxury of a bit more time on the site to take in the atmosphere, as well as capturing it's last moments before demolition begins and it becomes Morrisons, or a hotel, or offices.

We arrived around 1pm, and once inside the gates, there was a palpable sense of excitement, waiting to get inside to shoot. Graham, security guard (and our guide) took us into the main area - No.7 Mould Line. The floor is grimy and slippery, but the sun was shining outside and from cracks in the roof, shafts of light illuminated the floor and created an eerie feeling in the building.

Looking around, it seems the upper level floors have been removed, so the height of the building is evident, and it's steel pillars create a picture not unlike the nave of a cathedral.

We wandered through the derelict space, looking for interesting angles, and at the same time, picking out the evidence of it's former glory. Signs still warn of 'High Voltage' and maintaining a safe speed, but the days are long since gone since anyone has driven a vehicle through there, or the building had any electricity.

The most interesting part for me was a room which was clearly home to some of the guys on the last day. Sprayed on the wall in red paint were the slogans "Goodbye Lads & All the Best" and "We Stood Together" - poignant reminders of the camaraderie of the men and women who worked there, and what the closing meant to them.

After a couple of hours, we had to leave the site. The security guard was on to his next job, although he perhaps should have been hanging around as an intruder was breaking in to continue stealing the copper that remains on the site.

I hope to return over the next few weeks. We've seen the main working part. I really hope to see the canteens, and places where those men who had written on the walls spent their breaks, to really bring to life the stories of the real people who were in that factory day in and day out.