W. & C. French
| Company type | Public company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Civil engineering |
| Founded | 1870 |
| Defunct | 6 November 1973 |
| Successor | Kier Group |
| Headquarters | 50 Epping New Road, Buckhurst Hill, Essex, IG9 5TH |
Area served | UK, Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, Malawi, Spain |
| Services | Road construction |
W. & C. French, also known just as French, was a civil engineering company based at Buckhurst Hill in south-west Essex.
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]
Incidents
A 19 year worker at Pease Pottage on the M23 motorway contract, on 19 March 1974, had his hand burned on an overhead 11kV transmission line, and had to have the hand amputated.[4]
Major projects
- The Coronation Channel at Spalding, Lincolnshire on the River Welland completed in 1953[5]
- Improvements at Acton Lane Power Station, completed in September 1966[6]
- Beckton Sewage Treatment Works, developed in a joint project with Balfour Beatty, late 1960s[7]
- Crossness Sewage Treatment Works, around 1963[8]
Education
- New facilities at New Hall, Cambridge completed in 1965[9][10][11]
- South Woodford halls residence for Queen Mary College, completed in 1964[12][13]
Hospitals
- The second stage of Princess Alexandra Hospital, Harlow, completed in 1962[14]
Housing developments
- Development of 1,340 houses in Houghton Regis in Bedfordshire, completed in May 1958[15][16]
- High-rise flats at Stoke Newington, the Milton Gardens Estate, completed in c. 1964[17]
- Owen Waters House, 12-storey high-rise block, Ilford, completed in 1964[18]
Commercial buildings
- BP House at Great Parndon, completed in mid-1967[19][20][21]
- Comet House, the corporate headquarters of BOAC, completed in c. 1964[22]
- The computer building for BOAC, completed in c. 1966[23]
- Daily Mirror Building near Holborn Circus (now the headquarters of Sainsbury's), completed in 1959[24][25]
- the Debenhams store in Romford (formerly Stone's), completed in c. 1964[26]
- Two large motels for Saxon Inn Motor Hotels, of Harlow, at Northampton and Blackburn (now owned by Mercure)[27]
Railways
- The first two miles of the Piccadilly Line Heathrow extension, from Hounslow West tube station to Hatton Cross tube station, completed 1975[28]
- Harlow Town railway station, completed in 1963[29][30]
- Rebuilding of the Metropolitan line between Harrow and Moor Park tube station in 1963 for four lines[31]
- Tower Hill tube station, completed in c. 1967[32]
Reservoirs
- Covenham Reservoir completed in 1978[33]
- Foremark Reservoir, south Derbyshire, completed in c. 1973[34]
- Grafham Water (originally known as Diddington Reservoir) completed in 1965,[35][36][37]
- Hanningfield Reservoir completed in 1957[38]
- Hilfield Park Reservoir completed in c. 1966[39]
- Queen Elizabeth II Reservoir (Walton South Reservoir) completed in 1962[40][41]
- Queen Mother Reservoir, near Datchet, completed in 1976[42][43]
- Upper Tamar Lake, north Cornwall, completed in 1977[44]
- Wraysbury Reservoir completed in 1971[45][46]
Roads
- Bracknell central gyratory, completed in c. 1974[47]
- Gatwick Airport Link Road, completed in c. 1975[48]
- A12 Brentwood bypass completed in 1965[49][50]
- A12 Ufford to Wickham Market completed in 1976[51]
- A14 Stowmarket to Claydon bypass, first stage opened in August 1975, and second stage opened in November 1975 (as the A45)[52]
- A19 Sunderland Bypass and Hylton Viaduct completed in c. 1971[53]
- A47 King's Lynn southern bypass, completed in 1975[54][55]
Motorways
- A1(M) Durham Motorway, Bowburn (A177) to Carrville (A690), completed in May 1969[56]
- M11 Redbridge to Loughton completed in 1975[51]
- M18 Thurcroft (M1) to Wadworth (A1 M) completed in 1967[57]
- M18 Thorne to East Cowick, with the Langham Interchange, completed in 1975[58]
- M23 Hooley to Merstham completed in 1975[51]
- M23 Merstham to Pease Pottage completed in c. 1975[59]
- M3 Basingstoke East to Hawley, Hampshire completed in c. 1968[60][61]
- M4 Wootton Bassett to Liddington completed in 1971[62]
- M5 Oldbury to Ray Hall, completed in 1972[63]
- M5 Edithmead to Dunball, completed in c. 1971[64][65]
- M6 Carnforth to Farleton completed in 1970[66]
- M6 Farleton to Killington completed in 1970[66]
- M62 Pole Moor to Outlane completed in 1970[67]
- M62 Outlane to Hartshead completed in 1972[68]
- M62 Pollington to Rawcliffe completed in 1975[69]
- M621 Gildersome to Beeston, completed in 1973[70]
- Runnymede Bridge (now the M25), completed in 1961[71][72]
Airfields
- BOAC maintenance depot (now British Airways) at Heathrow Airport completed in 1955[73][74]
- BOAC engine overhaul plant at Nantgarw in south Wales, now GE Aviation Wales[75]
- Flight catering centre for Marriott In-flite Services, on Faggs Road in Feltham, 1969,[76]
- Extensions to East Midlands Airport buildings, completed in c. 1967[77]
- Edinburgh Airport runway extension completed in c. 1973[78]
- Gatwick Airport extended by 1,090ft, completed in May 1973[79]
- London Heliport completed in 1959[80]
- RAF Alconbury completed in 1940[81]
- RAF Downham Market completed in 1942[82]
- RAF Duxford completed in 1943[83]
- RAF Earls Colne completed in 1942[84]
- RAF Graveley completed in 1942[85]
- RAF Kings Cliffe completed in 1943[86]
- RAF Rivenhall completed in 1943[87]
- RAF Thurleigh completed in 1941[88]
References
- ^ "Allan George French". The Bancroftian Network. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ Hartcup, p. 94
- ^ "Colin Busby". Building. 2001. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
- ^ Crawley and District Observer Friday 28 June 1974, page 26
- ^ "The River Welland major improvement scheme" (PDF). South Holland Life. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ Times Friday 8 January 1965, page 19
- ^ Times Monday October 7 1968, page 19
- ^ Civil Engineering and Public Works Review. Vol. 56. 1961. p. 810.
The main civil engineering contractor is W. & C. French Ltd. The area draining to the Southern Outfall Works at Crossness comprises the whole of the...
- ^ "New Hall Archives". Janus. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ Times Friday 22 June 1962, page 8
- ^ Times Thursday 21 October 1965, page 24
- ^ Times Monday 3 December 1962, page 14
- ^ South Woddford
- ^ Times Monday 5 February 1962, page 12
- ^ Luton News Thursday 8 May 1958, page 1
- ^ Times Wednesday 1 June 1960, page 19
- ^ Times Thursday 6 February 1964, page 10
- ^ Times Thursday 10 September 1964, page 10
- ^ Times Saturday 18 December 1965, page 13
- ^ Times Wednesday 22 December 1965, page 13
- ^ Times Wednesday 16 February 1966, page 19
- ^ Times Friday 26 April 1963, page 4
- ^ Times Monday 3 January 1966, page 12
- ^ Times Friday 13 December 1957, page 18
- ^ Times Tuesday 16 December 1958, page 14
- ^ Times Friday 13 March 1964, page 18
- ^ Times Friday March 26 1971, page 22
- ^ Times Thursday 11 March 1971, page 4
- ^ The Sphere Saturday 20 August 1960, page 35
- ^ Times Tuesday 5 March 1963, page 17
- ^ Times Friday May 24 1963
- ^ Times Wednesday 4 November 1964, page 7
- ^ "British construction projects". Manchester University. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ Birmingham Daily Post Monday 29 January 1973, page 7
- ^ "Buckden: A Huntingdonshire Village". p. 154. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ Times Tuesday 30 October 1962, page 18
- ^ Times Monday 4 July 1966, page 18
- ^ "Hanningfield Facts". Essex & Suffolk Water. Archived from the original on 25 July 2008.
- ^ Times Monday 21 March 1966
- ^ Historic England. "Queen Elizabeth II Reservoir (1464683)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ Times Saturday 31 March 1962, page 5
- ^ "Technical paper: The Queen Mother Reservoir – some aspects of its design and construction". Ground Engineering. 1 October 1976. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
- ^ Times Friday September 26 1969, page 23
- ^ Neale, John (2010). Discovering the River Tamar. Amberley Publishing. ISBN 978-1445624952.
- ^ "The Queen Mother Reservoir, Datchet" (PDF). Ground Engineering. October 1976. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 June 2015. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ Times Friday 26 September 1969, page 23
- ^ Bracknell Times Thursday 11 January 1973, page 31
- ^ West Sussex County Times Friday 19 April 1974, page 20
- ^ Times Wednesday 11 March 1964, page 22
- ^ "News and views – Brentwood by-pass opens". Autocar: 1158. 26 November 1965.
- ^ a b c "Construction contracts". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 8 July 1975. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ Bury Free Press Friday 28 November 1975, page 32
- ^ Belfast Telegraph Tuesday 3 February 1970, page 3
- ^ Lynn Advertiser Friday 7 April 1972, page 1
- ^ Lynn Advertiser Friday 17 March 1972, page 1
- ^ Newcastle Journal Thursday 21 November 1968, page 12
- ^ "Thurcroft to Wadworth". Motorway Archive. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ Highways & Road Construction. Vol. 43. 1975. p. 40.
W. & C. French, which also built the new section of the M18...
- ^ Crawley and District Observer Friday 28 June 1974, page 26
- ^ Surrey Advertiser Friday 20 December 1968, page 22
- ^ Reading Evening Post Friday 9 October 1970, page 1
- ^ Times Thursday 13 January 1972
- ^ Birmingham Daily Post Wednesday 24 May 1972, page 10
- ^ Cheddar Valley Gazette Friday 22 January 1971, page 13
- ^ Western Daily Press Wednesday 20 January 1971, page 1
- ^ a b "Bridges on the M6 Motorway" (PDF). Concrete Quarterly. January 1971. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ "Pole Moor to Outlane". Motorway Archive. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ "Outlane to Hartshead". Motorway Archive. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ "Pollington to Rawcliffe". Motorway Archive. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ Huddersfield Examiner Tuesday 20 November 1973, page 8
- ^ Times Friday 17 November 1961, page 7
- ^ Times Tuesday 13 October 1959, page 5
- ^ "BOAC maintenance headquarters". Engineering Times. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ Times Tuesday 24 February 1953, page 14
- ^ Times Friday December 13 1957, page 18
- ^ Times Friday June 20 1969, page 22
- ^ Times Tuesday 31 January 1967, page 10
- ^ Times Monday 17 September 1973, page 28
- ^ West Sussex County Times Friday 4 August 1972, page 20
- ^ "Westland Heliport Opening" (PDF). British Universities Film and Video Council. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ "Alconbury Station". Airfield Research Group. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
- ^ "RAF Downham Market". Traces of War. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
- ^ Historic England. "Duxford: Control Tower (Building 209) (1392871)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
- ^ "Earls Colne airfield". American Air Museum. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
- ^ "RAF Graveley". Air Gunner Bob Gill. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
- ^ "Premises, sites etc within 30 miles of Harrington Museum" (PDF). Harrington Museum. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
- ^ "Exploring WWII RAF Base". YouTube. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
- ^ "Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire and Cambridgeshire WWI and WW" airfiels". Roll of Honour. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
Sources
- Hartcup, Guy (2011). Code Name Mulberry: The Planning Building and Operation of the Normandy Harbours. Pen & Sword Military. ISBN 978-1848845589.