While working as an office manager at Hutchinson in Widnes in the 1860s, John Tomlinson Brunner met Ludwig Mond, who was also working there as a chemist. Mond decided to leave and establish a factory to produce alkali by the ammonia-soda process. Brunner joined as a partner. The factory at Winnington opened in 1873, and in time Brunner Mond & Co. Ltd became the largest producer of soda in the world.
Winnington Soda Ash Works – The expansive industrial site
Brunner Mond merged with several other leading chemical companies to form Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) in 1926. Winnington Works manufactured sodium carbonate (soda ash) and its various by-products such as sodium bicarbonate (bicarbonate of soda), and sodium sesquicarbonate. It was at the laboratories on this site that polythene was discovered by accident in 1933 during experiments into high pressure reactions.
The Winnington Works were divested to the newly formed company, Brunner Mond, in 1991. It was again sold in 2006, to Tata and in 2011 was re branded as Tata Chemicals Europe. Soda ash and calcium chloride production ceased at the Winnington plant in February 2014, bringing to a close 140 years of soda ash production in Northwich. The head office and the sodium bicarbonate plant remain at Winnington.
Dissolver House
Winnington Soda Ash Works – Dissolver pipes
Winnington Soda Ash Works – The rust is starting to show through
Winnington Works – Under the dissolver pipes
Winnington Works – Drive motor and gears
Winnington Soda Ash Works – The large pipes would have rotated during use
Winnington Soda Ash Works – Discarded equipment below the pipes
Winnington Works – Pumps in flooded space
Winnington Works – Below the pipes
Winnington Soda Ash Works – Nature and decay taking over
Winnington Soda Ash Works – Dissolver house control room
Heavy Ash Mixers
Winnington Soda Ash Works – The heavy ash mixers are even bigger rotating pipes
Winnington Soda Ash Works – Heavy ash mixers were huge
Winnington Works – Gauges above mixer
Winnington Works – Heavy ash mixer
Winnington Soda Ash Works – Drive motors and gears
Heavy Ash Secheur’s
Winnington Soda Ash Works – Heavy Ash Secheur pipes for drying the product
Winnington Soda Ash Works – These were pretty big too
Winnington Works – Gauges and pipes
Winnington Works – Conveyor and lift switchroom
Winnington Soda Ash Works – Light ash mixers
Other areas
Winnington Soda Ash Works – Display board at the head of a tank
Winnington Soda Ash Works – Covers removed from filter mechanisms showing workings
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