Book Review: A Guide to the Industrial Archaeology of Essex

The Conference and launch of the sub-group
was inspired by the book and the
enthusiasm of the author and others.

'A Guide to the Industrial Archaeology of Essex' by Tony Crosby for the Association of Industrial Archaeology (AIA) 2012 68 pages, ISBN 978 0 9560251 1 1. £5.50 + P&P

This A5 booklet provides a gazetteer of industrial sites in Essex which was published to compliment the AIA's annual conference held at Writtle College, Chelmsford, in August 2012.  The introduction to the gazetteer emphasises the largely agricultural basis for many of the sites included and gives a brief summary of each category comprising mills; other agricultural industries; malting and brewing; engineering; textiles; extractive industries; transport; electronics; public utilities and industrial communities. 

The author draws upon his considerable knowledge of the industrial sites of Essex to include a range of sites that are now rare, unusual and or regional and national significance.  These sites are ordered in the gazetteer by the 12 Districts in the current administrative County of Essex and the 2 Unitary Authorities of Thurrock and Southend-on-Sea but that part of historic Essex now within Greater London is excluded.  For each district all gazetteer entries are listed alphabetically by town or village and have a letter and number reference which relates to the relevant District map, colour photographs and the index.  In addition to location information, including a NGR reference, there is a brief description of what there is to see at each site. 

In recent years there has been a growing appreciation of the quality of industrial heritage sites which survive outside of Britain's traditional industrial heartlands.  The wide range of sites detailed in the booklet demonstrates the extent to which this applies in Essex. It is a welcome introduction to the industrial sites of the county and provides a useful starting point for anyone wishing to carry out further research.  The Essex Society for Archaeology and History is acknowledged for its generous donation towards the production costs of the gazetteer.

David Buckley

This item appears in the Society's Newsletter, Spring 2013