W. & C. French
| Public company | |
| Industry | Civil engineering |
| Successor | Kier Group |
| Founded | March 23, 1931 |
| Defunct | November 6, 1973 |
| 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 in south-west Essex.
History
It began as Messrs W. and C. French. It was incorporated as a company on 23 March 1931. An earlier company of W. & C. French had been formed in 1870. It had been formed by William French and his brother Charles French.
Second World War
In the Second World War it built many RAF airfields, and also Mulberry harbours.
Public company
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. It carried out most of its work in East Anglia. Charles French died on 4 November 1967 aged 86. The company was acquired by Kier Group in 1973.[1]
Structure
It was headquartered in Buckhurst Hill on what is now the A104, the former A11.
Products
- The Coronation Channel at Spalding, Lincolnshire on the River Welland
- BOAC maintenance depot (now British Airways) at Heathrow Airport
- Drainage and railway projects in Uganda and Kenya
- Hanningfield Reservoir
- Queen Elizabeth II Reservoir (Walton South Reservoir)
- London Heliport
- New Hall, Cambridge (now called Murray Edwards College, Cambridge), opened in 1965
- Tower Hill tube station
- 40 acre site for BP at Great Parndon
- Grafham Water (formerly Diddington Reservoir), built in July 1966
- Covenham Reservoir
- Wraysbury Reservoir (formerly Datchet Reservoir)
Airfields
- RAF Alconbury
- RAF Bassingbourn
- RAF Boxted
- RAF Debden
- RAF Downham Market
- RAF Graveley
- RAF Knettishall
- RAF Langham
- RAF Mildenhall
- RAF Rivenhall
- RAF Thurleigh
- RAF Wyton
Roads
- M11 junctions 4 to 7
- A11 Harlow bypass
- A12 Brentwood bypass
- M18 Thurcroft (M1) to Wadworth (A1 M)[2]
- M6 Carnforth to Farleton
- M6 Farleton to Killington
- M62 Outlane to Hartshead[3]
- M62 Pole Moor to Outlane[4]
- M62 Pollington to Rawcliffe[5]
- M25/M23 interchange, Merstham
References
- ↑ "Colin Busby". Building. 2001. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
- ↑ Thurcroft to Wadworth
- ↑ Outlane to Hartshead
- ↑ Pole Moor to Outlane
- ↑ Pollington to Rawcliffe