HISTORY: How Epping company kept Britain's industry moving

Standing at the junction of Centre Drive and Woodland Grove, it is likely that few people would realise that they were at the location of what was up to the late 1980’s the site of a thriving industry. 

Employing hundreds of local people, the firm of The British Mathews and W. C. Pantin Ltd designed and manufactured a wide range of mechanical handling equipment that was sold to the likes of Fords at Dagenham, the steel manufacturing plants of the Midlands, breweries and many more. 

The history of the business dates back to the 17th Century where the company of Pantin was operating from offices in central London. They traded in various commodities including bristles for brushes and boxwood.

It was whilst importing boxwood that they realised specialised production machinery was required to turn the material into packing cases.

They started importing mechanical handling equipment but realised that it would be cheaper to produce it in the UK so, an agreement was struck with the American Mathews, a conveyer manufacturer from Minneapolis, USA and the British Mathews was formed as part of WC Pantin.

The British Mathews were responsible for manufacturing with WC Pantin looking after the sales side of the business. 

The machine shop at the British Mathews factory

Over the course of the company’s history the company had offices and manufacturing sites in London and South Woodford but having outgrown these sites, the entire operation was moved to the former Cottis brick and nail making site at Epping in 1937. 

The company’s customers included some of the country’s largest breweries as well as the great steel mills of the North who needed heavy conveyers to move the 30ton coils of sheet steel.

British Mathews lines could also be found moving cars around at Ford’s plant at Dagenham, luggage at the arrivals terminals of Heathrow, tins of pet food in Peterborough along, with a multitude of factories that required goods to be transported around a site.

Between 1976 and 1986 the company exported £30m to the USA as well as £1m to Australia, Belgium and Holland. 

In the early 1980’s demand for conveyors started to fall so new markets were investigated.

A line the firm built for Ford's at its Dagenham plant

Many of the old London Underground escalators needed replacement and with potential connection to the Underground network via the Central Line that ran next to the site, the company was well placed to expand into this line of business.

Initially this was very successful and a new all metal escalator was successfully installed at Mansion House station.

Unfortunately delays in contracts, cheaper imports and the recession of the mid-1980s placed a huge financial strain on the business that could not be sustained. 

The company was sold and in 1989 the site closed with the business being transferred to Rochester. In 1992 flats were built on the land. 

If you look for evidence of the business today it is hard to find any information other than a few photographs and an archive report on the internet reporting on the activities of the company’s football team.

However many local people still appear to remember the company with most remembering the annual Christmas party for employees and their children. 

More information can be found on a dedicated Facebook page; search for The British Mathews & W&C Pantin.