real time web analytics
Report - - Terry's Chocolate Factory - York - September 2014 | Industrial Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Terry's Chocolate Factory - York - September 2014

Hide this ad by donating or subscribing !

The_Raw

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
History

Terry's was a chocolate and confectionery maker in York with a history dating back to 1767. This factory opened in 1926 and became known as Terry's Confectionery Works. It was built in an Art Deco style and included a distinct clock tower. Here new products including the Chocolate Apple (1926), Terry's Chocolate Orange (1931), and Terry's All Gold were all developed and produced onsite.

With the onset of the Second World War, confectionery production was immediately halted. The factory was taken over by F Hill's and Son's of Manchester as a shadow factory, to manufacture and repair aircraft propeller blades. With the factory handed back to the company post-war, production was difficult due to rationing and limited imports of raw cocoa. As a result, in 1954 production of the chocolate apple was phased out in favour of increased production of the chocolate orange.

In 1993 it was taken over by Kraft Foods. From 2000, the company brand was changed from Terry's of York to simply Terry's, reducing the company's links to the city. Production was also scaled back, with just UK products and Terry's Chocolate Orange, Terry's All Gold and Twilight made for the international market. In 2004, Kraft Foods decided to absorb Terry's, switch production of remaining products All Gold and Chocolate Orange to their own factories in Belgium, Sweden, Poland and Slovakia, and close the plant.

The factory closed on 30 September 2005, with the loss of 317 jobs. The factory was bought by developers Grantside, renamed The Chocolate Works, and in February 2010 planning permission was given for a £165 million redevelopment of the site as a mixed-use of residential, commercial and leisure. Redevelopment started in 2011, with removal of asbestos, followed by demolition of non-scheduled buildings in early 2012.

Our Visit

I jumped on a last minute coach from London with extreme_ironing on hearing news that construction work at Terry's has upped the pace recently and now has 24 hour security in place. We were a bit apprehensive about making such a long trip with the possibility of failure but both determined to see this place before it's demise. Thankfully our trip was well worth the effort as we managed to access the admin building, the factory and the old clock tower. Security always seemed to be one step behind us as we watched them nosing around each building after we'd moved onto the next one. It really is an amazing site, the admin building full of Art Deco features was a joy to explore, a real life Willy Wonka factory if you like. After 6 hours on site we headed off into the night for a well earnt curry and beers before hitting another of York's gems.

The Pics

Looking towards the main factory from the roof of the admin building, we had to stay low at this point as security was wandering about below us....
15061274618_38aec6b99a_b.jpg


Grand doors and office space on the ground floor, everything art deco style....
15060784217_79a81111fc_b.jpg



15060860797_9691c7727a_b.jpg



15060765090_4b775efe40_b.jpg



15061061138_a1f4a852b0_b.jpg



15224629246_06623eec93_b.jpg


Art deco detail
15247021802_d394efc853_b.jpg


The Safe Door
15244445701_1ff21f6e29_b.jpg


Logo on the inside of the safe
15247305902_599230b558_b.jpg


The grand entrance hall
15061527617_a288013936_b.jpg


The stairs, lost count of how many pics I took in here....
15061560857_a907f7949b_b.jpg



15061485258_b7efa9c251_b.jpg



15061591070_4749b79aa9_b.jpg



15225286726_fb58849a95_b.jpg


Stained glass dome window above the staircase
15248013025_566b870959_b.jpg


Office
15247681672_09349cb46c_b.jpg


The manager's office overlooking downstairs
15061232398_3b68e04bb6_b.jpg


Detail
15244648951_386680145b_b.jpg



15247801865_12a23c3068_b.jpg


On top of the clock toweer
15244214861_3c191b74d9_b.jpg


Construction site next door with York Minster in the distance
15246947242_9e3a5fe97e_b.jpg


Looking down over the security hut with the factory to the right and admin building on the left
15246893582_bd16a22d4f_b.jpg


Behind one of the clock faces
15060687897_000b51d741_b.jpg


Factory doors
15247230795_0318f5aacb_b.jpg


Not much to see inside the factory except long empty rooms like this
15244035741_2c96084626_b.jpg


The walls and windows are still pretty impressive for a factory though
15247098475_659a495d51_b.jpg


Watching security's movements over in the admin building
15060424769_0b4c4c9df9_b.jpg


The racecourse next door
15060644808_e2416cd1d6_b.jpg


The clock tower from the top of the factory
15060667438_9d4cf2a152_b.jpg



15247147445_7488670767_b.jpg


Night starting to close in
15060295769_101fa1c189_b.jpg


Extreme Ironing chilling in the window frame waiting for security to finish his rounds below
15060453957_f87186c7e1_b.jpg


Thanks for looking
 
Last edited:

The_Raw

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Thanks mate, think there'd have to be something wrong with you not to get some good snaps in there :thumb
 

ACID- REFLUX

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Great work as always young man. But excelled here :thumb

Something about this place gets the juices flowing, is it the buildings or just the thought that Chocolate Oranges were made here :)

Well done avoiding Secca mate. I clocked on at the same time as them at stupid O clock one morning and every time I returned they appeared like Mr Benns shopkeeper :banghead until finally coming face to face as I made a final attempt. Could have been on the Racecourse they way I vaulted that wall lol

And never returned :(
 

dave

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Quality pics there as good as ive seen tbh. The view from the clock tower is something else i loved it up there. Brought back some happy memories thanks for posting.
 

Boba Low

SWC ___/
28DL Full Member
Echoing Dave's sentiments, I have a lot of love for this place, spent days there when I was at uni. Good times.
 

The_Raw

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Cheers for the comments
Something about this place gets the juices flowing, is it the buildings or just the thought that Chocolate Oranges were made here :)

Well done avoiding Secca mate. I clocked on at the same time as them at stupid O clock one morning and every time I returned they appeared like Mr Benns shopkeeper :banghead until finally coming face to face as I made a final attempt. Could have been on the Racecourse they way I vaulted that wall lol

I'm intrigued by the 'Chocolate Apple' which was phased out in 1954, if you found one you'd have to give it a go right??

I'm not gonna lie, our avoidance of security was in the words of Alan Partridge, textbook :D
 

Will Knot

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Hey, pretty mint that man, did well keepin' out of trouble :D Pics and report great as usual :) spot on :thumb
 

Altair

Poking holes since '84
28DL Full Member
Great work there, lovely set you ever got and those stairs are rather nice. Particularly like the last shot though.
 
Top