Ruislip & Eastcote & Northwood Gazette
Homes choc full of history
THE housebuilder behind the Hayes Village development on Nestles Avenue, is appealing to members of the local community in a bid to find historic images of the former Nestlé chocolate and coffee factory.
As the iconic building is converted into a collection of stylish apartments, Barratt London hopes to honour its fascinating history.
The company is eager to hear from individuals who worked in the building in past decades, or perhaps a local photographer, that may have some historic internal or external photos of the factory in its heyday.
The housebuilder is sensitively converting the former factory into a range of attractive new Art Decostyle apartments, whilst opening up a previously inaccessible part of the canal for the public to enjoy.
Ed McCoy, sales director for Barratt London, said: “The Nestlé Factory is a much-loved Hayes landmark, so it is only right to keep the history of the building alive through the stories and memories of local people.
As new residents buy and eventually move into our Hayes Village development, we feel it is important that they have the opportunity to learn about the exciting role their home played in the production of instant coffee and chocolate, alongside how much the site means to the people of Hayes.
“We encourage anybody who has any photographs, artefacts or anecdotes about the factory to get in touch.”
Local legend has it that after retiring from Hollywood, Eugen Sandow, the father of modern bodybuilding who was featured in a series of Charlie Chaplin films, invested his earnings into Sandow’s Cocoa Works, which opened in Hayes in 1913.
In 1929, the factory changed hands to become the first factory outside of Switzerland to manufacture the Nestlé Milky Bar.
The housebuilder is making steps to ensure the original character of the site is honoured, such as restoring key elements of the original design and integrating these elements back into the new homes.
The iconic Art Deco entrance will be retained, alongside the original staircase and south façade of the main factory building.
Historic factory machinery and artefacts will be innovatively integrated into the design of the apartment’s buildings.
Ed hopes the building will play a part in the local community and added: “We have been working hard with conversion specialists to ensure that the original facades are being preserved, while many of the original art deco features have also been restored.”
The site will host more than 1,300 new homes and three hectares of green spaces across the site, including a 1.3km trail, 300m of previously inaccessible canal frontage,
communal gardens, and a children’s play area.
Anyone with images or relevant memorabilia that that they would be willing to share are asked to please contact Briony Hughes at briony@building-relations.co.uk