An old aircraft factory where warplanes were built during the Battle of Britain has been completely demolished to make way for new industrial buildings.
The factory in Headley Road East, Woodley, was historically used to make Miles Master aircraft during the Second World War from 1938 onwards.
The industrial building is thought to have stood for approximately 91 years on the site of an airfield until it was demolished in 2024.
There was a campaign for the factory to be retained due to its historical value, with a petition receiving more than 4,800 signatures.
But a plan by developers HE2 Reading 1 GP to replace it with 10 flexible-use industrial units was ultimately approved on appeal to the government’s planning inspectorate two years ago, in December 2023.
Photos show the units completed, with the site being called the ‘Hurricane Urban Hub’.
In a boon for the community, a notice board informing people about the history of the site has been installed.
This board tells people how the factory was first established in around 1933, and its uses until its demolition.
The board states: “The Phillips & Powis company (renamed Miles Aircraft in 1943) designed and built 5,945 civil and military aircraft here at Reading Aerodrome, Woodley from 1933-1947.
“Initially producing wooden light aircraft (notably the Miles Magister) for private owners and flying schools, the firm won a significant government order for 500 Miles Master trainers in 1938. At that time, this was Britain’s largest such contract, and required rapid factory expansion.
“At the height of World War Two, 5,000 employees worked a 24-hour seven-day week at Woodley and over 20 dispersed production and storage sites.
“A modern headquarters and major factory extension, designed by architect Guy Morgan and built by Harry Russell & Company, were formally opened on 27th January 1939 by the Secretary of State for Air, Sir Kingsley Wood. It featured an ingenious moving-track assembly line- the first in any British aircraft factory.
“Here, this innovative company operated flying training and aeronautical technical schools, designed what might have been the world’s first supersonic aircraft (the Miles M.52 cancelled shortly before completion), repaired damaged Spitfires and produced the Bire ball-point pen.”
From 1947-1948 onwards, the factory was taken over by a general engineering firm called Western Manufacturing Estate, which eventually became the Adwest Group.
While another 50 aircraft were built by the Handley Page company from 1948-1962, this ended with the closure of the Woodley Aerodrome.
After that, the airfield site was largely repurposed for housing, with its heritage being reflected in the street names such as Spitfire Way, Hurricane Way and Miles Way.
The factory continued to be used until its final occupants, Thermal Management Systems, pulled production out of the UK in 2022.
