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C. R. Luce Brewery Malmesbury
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In 1941 Linolite Ltd. moved into the old mill. Alfred Beutell had patented a tubular electric lamp in 1901. After making some himself he contracted Edison and Swan to make them. He formed his own company that took over production and was renamed Linolite Ltd. in 1933. They made filament strip lights, often used for displays and later for shaving lamps. During the Second World War they concentrated on being the main supplier of hose clips for bomber aircraft de-icing systems. Unfortunately their factory was in Victoria - they were finally told by the Ministry of Aircraft Production to evacuate from London and they chose Malmesbury. A lease was granted by Wessex Electricity. During the war Linolite made 7.5 million hose clips in a workshop on the third floor of the mill. The second floor was their canteen with offices on the first. In 1944 there was a disastrous fire that badly damaged the upper part of the building and the adjacent Electricity Manager's dwelling. The building was covered with a new asbestos roof but the top 2 floors were never reused. The malting which had been unused since the closure of the brewery became a National Reserve Food Store. After the war Linolite reverted to making electric lights and new buildings were erected. The brewery was unoccupied and deteriorated over the years. In 1985 the company moved to new premises at the top of Tetbury Hill. Finally the factory, then part of the Concord Rotaflex Group, closed in 1993 putting nearly 200 people out of work. Later the factory was taken over by Dyson. The Maltings housing project, originally proposed for older people, was finally built in 1989 after the first contractor went out of business.
Source: Charles Vernon
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