From Jacobean Grandeur to Industrial Innovation

Step into the story of one of Britain’s most influential yet overlooked industries on this compelling walking tour led by local retired rubber engineer Andrew Shipley.

Starting at The Hall, the elegant 19th-century home of pioneering industrialist Stephen Moulton, you’ll journey through the grounds where the British rubber industry laid its foundations. Moulton’s work with Charles Goodyear brought vulcanised rubber to Britain, and from his factory in the former Kingston woollen mills, the Avon Rubber Company grew into a global force.

Rubber production ceased in Bradford on Avon in the early 1990s, finishing in 1995. The original Avon Rubber factory has since been reimagined into flats and shops. Yet the land still echoes with stories of innovation, ambition, and community—and this tour brings it all vividly back to life.