The story of BAE can be traced all the way back to 1897, when Dick, Kerr & Company first bought a warehouse to build trams and electric locomotives. In 1905, Dick, Kerr & Company formally became known as the United Electric Car Company Ltd.
And in 1918 they started to manufacture aircraft – and in particular military planes. But it wasn’t until 1960 when a merger produced British Aircraft Corporation, with the site at Strand Road an integral cog in the wheel, producing various sub-assemblies and component. However, the glory days didn’t last and the factory was controversially closed down in 1992.
The whole site was bulldozed in 1994 to make way for what we see today – a mixture of housing, shops and offices.
Here are some of our best archive pics...
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5. Piles of rubble and twisted corrugated iron lay all around as the former BAE works on Strand Road is demolished in 1994 Photo: Archive
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6. This 1994 image was taken from the Penwortham flyover on to Marsh Lane, looking down Strand Road towards the former BAE site Photo: Neil Cross
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7. This image from 1994 shows the old BAE car park on Strand Road, Preston Photo: Lindsey North
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8. Only one half of this massive shed remains as workers set about demolishing the former BAE site on Strand Road, Preston, in 1994 Photo: Archive
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