W. & C. French
W. & C. French, also known just as French, was a civil engineering company based at Buckhurst Hill in south-west Essex.
History
The business of Messrs W. and C. French was established by William French and his brother Charles French in 1870.In the Second World War it constructed many RAF airfields and also built Mulberry harbour units.
On 19 September 1949 it became a public company, when the Chairman of the company was Charles Samuel French, the son of William French. Another director was Brigadier John Linnaeus French CB CBE, a former commander of Colchester Garrison, and brother of Charles. Its transport depot was at Loughton. They had other depots at Colchester and Wisbech and carried out most of its work in East Anglia. The company was acquired by Kier Group in 1973.
Incidents
A 19 year worker at Pease Pottage on the M23 motorway contract, on 19 March 1974, had his hand burned on an overhead 11kV transmission line, and had to have the hand amputated.Major projects
- The Coronation Channel at Spalding, Lincolnshire on the River Welland completed in 1953
- Improvements at Acton Lane Power Station, completed in September 1966
- Beckton Sewage Treatment Works, developed in a joint project with Balfour Beatty, late 1960s
- Crossness Sewage Treatment Works, around 1963
Education
- New facilities at New Hall, Cambridge completed in 1965
- South Woodford halls residence for Queen Mary College, completed in 1964
Hospitals
- The second stage of Princess Alexandra Hospital, Harlow, completed in 1962
Housing developments
- Development of 1,340 houses in Houghton Regis in Bedfordshire, completed in May 1958
- High-rise flats at Stoke Newington, the Milton Gardens Estate, completed in 1964
- Owen Waters House, 12-storey high-rise block, Ilford, completed in 1964
Commercial buildings
- BP House at Great Parndon, completed in mid-1967
- Comet House, the corporate headquarters of BOAC, completed in 1964
- The computer building for BOAC, completed in 1966
- Daily Mirror Building near Holborn Circus, completed in 1959
- the Debenhams store in Romford, completed in 1964
- Two large motels for Saxon Inn Motor Hotels, of Harlow, at Northampton and Blackburn
Railways
- The first two miles of the Piccadilly Line Heathrow extension, from Hounslow West tube station to Hatton Cross tube station, completed 1975
- Harlow Town railway station, completed in 1963
- Rebuilding of the Metropolitan line between Harrow and Moor Park tube station in 1963 for four lines
- Tower Hill tube station, completed in 1967
Reservoirs
- Covenham Reservoir completed in 1978
- Foremark Reservoir, south Derbyshire, completed in 1973
- Grafham Water completed in 1965,
- Hanningfield Reservoir completed in 1957
- Hilfield Park Reservoir completed in 1966
- Queen Elizabeth II Reservoir completed in 1962
- Queen Mother Reservoir, near Datchet, completed in 1976
- Upper Tamar Lake, north Cornwall, completed in 1977
- Wraysbury Reservoir completed in 1971
Roads
- Bracknell central gyratory, completed in 1974
- Gatwick Airport Link Road, completed in 1975
- A12 Brentwood bypass completed in 1965
- A12 Ufford to Wickham Market completed in 1976
- A14 Stowmarket to Claydon bypass, first stage opened in August 1975, and second stage opened in November 1975
- A19 Sunderland Bypass and Hylton Viaduct completed in 1971
- A47 King's Lynn southern bypass, completed in 1975
Motorways
- A1(M) Durham Motorway, Bowburn to Carrville, completed in May 1969
- M11 Redbridge to Loughton completed in 1975
- M18 Thurcroft to Wadworth completed in 1967
- M18 Thorne to East Cowick, with the Langham Interchange, completed in 1975
- M23 Hooley to Merstham completed in 1975
- M23 Merstham to Pease Pottage completed in 1975
- M3 Basingstoke East to Hawley, Hampshire completed in 1968
- M4 Wootton Bassett to Liddington completed in 1971
- M5 Oldbury to Ray Hall, completed in 1972
- M5 Edithmead to Dunball, completed in 1971
- M6 Carnforth to Farleton completed in 1970
- M6 Farleton to Killington completed in 1970
- M62 Pole Moor to Outlane completed in 1970
- M62 Outlane to Hartshead completed in 1972
- M62 Pollington to Rawcliffe completed in 1975
- M621 Gildersome to Beeston, completed in 1973
- Runnymede Bridge, completed in 1961
Airfields
- BOAC maintenance depot at Heathrow Airport completed in 1955
- BOAC engine overhaul plant at Nantgarw in south Wales, now GE Aviation Wales
- Flight catering centre for Marriott In-flite Services, on Faggs Road in Feltham, 1969,
- Extensions to East Midlands Airport buildings, completed in 1967
- Edinburgh Airport runway extension completed in 1973
- Gatwick Airport extended by 1,090ft, completed in May 1973
- London Heliport completed in 1959
- RAF Alconbury completed in 1940
- RAF Downham Market completed in 1942
- RAF Duxford completed in 1943
- RAF Earls Colne completed in 1942
- RAF Graveley completed in 1942
- RAF Kings Cliffe completed in 1943
- RAF Rivenhall completed in 1943
- RAF Thurleigh completed in 1941