From 1865 to 1907, the Waldringfield Cement Plant in Suffolk – latterly known as Masons – produced up to 200 tonnes per week of Roman Cement. Located on the banks of the River Deben, not only was the manufacturing process completely steam-powered, but all the transport was by water too: an historic example of sustainable logistics.
The old plant had used bottle kilns, with chalk brought from the Thames. But by moving ten miles inland to their new Claydon Plant, completed in 1914, Masons could use local chalk instead and adopt the newer rotary kiln technology. Masons was finally acquired by Blue Circle in 1948, and the plant was systematically upgraded. Clinker production continued there until February 1999.
Now, one hundred years after the modern Claydon Plant replaced Waldringfield, this 200 acre site is being adapted again, this time as a development of over 4 million square feet of warehousing. Forming part of the Freeport East Zone, local businessman Maxwell Hembry has pledged that the site will be the most sustainable commercial development in Great Britain. 36 acres of solar panels are set to be installed on warehouse rooftops and will produce at least 6MW of energy to power the warehouse operations.
Clare couldn’t resist the opportunity to visit one of the first nine warehouses on this industrial park, as part of her tour of 80 warehouse visits in 2024. Having operated as a freight forwarder for 50 years, family firm Buckle Shipping recently took the plunge and established their first ever warehouse operation. The appeal of this local development was hard to resist and they are now operating an 86,000 sq ft unit at Port One, with VNA racking and two mezzanine floors served by a pair of industrial lifts. The facility is bonded and provides storage for a range of goods as varied as aluminium sheeting on oversized pallets, sacks of rice, cashew nuts and rolls of copper wire.
Being in close proximity to the port of Felixstowe, these warehouses can help businesses avoid demurrage costs by clearing goods promptly from the docks too. Sustainable logistics is still key to the industrial development here in Suffolk, creating prosperity across the region. UKWA is planning a roadshow event at Port One in July, so our members and others will get a chance to see for themselves, what all the fuss is about!
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