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Waltham Abbey History
The Later history |
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A gunpowder factory was opened in the town in the 17th Century, then acquired by the Crown in 1787, no doubt due to the good river communications and the empty marshland by the River Lea. In the 19th century around 1863 Frederick Abel began searching for more powerful and reliant explosives, and guncotton. 1891 was the start of Cordite production and the site was enlarged several times. During World War II the site was an obvious target , and a German V2 rocket landed near the factory in Highbridge Street on 7th March 1945, causing major damage to property and large loss of life. In 1983 the factory eventually closed, and the site was developed into an explosives research facility. Around 1777 there was also a fulling mill at Sewardstone and a pin factory by 1805. |
| Silk and calico printing were also important industries. The River Lea Navigation was also improved, a new canal cut across the marshes was opened in 1769 bringing more trade to the town. Outside the town the parish is largely rural and agriculture has been an important occupation, in the first half of the 20th century the area was extensively covered in glass-houses and market gardens. Gravel extraction has also long been a major industry in the Lea Valley, leaving a legacy of pits now used for recreation and an important wildlife habitat. In the early 1970's the population of the town increased by the development of housing estates and has developed into a dormitory town with pockets of light industry. |
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