Our journey begins immediately after the Second World War when Patons & Baldwins set about building their new wool factory at Lingfield Point. Their aim was to create a flagship manufacturing base for the world famous knitting yarn company. But more importantly the owners shared a bigger vision.
Theirs was a holistic vision, a caring, all encompassing vision. That vision is shared by today’s owners Marchday – that’s us! Not only did Patons & Baldwins want to build the most advanced production facility in the world but they believed that the health and happiness of their workforce was key to the success of their businesses. So they set about creating working conditions which were unprecedented at the time.
It was a brave and ambitious vision. The country was struggling after the Second World War and everyday items including butter and cheese were still rationed. Nonetheless Patons & Baldwins built homes, schools and colleges and provided excellent healthcare facilities for the workforce and their families.
By 1951 the revolutionary wool factory was complete – at a cost of £7.5m – and at over two million square feet was the largest wool factory in the world. It’s great to know Lingfield Point once helped put Darlington on the global map. We just hope our vision for the site will do the same.
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