Barnards Ltd

Business reminiscence page

1826: Charles Barnard started up business as an Ironmonger. Premises were located near Norwich Market.
1840: More premises were added in Pottergate - these for the manufacture of ironwork, both domestic and agricultural.
1844: He had designed fencing and finally managed to produce a loom to speed up production. This was operated manually - a man did the weaving and a boy turned it. This machine is on display at Bridewell Museum, Norwich.
1846: John Bishop becomes a partner in the business this year. The business later moved, due to expansion, to larger premises in St George's, Colegate and Calvert Street.
1859: Charles Barnard's two eldest sons joined the business as Partners and the new name was Barnard, Bishop and Barnard.
1861: There were 105 workmen, 7 clerks, 4 shopmen and 47 lads employed in the business.
1869: By this year, Barnards had moved to St Michaels, Coslany - next to the River Wensum. This new factory was called the Norfolk Iron Works. There were 400 men and boys employed there and the premises were extensive.
1864: Barnards had employed a Thomas Jekyll to design the Norwich Gates pillars and railings. This project won an award for the design and was exhibited in London. The gates were given to the Prince of Wales as a wedding gift. The gates can still be seen at the entrance to The Royal Park at Sandringham.
1871: Charles Barnard died this year. He was buried in a churchyard in Booton.
1872: Barnards were hired to install central heating systems for St Peter Mancroft Church and Norwich Cathedral. In Chapelfield Gardens a Pagoda could be found. It was made of wrought and cast iron and manufactured by Barnards.
1887: Barnards became a limited Company. Mr James Bower saw to it that the wire machinery was updated and a machine was invented to produce mixed wire netting. Thousands of miles of netting were sent to Australia to guard against rabbit infestations.
1907: The Company name was changed to Barnards Limited. Mr James Bower was Managing Director.
1914 to 1918: Barnards supplied the War Office with nearly 7,000 miles of netting to assist in making roads over the desert and for use in the trenches.
1921: Barnards purchased the old Mousehold Aerodrome for a storage site.
1928: The Company started to manufacture chain-link fencing which was much stronger than the wire netting they had been producing.
1939: The business was turned to the manufacture of gun shells on the Mousehold site. 1,200 people were employed there. In addition to ammunition, parts were produced for the Hurricane aircraft. Ammunition trucks and propellers for torpedo motor boats were also produced.
1940: The Mousehold factory was bombed by two aircraft. Two people were killed.
1941: A further air raid damaged buildings but noone was killed.
1955: Barnards became part of Tinsley Wire Industries of Sheffield and continue to produce wire neting at their Salhouse Road factory.
1960: The business started to manufacture Norfence, which is an ornamental fencing for domestic use.
1964: Boulton and Paul's Wire Products Division was purchased and was merged with Barnards.
1976: 150 years of trading was reached and the business celebrated this.
1979: Tinsley Wire purchased Flexipane Ltd and this too, was amalgamated with Barnard's Mousehold Works.