Berkeley House offers quality, flexible and affordable office space.
The building which was historically occupied by the Vickers engineering company who manufactured Spitfires, Wellingtons and other aircraft during the Second World War, has been sympathetically refurbished to provide modern, technologically-enabled space, whilst retaining much of its original character.
In 1940-1941, The South Marston works of Vickers Ltd moved into buildings constructed by the Ministry of Aircraft production.
Spitfires, Wellingtons and other aircraft were manufactured at the site and at it's peak during the Second World War Vickers produced 444 Spitfires a month - 20,000 by the end of 1945 and employed thousands of local people.
The site was later developed as a composite engineering establishment with research, design, development and manufacturing facilities. They covered a floor area of some 760,000 square feet with a total workforce of 2,500.
Vickers was described as being unique among British industrial firms. It not only had a predominant role in manufacture, but also a major involvement in three basic industries on the shopping list of socialist governments. The company therefore came under increasing pressure because its fortunes were determined by the complexities of national defence policy, and also how a Labour government would treat it. When would the businesses be taken, how would it be done and would fair compensation be paid?
Given these circumstances, Vickers' achievement was to survive, which it duly did. It remained among the
British industrial leaders. To Vickers' credit, when its interests in steel, shipbuilding and aircraft were finally nationalised all three were desirable assets, technically competent and profitable.
On the 10th September 1984, Swindon's Evening Advertiser newspaper printed an article announcing that Vickers was to sell off its 570-acre site and airfield at South Marston. At this time the site was made up of 200 acres of prime industrial land, together with 370 acres of airfield and farmland. Vickers was hopeful that it would all be sold within two years. At the time the airfield could not be developed but there were 90 acres of undeveloped land that had industrial planning permission.
The design building in Hunts Rise was adapted and housed - The Salamander Works which made trunking
which survived until the early 2000's when Business Space Services bought the site for extensive refurbishment. The exterior has remained relatively untouched and still retains the executive reception at the rear of the building.
The building has recently been renamed 'Berkeley House' and provides modern, technologically enabled business and light industrial accommodation.
