Site of an aircraft factory established in 1914 by Short Bros. for the construction of float planes and sea planes. Products included the Sarafand, the C class flying boat and the Sunderland. The workshops were used from the mid 1920s for the construction of bus bodies, tram bodies and car bodies. The workshops were used by a variety of firms from the late 1940s to the 1980s, including by CAV, Ozonair and Blaw Know. The site, which extended from Backfields to Shorts Way. has been cleared and used for housing. The remains of launching slips exist including a large concrete slip at the southern end of the site constructed for the launch of the Shetland I flying boat in 1944. There is a large underground workshop at the southern end of the site in existence and parallel tunnels stretching from Backfields to the underground workshop which were dug as part of the Air Raid Precautions Regulations after 1936.

Jim Preston Personal Communication (Verbal communication). SKE13236.

Jim Preston Personal Communication (Verbal communication). Ske13236.