Ds wants to see a factory (?!)

[expatkat]

5-yr-old ds has been asking for AGES if I can take him to see a factory. Any ideas of somewhere in or near London?

No idea of near London, but Magna in South Yorkshire is based in an old steel works, and has a demo model of what it's like when it was working. Lots of their exhibitions and activites are based round dteel works too. Well worth a visit if you are ever up north!

Most of the breweries have tours but I don't know if you can take kids in????? The chocolate places do too, but I can't think of one near London.... I'll have a think!

This is a poser, expatkat, London is no longer much of a centre for showcase manufacturing.
This website suggests Welmar Pianos in S London might be willing to have visitors...they are the only London firm listed!
Ds enjoyed his trip round the Westons Cider mill and bottling plant in Much Marcle, Herefordshire, last summer - children welcome and a VERY nice area for a weekend away...

And actually, although it is not a factory, Crossness Sewage Works in Erith, London, has a magnificent restored steam pump engine house that runs every month or so and is very popular with industrial heritage fanciers...let me know if you are interested, I can get details of the next "steam day" from the local paper. (My grandpa was the gardener for the sewage works' magnificent formal front gardens in the 1950s...)

Also not near London but some of the potteries do tours. Denby Pottery, just outside Derby, have a hands on area with moulds and decorating, or there is Poole Pottery or even I think Dartington glass in Devon.

If you fancy a trip up to the Midlands Cadbury world lets you see inside a chocolate factory.

Eureka in Halifax, Yorkshire has an assembly line in which children can participate in the production process. This children museum is right on the side of Halifax's train station and well worth a visit.

I'm sure I have seen somethin similar in London in my pre-baby times... so I don't remeber wuite well where...

US TOO US TOO (ds is also 5)

Closest I've been able to think of: when I can get a Weds off work we are going to do the tour of the Poilane bakery - age 5 is the minimum they allow, and you have to books weeks ahead, I hear.

Far further away from London, but so fantastically exciting: you can do tours of the Airbus factory in Toulouse - we organised it once but couldn't get there because our sleeper train ran late

Hogs Back Brewery do tours (about 45 minutes south of London just off the A3). Never been so can't say what it's like.

I went on a school trip to Fords at Dagenham many moons ago - might be worth ringing to see if you can visit.

Thank you for these suggestions, everybody! (Marina, I'll see if I can find details of Steam Day myself, so you don't have to go to the trouble.)

we have the shredded wheat cereal partners Uk factory just up the rd from us. dd1 wants to go inside it. it makes the whole town smell lovely.