# Old Powder Mills

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The **Old Powder Mills** was a former research centre of GSK in [Kent](/source/Kent).

## History

In 1949 the site became a pharmaceutical manufacturing factory, when [Menley & James](/source/Menley_%26_James) bought the site, who were owned by [Smith, Kline & French](/source/Smith,_Kline_%26_French). In 1952 the site became wholly owned by Smith, Kline & French (SK&F), running under the name Bridge Chemicals. SK&F was based in [Welwyn Garden City](/source/Welwyn_Garden_City), and the site ran under Smith Kline & French Research, or SK&F Research.[1] In 1989, the site became part of SmithKline Beecham.

By around 2000, when GSK was formed, around 300 people worked on the site.

### Closure

GSK left the site in 2010, after announcing the closure of the site in February 2010.[citation needed] It was redeveloped for housing by Bellway Homes.

## Structure

It was situated in the west of Kent, off the [A21](/source/A21_road_(England)), north of the [River Medway](/source/River_Medway), south of [Hildenborough](/source/Hildenborough). There was around 155,000 sq ft of laboratories and office buildings. The north part of the site contained office buildings, and the South part of the site only contained laboratories.

## References

1. [New Scientist September 1981](https://books.google.com/books?id=BtDxhCDDvUUC&dq=%22Powder+Mills%22&pg=PA629)

## External links

- [New development](https://web.archive.org/web/20161128171606/http://ashillgroup.co.uk/developments/leigh/index.htm)
- [Demolition](https://web.archive.org/web/20160625143147/http://www.general-demolition.co.uk/new-project-1/)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Old Powder Mills](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Powder_Mills) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Powder_Mills?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.