From its origins in the beauty of the Peak District, via road and rail to our customers’ sites around the country, Breedon Cement’s genesis and journey are fascinating…
- 1. The beginning: The stunning setting of Breedon’s Hope Cement Works (the UK’s largest cement plant) nestling in the heart of the Hope Valley, Peak District, belies the hard, industrial work carried out there for nearly 90 years.
2. Two is better than one: Our plant is capable of manufacturing around 1.5 million tonnes of cement each year. And its unique twin-kiln production line means our cement keeps flowing, even when a kiln is taken offline for essential maintenance, which means consistent reliability of supply.
3. Jobs for the locals: The plant may be a prominent industrial operation in a National Park, but it has an excellent environmental track record. It also contributes more than £45 million a year to the local economy – that’s over 7% of the Peak Park’s total economy. More than 250 people are employed directly or indirectly by the plant.
4. Keeping it ‘country’: only 30% of Breedon’s cement leaves the Works by road. The vast majority is shipped via the national rail network. Our cement trains cross two rivers and pass through leafy countryside in their 1½ mile journey to the exchange sidings with Network Rail. To this day these bear the name Earle’s Sidings, in a touching reference to the original owners of the cement works.
5. Do the locomotion: Our cement wagons are then picked up by main-line locomotives and taken to our depots around the country. This includes the 200-mile journey to Dagenham, where our cement is packed and shipped to local builders merchants.