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During World War One, the government commissioned a factory, designed by the Enfield Armament Company, to be built on open fields along Burton Road in Branston as the National Machine Gun Factory. The factory was started by local building contractors Thomas Lowe & Sons in 1915 but not fully finished before the war ended in 1918. Not a single machine gun was actually produced there.

Because of wartime labour shortage Geman prisoners of war housed in Maltings on Anglesey Road worked as labourers on the project. They used to march through the town to work on it.

The site remains intact today with many of the original buildings still standing. It has existed in a number of roles; most famously for its production of Branston Pickle, named after the factory location.

Location: Burton Road, Branston, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire DE14 3DR
Image shows the former Branston Pickle factory that was intended to be the National Machine Gun Factory