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F. Pratten and Co Ltd, commonly known as Prattens, was a business located in
The business was founded in 1912 by 26 year old Frank Pratten, a coal miner's son from Westfield, He had previously worked for another local firm, W. Edgell, but acquired a small premises off Charlton Road, Midsomer Norton, and began making prefabricated buildings with Frank Bourne. They manufactured ammunition sheds during
Raising of the school leaving age in the UK to 15 in 1945 prompted the
Pratten Terrace is built at the former factory entrance and The Timbers opposite it, their names echoing the firm and its carpentry activities.
Two 
Prattens
Prattens factory, 1933
Pratten hen hut and maker's plate
F. Pratten and Co Ltd, commonly known as Prattens, was a business located in Midsomer Norton
Midsomer Norton is a town near the Mendip Hills in Bath and North East Somerset, England, south-west of Bath, north-east of Wells, north-west of Frome, west of Trowbridge and south-east of Bristol. It has a population of around 13,00 ...
that manufactured prefabricated
Prefabrication is the practice of assembling components of a structure in a factory or other manufacturing site, and transporting complete assemblies or sub-assemblies to the construction site where the structure is to be located. The term is u ...
buildings. Production included portable classrooms that were widely used after World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
.
History
Early years
The business was founded in 1912 by 26 year old Frank Pratten, a coal miner's son from Westfield, He had previously worked for another local firm, W. Edgell, but acquired a small premises off Charlton Road, Midsomer Norton, and began making prefabricated buildings with Frank Bourne. They manufactured ammunition sheds during World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
.
Post war, Frank's brothers Ernest and Bertram joined the business. Economic difficulties during the inter-war years made low-cost prefabricated buildings attractive and business grew. In 1922 the firm offered garages from as little a £12 15 s delivered. Prattens described itself as a "Horticultural Builders" and between 1924 and 1926 incorporated as F Pratten & Co Ltd.
During World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, in common with many other workplaces, the company took on female factory workers to cover the shortfall left by men joining the armed forces.
Post-war boom
Raising of the school leaving age in the UK to 15 in 1945 prompted the HORSA hut
Hengist and Horsa are Germanic brothers said to have led the Angles, Saxons and Jutes in their invasion of Britain in the 5th century. Tradition lists Hengist as the first of the Jutish kings of Kent.
Most modern scholarly consensus now ...
programme. The subsequent increase to 16 in 1972 led to ROSLA classroom blocks. Both generated demand for prefabricated classrooms. Expected lifespan of the huts was only twenty-five years but many survived long after. Some examples from the 1950s – 1970s are still in use.
Prattens also manufactured sheds, greenhouse
A greenhouse (also called a glasshouse, or, if with sufficient heating, a hothouse) is a structure with walls and roof made chiefly of transparent material, such as glass, in which plants requiring regulated climatic conditions are grown.These ...
s, office units and garages, which were exported throughout the world.
In 1968, the firm employed 250 staff and its factory was "completely mechanised in spite of being housed in old buildings".
Beazer
The company remained a family business until 1980 when it was sold toBeazer
Beazer was a family business for six generationsC.H.Beazer (Holdings) Prospectus, July 1973 before expanding in the 1980s into international housebuilding, construction and building materials group. After becoming overburdened with debt it was r ...
. The acquired firm's fortunes declined and the factory in Charlton Road was demolished in 1994 for housing development.
Asbestos
Legacy
Pratten Terrace is built at the former factory entrance and The Timbers opposite it, their names echoing the firm and its carpentry activities.
Two social club
A social club may be a group of people or the place where they meet, generally formed around a common interest, occupation, or activity. Examples include: book discussion clubs, chess clubs, anime clubs, country clubs, charity work, crimin ...
s founded for Pratten's staff survive, both in Charlton Lane.
Prattens Sports and Social Club previously supported a Carnival Club that continued for some years after the firm closed.
Prattens Bowls
Bowls, also known as lawn bowls or lawn bowling, is a sport in which the objective is to roll biased balls so that they stop close to a smaller ball called a "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a bowling green, which may be flat (for "flat-g ...
Club was started in 1928 by Mr Thomas, a cashier at Prattens, and built using voluntary labour. For many years it had a male-only membership, and the members had to be employed by Prattens. Membership of both clubs is now open to all. Prattens Bowls Club was the site of a fatal hot air balloon
A hot air balloon is a lighter-than-air aircraft consisting of a bag, called an envelope, which contains heated air. Suspended beneath is a gondola or wicker basket (in some long-distance or high-altitude balloons, a capsule), which carrie ...
accident in 2011.
A Pratten hut is used as community centre and live entertainment venue at Warminster Athenaeum
Warminster Athenaeum is a Victorian theatre in Warminster, Wiltshire, England, and a Grade II listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maint ...
.
See also
*Shepherd Building Group
Shepherd Building Group Ltd is a family owned business, based in York, that manufactures, leases and sells modular buildings in the UK and Europe. Its Portakabin and Portaloo brands are frequently treated as generic terms for modular buildings ...
External links
Prattens factory, 1933
Pratten hen hut and maker's plate
References
{{coord, 51.2764, -2.4720, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Family-owned companies of the United Kingdom Companies based in Somerset Manufacturing companies established in 1912 1912 establishments in England