Marconi'S First Radio Factory

Marconi's First Radio Factory is a former silk mill built in 1856 by John Hall of Coggeshall. It was acquired by the Courtaulds of Braintree in 1865 and then by Marconi in 1899, becoming the world’s first wireless factory. The building is constructed of gault brick and features a parapetted south facade with Tuscan pilasters and a partly stuccoed entablature that has a brick dentil course over a radiused corner. It has a brick plinth and is two-storeys high, with metal industrial-type windows that include glazing bars and segmental brick arches. The roof is clad with slate, and the plan is roughly square with one curved corner. A plaque on the east wall commemorates Marconi's first factory. In 2016, the building was converted into six flats and a commercial unit.