Welcome to the Bata Heritage Centre website!  Based in East Tilbury in Essex, the Bata Heritage Centre aims to present the interesting history of the British Bata Shoe Co Ltd, its fascinating industrial and architectural heritage, and the social history of those who worked for the Bata company and the people who lived on the Bata residential estate.

Our Featured Image above, shows the landscaped gardens in front of the Bata factory site.  The statue of Tomas Bata presides over what used to be the Administration building.  Employees arriving late for work (at 7:30am) had to enter via the revolving door which took them straight into the HR department where their actual time of arrival was noted! 

21st Century view of the Bata Factory and Estate with new housing and River Thames (Photo credit: Terry Joyce)
Our Facilities:
Our main exhibition displays, records and research facilities are in the East Tilbury Library.  Here you will find displays of some of our collection illustrating the life and times of the Bata factory and those living on its residential estate between the 1930s and the early 2000s.  
 
Important new service offered: Our entire collection of Bata Record newspapers has now been digitised along with the Staff  Record Books.  As a result, we can now carry out searches for your family members and others who worked at Bata or who lived on the Bata Estate, events, or articles on a specific topic.

Our volunteers have full access to our collection and records.  However, please note, as we are run entirely by volunteers, we may not be present to meet visitors at all times.  To avoid disappointment, please email us (see details below) if you wish to arrange a meeting with a volunteer at a mutually convenient time and date.  Please let us know what you would like information about so that, if necessary, we can prepare in advance.

We Are Online: You are welcome to browse our website and Facebook page (Bata Heritage Centre).

Our Next Open Day – 10 October 2026: The next Bata Heritage Centre Open Day will held on Saturday, 10 October 2026 from 10am – 4pm.  Admission will be free.  More details about this event will be published nearer the time.

Notice of our next Annual General Meeting: Our next AGM will be held in April 2027.  More details will be published in due course.

Contact Details: Should you wish to make contact with us, then please write to or call: The Chairman, Bata Heritage Centre, “Waterview”, Orsett Road, Horndon on the Hill, Essex SS17 8NS (Tel: 01375 677581)

or,  email us at brrcatbatamemories@hotmail.com

Where to Find Us: We are based at the East Tilbury Library, Princess Avenue, East Tilbury, Essex RM18 8ST

Our Opening Times: We are open when the East Tilbury Library is open, as follows:

  • Tuesdays :    10am – 5pm
  • Wednesday: 10am – 7pm
  • Thursdays:   10am – 5pm
  • Saturday mornings: 10am – 1pm

If you would like to read more about the unique aspects of the life and times of the Bata company and the work of the Bata Heritage Centre, please click on the “Bata Memories” section of our website on the main menu above.

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