History of Leese Ing Site Lansdown Road Swindon
Leese Ing was a business based in Lansdown Road Swindon until 1973 and manufactured mineral water (pop). The building was built in 1870 by Edwin Ing.
The building and one at the rear on the opposite side of the back lane, was built in 1870 by Edwin Robert Ing as a factory to make Aerated Water.
Edwin Ing has established a chemists shop in Wood Street Swindon in the early 1850's and in the 1860's he had purchased land at the Sands or Bath Road as it’s now called, and build a family home called Walton House after his childhood home at Walton Terrace Aylesbury. Walton house was demolished in the 1980's to make way for a block of flats.
There are two buildings and the main factory site fronted on Lansdown Road.
Now in 2018 (May) the buildings still remain but appear to have finally been sold after being on the market for some years and work has started on a new chapter of its life.
From 1870, the Ing Aerated Water business continued until after WWII when in 1945, Ing & Son merged with the Leese's to become Leese Ing & Co with the actual incorporation in 1951. The owner of Leese & Co was Norman Ferguson who continued to run and own the business with his son Terry until Arkells took over.
Leese had a factory at the bottom of Swindon Road Swindon and both buildings were manufacturing as Leese Ing until around the early 1960's when the Swindon Road factory was closed with Leese Ing & Co then trading solely from Lansdown Road.
While I was there in 1971 the business was producing Ace Soft Drinks for Arkells pubs and in 1973 the Leese Ing business adopted the Ace soft drinks name and eventually became part of Arkells business and finally closing in in the late 1970’s.
Edwin Robert Ing died in 1909 and his estate was worth £12,266 19s 9d which is around £1.5 million at today’s value. He was buried at the cemetery at Christ Church Swindon.
My Connection with Leese Ing
The first job I had after leaving school aged 16 in the summer of 1971 was at Lees Ings in Lansdown Road Swindon. My Grandfather, Denis Timms, had arranged it for me as he knew the owners the Fergusons.
It was an old building when I was there and although had a fascination with old buildings at this early age, I was not ready to investigate. I worked there for about three months until I joined the Royal Navy.
Some years later in the early 1980's I was involved with the community TV Station Swindon Viewpoint and had taken to camera work rather than presenting and was asked by a new company at the time Wyvern Television, to accompany them to a shoot in London. It was only for me to make up the numbers to impress the client, but was a fun day out.
