Chester Business Park
Encyclopedia
Chester Business Park is located to the south of the city of Chester
, Cheshire
, England and is sited to the east of Wrexham Road (A483
) and to the north of the Chester southerly bypass (A55
).
The business park opened in 1988 and occupies an area of 175 acre (0.7082005 km²). At the centre of the site is the former Wrexham Road Farm
, a model farm
designed by John Douglas
for the 1st Duke of Westminster
and built in 1877–84; otherwise it was a greenfield site
. The farmhouse and outbuildings of the farm were converted into offices, and a number of businesses built premises in modern architectural styles. One of the first major businesses to occupy a new building was Shell Chemicals U.K.
, and other businesses included Marks & Spencer Financial Services
, MBNA International Bank
, Bristol-Myers Squibb
, and Trinity International
.
A Leaping Salmon bronze sculpture by Laurence Broderick
is displayed at the Chester Business Park.
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, England and is sited to the east of Wrexham Road (A483
A483 road
The A483 is a major road in the United Kingdom, running from Swansea in Wales to Chester in England, although the official title is the Swansea to Manchester Trunk Road.-Swansea:...
) and to the north of the Chester southerly bypass (A55
A55 road
The A55, also known as the North Wales Expressway, is a major road in Britain. Its entire length is a dual carriageway primary route, with the exception of the point where it crosses the Britannia Bridge over the Menai Strait. All junctions are grade separated except for two roundabouts — one...
).
The business park opened in 1988 and occupies an area of 175 acre (0.7082005 km²). At the centre of the site is the former Wrexham Road Farm
Wrexham Road Farm, Eccleston
Wrexham Road Farm was a farmhouse and farm buildings lying to the east of Wrexham Road, Eccleston, Cheshire, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II listed building, and it is now part of Chester Business Park.-History:...
, a model farm
Model Farm
A model farm was an 18th–19th century experimental farm, which researched and demonstrated improvements in agricultural techniques, efficiency, and building layout. Education and commitment to improving welfare standards of workers were also aspects of the ideal farm movement...
designed by John Douglas
John Douglas (architect)
John Douglas was an English architect who designed about 500 buildings in Cheshire, North Wales, and northwest England, in particular in the estate of Eaton Hall. He was trained in Lancaster and practised throughout his career from an office in Chester, Cheshire...
for the 1st Duke of Westminster
Hugh Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster
Hugh Lupus Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster KG, PC, JP , styled Viscount Belgrave between 1831 and 1845 and Earl Grosvenor between 1845 and 1869 and known as the 3rd Marquess of Westminster between 1869 and 1874, was an English landowner, politician and racehorse owner.He inherited the estate of...
and built in 1877–84; otherwise it was a greenfield site
Greenfield land
Greenfield land is a term used to describe undeveloped land in a city or rural area either used for agriculture, landscape design, or left to naturally evolve...
. The farmhouse and outbuildings of the farm were converted into offices, and a number of businesses built premises in modern architectural styles. One of the first major businesses to occupy a new building was Shell Chemicals U.K.
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
, and other businesses included Marks & Spencer Financial Services
Marks & Spencer
Marks and Spencer plc is a British retailer headquartered in the City of Westminster, London, with over 700 stores in the United Kingdom and over 300 stores spread across more than 40 countries. It specialises in the selling of clothing and luxury food products...
, MBNA International Bank
MBNA
MBNA Corporation was a bank holding company and parent company of wholly owned subsidiary MBNA America Bank, N.A., headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, prior to being acquired by Bank of America in 2006...
, Bristol-Myers Squibb
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Bristol-Myers Squibb , often referred to as BMS, is a pharmaceutical company, headquartered in New York City. The company was formed in 1989, following the merger of its predecessors Bristol-Myers and the Squibb Corporation...
, and Trinity International
Trinity Mirror
Trinity Mirror plc is a large British newspaper and magazine publisher. It is Britain's biggest newspaper group, publishing 240 regional papers as well as the national Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and People, and the Scottish Sunday Mail and Daily Record. Its headquarters are at Canary Wharf in...
.
A Leaping Salmon bronze sculpture by Laurence Broderick
Laurence Broderick
Laurence Broderick, ARBS, FRSA, is a British sculptor. His best known work is The Bull, a public sculpture in Birmingham, erected in 2003. His work consists largely of direct carvings in stone and editions in bronze, mostly figurative, wildlife and the female form...
is displayed at the Chester Business Park.