Shorts tunnels

The Short Brothers founded their company in 1908 after hearing of the Wright Brothers’ pioneering flight. In 1909, they opened their first factory on Sheppey Island. By 1913, the growing success of their seaplanes created the need for a larger site, leading them to purchase eight acres of land in Rochester with direct access to the sea.

Construction of the first factory buildings was completed in 1915, along with a slipway leading directly into the water. During the First World War, the Rochester site produced nearly 1,000 aircraft and seaplanes.

In the years between the wars, the company secured a contract to build the Sunderland Flying Boat—a design that went on to become one of the most successful seaplanes in history, renowned for its role in anti-submarine warfare.

I visited in 2012 via a now back filled air vent.