Keith and Margot Eldred purchased the site in March 1966 from the Ministry of Defence  having seen an article in the Thetford & Watton Times saying the site had been withdrawn at Auction for £20,000. The agents were contacted and a similar offer was made and accepted. Shortly after purchase some of the cost was recouped by selling some of the underground copper wiring.

Our first view of the estate in 1966 from this watchtower

The main reason for purchasing the site was to grow mushrooms. This came about because we had just returned from Hong Kong with our one year old son after a tour of three and half years where I was an Estate Surveyor in the New Territories and Margot was a Physiotherapist. We got married there and decided to return to England on the understanding that I would work at something other than surveying. This was because he knew that I would have to take a much lower position in England than I had in Hong Kong.

Keith Margot & Mark in Building 60 which stored Blue Danube

As the result of successfully growing two mushrooms in our stable I had decided to become a mushroom farmer and this 23 acre site with 55,000 square feet of buildings seemed ideal for this purpose. With professional advice and substantial help from the bank I set up an operation in one of the larger buildings to grow about two tons a week which were sold to Woolworth's who collected and paid once a week. 

We then had a virus attack which we survived and was reported in the Bury Free Press in February 1968.

Ann Davey picking mushrooms in 1966. She remained my secretary for 44 years

Unfortunately after another couple of years the intensive nature of the operation resulted in another virus affecting the crop and on advice from Middlebrook Mushrooms in Yorkshire I closed down the operation.

This would have been a total disaster for the Eldred family but for a fire on New Year's Eve which burnt down a warehouse occupied by Conrans who had a large business in Thetford. They immediately used one of the other large buildings as a replacement store and so Gorse Farm Mushrooms was rubbed out and Gorse Industrial Estate was started. We already had one or two businesses on the Estate. Our first tenant was Peter Palmer a deep sea diver who turned his hand to car repairs.

The question of Town Planning had to be addressed and although the sale conditions had indicated that industrial use would be allowed the Planning Authority did not like the idea at all. The success of this site is entirely down to Mr Gorst the County Planning Officer who told me that he would allow me to continue with my plans for an Industrial Estate but without planning permission to start with and see what sort of job I made of it. In other words he did not want an unsightly tip to be created. My leases then all included a disclaimer clause should the site be shut down by the planners. Some years later I had an idea to turn part of the site into a Mobile Home Park but this was turned down by the Planning Authority on the grounds that it was an Industrial Area. I immediately applied for Planning permission to officially become an Industrial Estate and this was granted! It is now been zoned as an employment area.

HISTORY of BUILDING 58

1969/71              Caligraving                              Printing                        

1972/73             Elgoglass                                 Fibreglass                              

1974/77          M.Croxen                               Furniture Storage         

1978/81             J.Lister                                     Hort.Store                              

Supernamel/G.H.Stoten            Stove Enamelling                   

1982:               Microstor Systems                   Light Eng.                            

1983/85           Premier Ind.Finishers                                                                

1986:               B.D.Lingard                             Timber Products Manu.

1987/89              Bunker M/M Workshop            Rec.Studio etc.            

1990:               Empty

1991:               J&SD Plastics                         Plastic Recycling                     

                        W.F.Sproston Ltd.                 Smoke House                         

1992/93          Lambert Ogier                          Smoke House                                            

1994/2001            Barnham Vehicle Serv.            Spray Shop                           

2002:               Empty

2003/04           Anglia Limos.                          Vehicle storage            

2005/now               K.Whittred                              Engineering      

HISTORY OF BUILDING 59

1969;               Wall Panel Cladding Co.            Lam.Bldg.Panels                      

1970/75            Nesshurst Ltd.                         As above.                        

1976/83            London Oil Medina                   Storage                                

                        Vanguard Eng.Ltd.                   Machinery Store                    

1984:               D.Switzer                                 Plastic Recycling                      

1985:               Building destroyed by fire in February 1985  Converted site into storage area.

1986:               Bradley Transport                     Pallet store                         

1987:               Bradley Transport                     Pallet store                                                                 

1991:               SB Haulage                               Pallet store                            

1992/95            Empty

1996/98            Leighwill Eng.                       Part site for Mobile Workshop                

1999/2000         Pearson                               Skip storage                      

2001:               Riches Transport                     Lorry Park                

2002:               L.Ellwood                             Skip Storage                                     

2002/03         D.Elliston                                Scrap Yard                

2004                 Empty

2005/06            L.Ellwood                             Scrap Yard                         

2007:               V.McGrath                              Scrap Yard