History

Aviation Roots, Modern Vision

Where History Takes Flight

More than an Inspiring Workspace

Canbury Works is a piece of Kingston’s storied aviation heritage brought into the 21st century. Our unique facilities are situated where there was once a hub of manufacturing for two iconic aircraft: the Sopwith Camel and Hawker Hurricane.

Birthplace of the Camel

In the years leading up to World War I, a young inventor named Thomas Sopwith established an aviation company in a disused skating rink in Kingston.

It was here where Sopwith and his team designed and built the famous Sopwith Camel fighter plane.

This small, nimble biplane gained a fierce reputation for its manoeuvrability and firepower during the war. Pilots likened its unique landing capabilities to “being hauled from the jaws of death” – giving the Camel its name. Over 5,500 were manufactured, many right here at our present location.

51/2 acre factory along Canbury Park Road

Sopwith Aviation retained its sheds at Brooklands for flight testing but the wide span and level flat wooden floor of the skating rink was ideal for building aircraft. Kingston offered other benefits. Craftsmen with woodworking and fabric skills were available, there was ample housing for a hoped-for expanding workforce, it was close enough to the aerodrome at Brooklands for transport of aircraft by lorry but away from the prying eyes of competitors, and the nearby River Thames was a natural runway for floatplanes. The first aircraft from the skating rink was the Sopwith Bat Boat (centre). By 1914 it was producing Tabloid scouts.

By 1915 Sopwith were successful enough to start building this 51/2 acre factory farther along Canbury Park Road, with a handsome office block on the corner.

The new factory was busy building Sopwith Dophins in 1918 and Sopwith leased another bigger factory nearby in Ham to build hundreds of Sopwith Snipe fighters

Birthplace of the Hurricane

A tremendous feat of engineering and logistics

Two decades later as the winds of war brewed again, Canbury Park Road became the production line for another aviation icon: the Hawker Hurricane fighter. This robust single-seat monoplane was crucial to Britain’s victory in the Battle of Britain, responsible for over 60% of the air victories claimed by the RAF.

The Hurricane was taken from design to manufacturing in just over one year. The toughness and firepower of this legendary aircraft defended Britain’s skies and paved the way for the air offensive that helped turn the tide of World War II.

Sopwith Aviation was succeeded by Hawker Aircraft in 1920

It was some years before the factory became busy again with Hawker Horsley bomber production and then Hawker Hart and Fury Biplanes through the 1930s.

In the early 1930s Hawker Aircraft had expanded to the railway side of the road. A furniture depository became a store with the design office above and by 1935 there was a new three story experimental shop in which the prototype Hawker Hurricane was built.

During the war other local buildings were used including the second floor of Bentalls department store as an office. The Canbury Park Road factory remained in use by Hawker Aircraft until 1958 when the Ham factory, purchased in 1948, had been developed to accommodate the whole business

Continuing the Legacy

Today, Canbury Works pays homage to this remarkable aviation legacy while creating spaces for new visionaries. Our facilities blend modern amenities with this rich industrial heritage to inspire the entrepreneurs, innovators, and daring thinkers of tomorrow.
Book a tour today and experience a workspace that transcends the boundaries of conventional office environments. Just as the Camel and Hurricane redefined flight, we’re redefining the future of work.

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