Fort Dunlop Remembered

Fort Dunlop, in the Erdington district of Birmingham, was the original tyre factory and main office of Dunlop Rubber which for many years was the jewel in the crown of the Dunlop empire. ‘The Fort’, as it was affectionately known locally, was built in 1916 and by 1954 the entire factory area employed 10,000 workers. At one time it was one of the largest factories in the world and employed a significant proportion of the local population, often whole families worked there. Gradually foreign imports led to Fort Dunlop’s demise, large scale tyre production ceased and the factory finally closed in 2014 with production moved to Germany and France. This book, compiled by a former employee, is a look back at the history of Fort Dunlop through the recollections and memories of many other members of its workforce. What emerges is a very family orientated company which played a huge part in the lives of many people who worked there or lived nearby. The building itself still remains as an iconic landmark and reminder of ‘The Fort’ in its heyday.