About

Located in East Tilbury, Essex, the Bata Heritage Centre celebrates the rich history of the British Bata Shoe Company Ltd., its remarkable industrial and architectural legacy, and the social history of the people who worked for the company and lived on the Bata residential estate.

Our main exhibition, together with our records and research facilities, is based at East Tilbury Library. Visitors can explore displays from our collection that illustrate life at the Bata factory and within the residential community from the 1930s through to the early 2000s.

We are pleased to announce that our entire collection of Bata Record newspapers, along with the Staff Record Books, has now been digitised. This enables us to carry out searches for:

• Family members and former employees who worked at Bata
• Residents of the Bata Estate
• Historical events
• Articles and information on specific topics relating to Bata's history

Our knowledgeable volunteers have full access to the Centre's collections and records and are happy to assist with research enquiries.

Please note that the Bata Heritage Centre is run entirely by volunteers, and we may not always be available to meet visitors. To avoid disappointment, we recommend contacting us by email in advance to arrange a visit at a mutually convenient date and time.

When contacting us, please let us know what information you are interested in so that we can prepare any relevant materials beforehand.

We look forward to helping you discover the fascinating history of Bata in East Tilbury.