Boots and Shoes
The making of boots in the kingswood area grew out of the need for heavy boots in the mining industry. Men who had been injured in accidents or who chose not to go into mining found employment servicing the mining industry. What started as a cottage industry became in the 19thc a booming factory led industry, But still out or home working was important. Work was delivered by out workers to the factory once a week when the next weeks' work was collected. Often each worker would complete just one or two processes, perhaps machine stitching a section together, before the next worker added his contribution to the whole. This method of working went on well into the 20th. The industry reached its zenith in theearly to mid 20thc when the need for army boots brought prosperity to Kingswood. There were as many as forty manufacturers of boots at one time, ranging from large factories such as G.B.Britton's producing footware for tehmass market to samll one or two man outfits fulfilling a niche opportunity such as Stubbs and Birt who produced ice skating boots and made bespoke footware for those with disabilties. Boot making ended in Kingswood in 2000???? when G.B. Britton, by then owned by UK Safety of Northampton, closed.