The origins of Arcon Village lie in the late 18th century, when Wallsuches, as it was known, was acquired by the Ridgeway family, who established a bleach works on the site.
The family were pioneers of their time, being one of the first to use chemical bleaching during the late 18th century and also the first Bolton firm to install a Boulton and Watt steam engine, in 1798, giving this development extra special regional significance.
At its peak, the Ridgeway family's bleach works was the second largest in the Bolton area, employing a 461-strong workforce. But in 1933, against a backdrop of mounting difficulties in the textile industry, the bleach works closed, bringing to an end more than 150 years of bleaching on the site. Prior to our acquisition, the site belonged to Arcon Engineering, which was based there from 1950.
