Wigg Island

The island is named after Charles Wigg, who started an alkali works there in the 1860s to extract copper from its ore. The factory was known as "Wigg works" and in 1890 it was bought by the United Alkali Company. This company was bought by ICI in 1926 and the original Wigg works was closed to make way for a new chemical factory on the site. A second factory was built by a company called the Chemical and Metallugical Corporation and in 1933 this too was bought by ICI. During the Second World War this factory became a centre for the production of mustard gas. It was known as "Wigg Works East" and was later called Randles. After the war ICI continued operations until the 1960s, when all…