• Elliotts of Newbury

Samuel Elliott first ventured into business in 1860 in Newbury as a speculative builder, taking over an operation previously run by his grandfather. By 1869 he was trading as Elliott's Albert Steam Joinery Works in Northbrook Street producing high-quality wood carving, moulding and joinery for buildings. The works was burned down in early 1885 and, although the premises were quickly rebuilt, the fire appears to have led to longer-term problems as in 1895 Samuel Elliott was declared bankrupt. After his bankruptcy Elliott's Moulding and Joinery Co Ltd was formed by other local businessmen, with Samuel Elliott retained as works manager. In 1902 Samuel Elliott started a new business, Samuel Elliott and Sons (Reading) Ltd, joiners and moulders, and his involvement with the Newbury company ended. Elliott's Moulding and Joinery Co Ltd, however, continued in business in Newbury. During the First World War the company produced ammunition boxes with a 90% female workforce and moved into furniture production after the war.

During the Second World War Elliotts of Newbury built aircraft components for such types as the Tiger Moth, Mosquito, Oxford, Spitfire, Martinet and Hamilcar. Most notably the firm was responsible for a one-third of Airspeed Horsa production and was also involved in manufacture of the powered Hamilcar. After the war the firm was manufactured complete rooms for prefabricated homes and, after 1948, returned to furniture production. However, the company's wartime involvement in glider production led to Elliotts of Newbury also becoming one of the UK's major glider manufacturers. The company initially built primary gliders, together with some 50 EoN Baby gliders, a version of the well-known Grunau Baby. The company moved on to the higher performance sailplanes, with its extensively developed Olympia series, which originated from the German DFS Meise. The prototype Olympia first flew in January 1947 and the final, most highly-developed version, was the Olympia 463, which flew in April 1963. Elliotts built more than 250 sailplanes and more than 60 primary gliders before production ceased in 1965.

Elliotts of Newbury's only powered aircraft design was the Newbury EoN G-AKBC which first flew on 8 August 1947 at Welford. The title ‘EoN' stood for Elliotts of Newbury. The design of the Newbury EoN was carried out by consultants Aviation and Engineering Projects Ltd of Feltham. The aircraft was of all wooden construction, with a smooth surface finish being achieved by plywood skinning, exploiting Elliotts' experience of glider manufacture, although this gave the rear fuselage a slightly corpulent appearance. The modernity of the design was emphasised by the use of a tricycle undercarriage. The prototype required an increase in power from its initial Cirrus Minor, and this was provided by installation of a 145hp Gipsy Major to produce the EoN 2 which first flew on 26 June 1948. The EoN was not put into production, and the prototype was destroyed in a pilotless take off at Lympne in April 1950. In 1965 the managing director of Elliotts of Newbury, Horace Buckingham, died. The company reviewed its business and decided that glider production had become unprofitable. Slingsby Sailplanes Ltd agreed to take over the production of EoN sailplanes in 1966 but, although spares were supplied and repairs were undertaken, no Elliott-designed glider was ever built by Slingsby. Elliotts of Newbury closed in 1975 and the factory was demolished in the late 1970s to make way for Bayer's UK headquarters.