Time capsule tells chocolate factory's story

The former Rowntree's factory has been redeveloped into apartments

A time capsule has been buried in the grounds of a chocolate factory that employed thousands of workers.

Part of the old Rowntree's site in York is being redeveloped as apartments called Cocoa Works and the capsule included items found during the building work.

The families of former employees joined local schoolchildren for the burial ceremony, which was arranged by developers Henry Boot.

Jack Kidder, responsible business manager for the company, said: “There's a massive link for local communities, lots of people in the city worked here.”

The time capsule included photographs, payslips and even an original Aero chocolate bar

The Rowntree's firm was founded in York in the 1860s and the "new" factory on Haxby Road was built in 1890. At one point it had a workforce of 14,000 people.

The conversion of the south part of the site, which subsequent owners Nestlé vacated in 2006, into housing is due to be completed by the end of the year.

Memorabilia sealed inside the capsule included an original Aero chocolate bar from the 1930s, when the product was launched.

Mr Kidder said: “The time capsule has some amazing things inside it, including lots of stuff we found on the site. There is packaging, old payslips, and old newspapers that we found left by workers. We’ve also got some photographs from the time as well as some accounts of what life was like to work at the Rowntree’s factory.”

The schoolchildren contributed material about life in present-day York, which those involved hoped would be "dug up" in 100 years.

Children from local schools helped bury the time capsule

Among the trove of items discarded by long-ago workers were scratchcards left by staff in the 1970s.

Sam Thompson, whose mother worked at the factory for 32 years and her grandfather for 48 years, donated a photo of her mother's induction day at the site in 1973.

She said: “It just means everything. I feel incredibly proud to have been a part of this building’s journey.”

Sam Thompson has special family connections to the site

The redevelopment also included the creation of a "chocolate garden" inspired by the famous products that were manufactured at Rowntree's.

It was unveiled by pupils from Haxby Road Primary Academy on the same day and features sculptures based on Aero, KitKat and Yorkie bars.

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