Every great workspace has a story. Ours starts with a rocket.
Before the polished concrete and the roller shutters, before the first tenant turned a key, the site now known as Engine Works Park was one of the beating hearts of British industry. This is the ground where the historic Hilger & Watts factory once stood — a name that means little to most people today, but one with an extraordinary claim to fame.
Instruments that reached orbit
Hilger & Watts were precision instrument makers of the highest order. Among their achievements: components used in the space capsule that carried astronaut John Glenn as he orbited the Earth in 1962 — one of the defining moments of the 20th century. From a corner of Margate, Kent, local engineering helped humanity reach for the stars.
The 25-day fire
The site’s more recent history was defined by loss. In 2018, a devastating blaze tore through the buildings and burned for an astonishing 25 days, leaving the former industrial heart of the estate a scarred, vacant shell.
From vacant to vital
That question now has an answer. Engine Works Park has risen from that same ground: a multi-million-pound regeneration that transforms a long-vacant Westwood site into a modern commercial and innovation park of 59 flexible units. Where fire once emptied the site, ambition is filling it again.
The people who worked here built instruments accurate enough to help navigate space. The businesses moving in today are building the future of Margate’s economy. Different eras, same DNA: precision, graft and a belief that great things can be made here.
Fire up your business in Margate.
Engine Works Park offers flexible commercial units in the heart of Margate. Register your interest or explore the spaces.