[5] Designed by Jan Kotěra and other Czech architects, the estate's buildings were constructed of welded steel columns, roof trusses and reinforced concrete walls - very different in style from the typical red-bricked and sloped-roofed terraces of London suburbs.

[7] What was known as "Bata-ville" had all the services of a normal town, including a theatre, sports facilities, hotel, restaurant, grocery and butcher shops, post office, and its own newspaper.

[8] The German occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1938 caused turmoil for Bata Shoes generally, but the factory in East Tilbury thrived.

[3] The Bata factory in East Tilbury operated for more than 70 years, but in the 1960s, production was gradually shifted to facilities closer to its export markets.

[2][5] "The East Tilbury (Bata) Conservation Area" was designated in 1993 by Thurrock Council and includes a Grade II listed building.

[14][15] Jan Tůša, the father of BBC journalist and presenter John Tusa, helped design and build the Tilbury factory.