The company declined after the First World War when internal combustion engines started to become a cheaper alternative to steam power.

In 1770 a Joseph Burrell, a master smith, established a small forge in Thetford, for the manufacture and repair of agricultural implements.

[1] Production grew gradually throughout the early 20th century; this culminated in 1913, the company's most successful year, with over 104 engines completed in 12 months.

Like many engineering companies at the time, production was turned over during the First World War to the construction of various munitions, some of which survive to this day.

On 4 June 1928 the company closed its doors at Thetford for good, with the final engines being built at Leiston by Richard Garrett & Sons.

[6] The original plans to many of the Burrell engines are held privately by the Palmer family of Haughley in Suffolk through the marriage of Mrs Annie Palmer to Mr Thomas Doran whom with his brother founded Doran Bros of Thetford at Haughley House in Croxton Road, Thetford.

Three engines of this early design with wrought iron boilers were produced and exhibited at the RASE in the late 1840s.

Following this development was rapid and in only five years by 1851 the design of portable engines had matured into a form that was to remain unaltered for the rest of the steam era.

Charles Burrell & Sons produced portables in a range of sizes, these were rated by the company in NHP.

[13] Charles Burrell & Sons also added showmans fittings or forward mounted cranes to their tractors.

[14] In 1923 road legislation was changed again, and engines up to 71⁄4 tons were allowed to be operated on the road by a single operative, in response the company designed a larger steam tractor to service this new market, but it came too late for Charles Burrell & Sons, who by this time were in financial trouble and only three of this type of engine were completed.

[15] Charles Burrell & Sons' five-ton tractors found much favour with haulage contractors, quarry owners, timber hauliers, the military and amusement caterers, generally working with the use of a similar-sized trailer.

Charles Burrell & Sons Road Locomotives were slightly modified versions of their general-purpose engines to allow for faster rates of travel over long journeys.

[19] Loads hauled could be anything that could be carried in accompanying wagons, this included coal, bricks, stone, timber, grain etc.

This system was first patented by two agricultural engineers from nearby Fakenham, Percival Everitt and William John Adams.

This pattern of side drum mounting was never widely adopted and the limited number of engines produced most were sold overseas.

[31] A single set of Burrell ploughing have survived into preservation, works numbers 776 & 777 built for a customer in West Sussex and completed in June 1879.

After several owners in preservation the engines passed to the Museum of East Anglian Life in Stowmarket Norfolk and occasionally appear at local events demonstrating steam ploughing.

[32] Charles Burrell produced their first steam wagon in 1901, however it appears that this experimental engine never went into product and was retained by the company for their own uses.

[36] The company's steam wagons were never serious competitors to rivals Foden whose products were much better regarded and had cornered the market prior to Burrells entering somewhat late.

The Thetford site where Burrell's designed and built their equipment occupied a 3-acre (12,000 m2) area close to the center of the town, next to the Little Ouse with the buildings divided by Minstergate Street.

[23] The labour force of Charles Burrell & Sons Ltd tended to be static and two or three generation of the same family could be employed within the works at the same time.

The employees generally enjoyed a tolerable surroundings and were not subjected to the unrelenting demands for greater productivity and efficiency as was the case at other highly industrialised companies at that time.