Cement Manufacturers (APCM) in 1900, which was taken over by the Lafarge Group in 2001. By 1900, there were nine cement works operating on the Thames between Swanscombe and Gravesend. The last cement plant in Northfleet ceased operation in 2008. Now under water, one of the largest chalk pits, known locally as The Blue Lake, can be found between the A226 and the North Kent Railway line. It is about 200 metres south of the access tunnel to the old (now demolished) Lafarge cement plant, that runs under the North Kent / Channel Tunnel rail-link railway lines. Paper Northfleet is the location of a large Bowaters (later Bowater-Scott and Kimberly-Clark) paper mill built in 1923 and makes all of the main – line Andrex toilet tissue. Metals Britannia Refined Metals (now part of the Glencore group) has a refinery producing lead and silver. Northfleet Dockyard Northfleet was by 1800 the home of numerous shipyards which had produced many fine vessels. One such yard was owned by Thomas Pitcher, a shipwright, laid out in 1788. A list of merchant vessels built at his yard included at least 25 ships for the East Indies and West Indies services, and about the same number for the Navy. There is a fine model of such a ship in St. Botolph's Church. The first was , an East Indiaman of 1252 tons burthen (bm), built for the Honourable East India Company. In 1839 the company was in the hands of Pitcher's sons William and Henry. The docks were in decline by 1843, and Pilcher's yard finally closed in 1860. Cable works Another large employee of labour in Northfleet was the cable works. Originally Henley's, now AEI, they occupied the land originally once used by the Rosherville Gardens. The PLUTO pipeline used in WW2 was built here. AEI Cables closed in 2005 and Henley moved in 2006. The Henley works were completely demolished by 2010. The area is currently being redeveloped by Keepmoat Homes under the name Cable Wharf. Transport Northfleet has its own railway station, which opened in 1849 as part of the extension of the North Kent Line from Gravesend to London. Train services at the station are operated by Southeastern and Thameslink. Ebbsfleet International station Ebbsfleet International railway station, on the High Speed 1 line (also known as the Channel Tunnel Rail Link), is located less than a mile from Northfleet. Ebbsfleet International