1. The History
Robert Fletcher’s paper mill was located in Greenfield, Lancashire, to the south of Chew Brook and west of Dovestone resevoir. Fletcher, a prominent paper merchant who began trading in the early 19th century. A mill has been located here since 1823x`, but the modern mill opened in 1921, specialising in cigarette papers. Water from the surrounding hills was essential to the process. It had a big impact on the local area. At its height, it employed 1,000 people to run the factory’s seven paper machines. The larger site also included rows of workers cottages (Hey Top) and a large social club for the employees to enjoy their down time. Fletchers also owned another paper mill in nearby Stoneclough.
The mills started to struggle financially and by 1986 the company started to make losses. It was purchased by the Melton Medes Conglomerate who turned the company’s finances around and it started to make a profit once again. However, the reprive was temporary. The rising cost of wood pulp led to the closure of the Stoneclough site in 2000 with the loss of 120 jobs. This was not enough to save the company as in July 2001 several suppliers and creditors put in formal proceedings to wind up the company, forcing the mill to close overnight.
O/S map of the mill from 1960:
Since then, the factory has sat abandoned for over two decades, owned by Purico, a holding company headed by Nathu Ram Puri. Metal thieves have stripped the site despite the factory having 24/7 security. The whole site has just been demolished in the space of just six months in order to make way for future development.
2. The Explore
Remember first reccie-ing the place back in July 2019 with @Bikin Glynn . Everything (including the social club) was sealed up tight, so we moved onto Diggle and met up with @The Lone Ranger on that occasion. Then COVID kicked in and never got back over this way. With the demo looming late last year, me and my non-forum explorer mate, J, decided to head over here quick sharpish last December. We parked up and headed along the well-worn path anti-clockwise round the south west of the mill. Having arrived at the back of the factory, very easy entry to the main mill quickly revealed itself to us and we were quickly in. We started working our way through the levels on the main mill and we eventually arrived at the ground level. We were aware of secca, but popped into the adjoining room with all the machines in. As I got close to the entrance a security guard walked straight past me, but didn’t look to his left. My reprise was short lived, however, as behind him was the owner who did see me. J, who was a bit behind me heard the exchange between me and the not-so-happy owner and appeared too. We got a good talking to and were escorted off site. We’d been in the factory for just shy of an hour and hence only saw a fraction of the place, but at least we got to see some of this classic industrial urbex site before its demolition.
3. The Pictures
The classic view as you come over the moors from Holmfirth (Hey Top terrace in the background):
Not going in here:
Round the side we go:
And we’re in:
Workers area:
And their gallery:
On to the next room:
Some old Pooley scales:
Pipe central:
Basket case:
And on again:
Formen’s office:
Robert Fletcher’s paper mill was located in Greenfield, Lancashire, to the south of Chew Brook and west of Dovestone resevoir. Fletcher, a prominent paper merchant who began trading in the early 19th century. A mill has been located here since 1823x`, but the modern mill opened in 1921, specialising in cigarette papers. Water from the surrounding hills was essential to the process. It had a big impact on the local area. At its height, it employed 1,000 people to run the factory’s seven paper machines. The larger site also included rows of workers cottages (Hey Top) and a large social club for the employees to enjoy their down time. Fletchers also owned another paper mill in nearby Stoneclough.
The mills started to struggle financially and by 1986 the company started to make losses. It was purchased by the Melton Medes Conglomerate who turned the company’s finances around and it started to make a profit once again. However, the reprive was temporary. The rising cost of wood pulp led to the closure of the Stoneclough site in 2000 with the loss of 120 jobs. This was not enough to save the company as in July 2001 several suppliers and creditors put in formal proceedings to wind up the company, forcing the mill to close overnight.
O/S map of the mill from 1960:
Since then, the factory has sat abandoned for over two decades, owned by Purico, a holding company headed by Nathu Ram Puri. Metal thieves have stripped the site despite the factory having 24/7 security. The whole site has just been demolished in the space of just six months in order to make way for future development.
2. The Explore
Remember first reccie-ing the place back in July 2019 with @Bikin Glynn . Everything (including the social club) was sealed up tight, so we moved onto Diggle and met up with @The Lone Ranger on that occasion. Then COVID kicked in and never got back over this way. With the demo looming late last year, me and my non-forum explorer mate, J, decided to head over here quick sharpish last December. We parked up and headed along the well-worn path anti-clockwise round the south west of the mill. Having arrived at the back of the factory, very easy entry to the main mill quickly revealed itself to us and we were quickly in. We started working our way through the levels on the main mill and we eventually arrived at the ground level. We were aware of secca, but popped into the adjoining room with all the machines in. As I got close to the entrance a security guard walked straight past me, but didn’t look to his left. My reprise was short lived, however, as behind him was the owner who did see me. J, who was a bit behind me heard the exchange between me and the not-so-happy owner and appeared too. We got a good talking to and were escorted off site. We’d been in the factory for just shy of an hour and hence only saw a fraction of the place, but at least we got to see some of this classic industrial urbex site before its demolition.
3. The Pictures
The classic view as you come over the moors from Holmfirth (Hey Top terrace in the background):
Not going in here:
Round the side we go:
And we’re in:
Workers area:
And their gallery:
On to the next room:
Some old Pooley scales:
Pipe central:
Basket case:
And on again:
Formen’s office:
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