I Know this place has been done to death, but here's my take (well what I manged to see) on the place.
THE HISTORY
Robert Fletcher and its mill is located in the valleys of east Oldham, the origins of which can be traced all the way back to the Industrial Revolution.
It was first owned by the Crompton family, trading under the name Ralph Crompton and Nephews.
The mill was based in Stoneclough, Manchester and produced paper for the first time in 1829.
Before it went into receivership, it was the sole manufacturer of cigarette paper and the water from the hills was essential to that process.
Even before Dove Stone reservoir was built water was collected by a series of pipes from the Chew Valley area.
The mill has been stationed here for over 200 years with Robert Fletcher & Son commencing the business of cigarette paper manufacturing in 1921.
At its height, it employed 1000 people to run seven paper machines.
By 1986 the company was making a loss and was purchased by the Melton Medes Conglomerate who turned the company around and started to make a profit once again.
However by 2001 the company was once again failing and the decision was made to close the other mill it owned, Stoneclough Mill.
Some people were transferred to the Greenfield mill, but the company could not sustain the increasing losses and it was forced into receivership.
The workers were told to go home one day when the receivers came in and it was said it may be resolved. They never went back and the place is frozen in time.
THE EXPLORE
so I'm normally into exploring mines, but this year I told myself id like to see a lot more industrial sites.
I'd heard of Fletchers, but never got round to seeing it. So took the drive up to the peak district early one Saturday morning.
Access was very easy, and all seemed very quiet on site, I wondered around in awe at the beautiful and natural decay, and was extremely surprised to see so much stuff just left there.
After around 2 hours of taking shots (only about 1/6th of the way round the site) I left my camera and torch next to a doorway, while I popped in the room next door to have a quick look.
This is where things went a bit wrong, after only a minute or 2 I heard shouting, so quickly made my way back to my belongings, to which I found a security guard and a plain clothed man.
The Plain clothed man was wielding my camera and tripod like a sword, threatening to smash it up, shouting "what are you doing here".
I tried my best to calm him down, but he wasn't having any of it. The security guard was pretty sound though.
he rang the land owner, to which he asked the security to escort us off site and that was that.
I was very disappointed as I walked through the rest of the site, drooling over all the machinery as I passed. But still a very enjoyable explore.
I hope you enjoy the pictures.
THE HISTORY
Robert Fletcher and its mill is located in the valleys of east Oldham, the origins of which can be traced all the way back to the Industrial Revolution.
It was first owned by the Crompton family, trading under the name Ralph Crompton and Nephews.
The mill was based in Stoneclough, Manchester and produced paper for the first time in 1829.
Before it went into receivership, it was the sole manufacturer of cigarette paper and the water from the hills was essential to that process.
Even before Dove Stone reservoir was built water was collected by a series of pipes from the Chew Valley area.
The mill has been stationed here for over 200 years with Robert Fletcher & Son commencing the business of cigarette paper manufacturing in 1921.
At its height, it employed 1000 people to run seven paper machines.
By 1986 the company was making a loss and was purchased by the Melton Medes Conglomerate who turned the company around and started to make a profit once again.
However by 2001 the company was once again failing and the decision was made to close the other mill it owned, Stoneclough Mill.
Some people were transferred to the Greenfield mill, but the company could not sustain the increasing losses and it was forced into receivership.
The workers were told to go home one day when the receivers came in and it was said it may be resolved. They never went back and the place is frozen in time.
THE EXPLORE
so I'm normally into exploring mines, but this year I told myself id like to see a lot more industrial sites.
I'd heard of Fletchers, but never got round to seeing it. So took the drive up to the peak district early one Saturday morning.
Access was very easy, and all seemed very quiet on site, I wondered around in awe at the beautiful and natural decay, and was extremely surprised to see so much stuff just left there.
After around 2 hours of taking shots (only about 1/6th of the way round the site) I left my camera and torch next to a doorway, while I popped in the room next door to have a quick look.
This is where things went a bit wrong, after only a minute or 2 I heard shouting, so quickly made my way back to my belongings, to which I found a security guard and a plain clothed man.
The Plain clothed man was wielding my camera and tripod like a sword, threatening to smash it up, shouting "what are you doing here".
I tried my best to calm him down, but he wasn't having any of it. The security guard was pretty sound though.
he rang the land owner, to which he asked the security to escort us off site and that was that.
I was very disappointed as I walked through the rest of the site, drooling over all the machinery as I passed. But still a very enjoyable explore.
I hope you enjoy the pictures.
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