I realised that out of all my visits to Tone Mills Dyehouse, I only ever put up a thread of my first way back in 2012. I've been back numerous times since and each time although it got progressively more damaged, I still loved to photograph it. On a couple of occasions I even broke out my criminally under-used 30mm prime lens for a play and I don't think I've ever posted these on here in any form, however some of them are among my favourite photos of the place.
I won't bore everyone with the often-repeated history, but a very brief potted summary is as such - the Dyehouse was once the original mill for Fox Bros. in Wellington. They expanded and moved into the much larger Tonedale Mills complex in the early 1800s, with the original mill converted into the fulling and dyehouse for the factory, creating what was the largest set of mills in the south-western UK. It continued operating right up until the turn of the millenium and has remained derelict ever since, with some works done to tidy up and repair the Dyehouse undertaken within the last couple of years. Fox Bros. still have a presence in Wellington, in a much smaller modern industrial unit.
For both of these visits, in March 2014 and June 2015 respectively, they were very simple, following the tried and tested approach of access which remained the same for at least a decade+ until it was sealed when the works were undertaken on the building. This place I have always found so peaceful and a joy to wander around and photograph, it has a similar feel to that at George Barnsley's where you know you are entering a different world inside it.
I really need to use my prime lens a lot more than just for shooting the occasional model photography sets with it a few times a year!
Thanks for looking
I won't bore everyone with the often-repeated history, but a very brief potted summary is as such - the Dyehouse was once the original mill for Fox Bros. in Wellington. They expanded and moved into the much larger Tonedale Mills complex in the early 1800s, with the original mill converted into the fulling and dyehouse for the factory, creating what was the largest set of mills in the south-western UK. It continued operating right up until the turn of the millenium and has remained derelict ever since, with some works done to tidy up and repair the Dyehouse undertaken within the last couple of years. Fox Bros. still have a presence in Wellington, in a much smaller modern industrial unit.
For both of these visits, in March 2014 and June 2015 respectively, they were very simple, following the tried and tested approach of access which remained the same for at least a decade+ until it was sealed when the works were undertaken on the building. This place I have always found so peaceful and a joy to wander around and photograph, it has a similar feel to that at George Barnsley's where you know you are entering a different world inside it.
I really need to use my prime lens a lot more than just for shooting the occasional model photography sets with it a few times a year!
Thanks for looking
