Report - Butterley Engineering, Ripley, Derbyshire - June 16

[Shatners]

The Explore

Well, after a year off due to a new baby and a house move I've finally got off my arse and got back into it...

I had to set up a new Flickr album so my other 40 or so explores are here www.flickr.com/photos/urbexomd/albums

Solo explore, which was a mistake as there were two people apparently living in the office blocks (both thankfully asleep in sleeping bags when I peered through the window) and just as I was making my way to the big old blast furnace for a look a bloke appeared from the top yard in with a very big noisy dog shouting and rawping so I chuffed off sharpish!

All pics hand held using Sony A7s and 1.4 35mm FE.


Bit of history:

The Butterley Company was an English manufacturing firm founded as Benjamin Outram and Company in 1790. Portions of it existed until 2009.

At its peak in the 1950s the company employed around 10,000 people.

In 1957, a partnership with Air Products of the USA helped establish that company in the United Kingdom.[8]

In the early 1960s the company acquired locomotive manufacturer F. C. Hibberd & Co Ltd.

The Codnor Park works closed in 1965.

The company was acquired by Lord Hanson in the 1968 for £4.7 million.[9] The company was subsequently split up into Butterley Engineering, Butterley Brick and Butterley Aggregates. Butterley Hall, Outram's home and later the companies offices, was sold off to become the headquarters of Derbyshire Constabulary. In the mid 1980s the foundry closed down. When surplus buildings were demolished the original blast furnace of 1790 was exposed.

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[Keynsham]

Nice photos but I want to know more about the remains of a 1790 blast furnace.

 

[The Wombat]

Shatners you're back! !
Missed your awesome photography
Good work

 

[host]

Nice shots and welcome back, i know how it is with a young family and exploring. Milford mills not far from here give it ago its not too bad. What the hell are they guarding exactly its pretty empty.

 

[Jack Rabbit]

You got your info wrong, The Codnor Park Works closed in 1980, The Forge works there closed in 1965.

 

[rastapasta69]

Great pics! I was there on the Monday on my second visit, nearly got caught by a couple of old duffers with clip boards but they cleared off so I got stuck in again, there's a awesome medical centre there too, it's a really interesting site with all the history, there's a underground canal with vertical shafts and old coal mine,( inaccessible) did you get into the old offices where the huge safe is?

 

[BrainL]

Nice pics!! Really enjoyed that

 

[Jack Rabbit]

You got your info wrong, The Codnor Park Works closed in 1980, The Forge works there closed in 1965.

Did you get to see the Radiation x-ray safe. You won't come across that too often.

 

[Shatners]

Thanks all... much appreciated :-)

Great pics! I was there on the Monday on my second visit, nearly got caught by a couple of old duffers with clip boards but they cleared off so I got stuck in again, there's a awesome medical centre there too, it's a really interesting site with all the history, there's a underground canal with vertical shafts and old coal mine,( inaccessible) did you get into the old offices where the huge safe is?

No, never made it that far unfortunately, the only offices accessible had a couple of seriously dodgy looking blokes sleeping in them and I was on my lonesome so gave them a wide berth... need to get back over, its only 20 mins from me and I want to have a shufty at the old blast furnace :-)

 

[rastapasta69]

I didn't see any homeless people but the I didn't go into the office block, to get into the factory office is quite a climb but worth it is think, there's a old electrical substation in the blast furnice, a small tunnel to the right that leads you to the back of it (abit pointless) and further on there's an old vertical shaft with the basket thing in

 

[TranKmasT]

Yes welcome back. I've missed your prowess with a prime. Not so keen on the b&w direction, prefer colour but still very good.
Great report.

 

[Shatners]

I didn't see any homeless people but the I didn't go into the office block, to get into the factory office is quite a climb but worth it is think, there's a old electrical substation in the blast furnice, a small tunnel to the right that leads you to the back of it (abit pointless) and further on there's an old vertical shaft with the basket thing in

Thanks for that, one interesting thing I did notice was 'Raid Shelter' or something similar stamped in black above a solid steel door at the base of the gate tower.... presumably the sites air raid shelter during WW2... well sealed unfortunately.

Cheers TranKmasT, appreciated :-)

 

[rastapasta69]

That's interesting, I didn't see that, where abouts on the site is it? I was reading about the vertical shafts that lead to the underground canal and whalf but they have been capped with concrete, it would be awesome to get down there...

 

[Will Knot]

Awesome report, nice work and pics

 

[Shatners]

Awesome report, nice work and pics

Cheers buddy.. much appreciated :-)

@rastapasta69 as you walk towards the original gatehouse the building to the left that looks a bit like a tower has a steel door at the base, thats the one. Will try and nip in over the next few days and grab a pic. Theres a very interesting report on the underground wharf and tunnels but sounds like access is a bit dodge to say the least http://services.english-heritage.org.uk/ResearchReportsPdfs/087_2010WEB.pdf