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Report - - Clarence Mill (Rank Hovis) Hull 01.05.08 | Industrial Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Clarence Mill (Rank Hovis) Hull 01.05.08

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sixxfingers

Original Member
28DL Full Member
Visited last night by... Sixxfingers, Madmax, Squirrel & Zerocool.
What a quality site!!! There haven't been many report from here but there needs to be, its so so good... It has loads of stuff still in situe and a fanatsic explore with a huge amount of stuff to see and take in.

Access is a little sketchy to say the least!:eek: But I'll definitely be going back soon. Thanks to Squirrel & Zerocool for the showing us in... great night fella's! Anyway, enjoy some shots from last night...

History:
Joseph Rank, the founder of the company, began in the milling business in 1875 by renting a small windmill. He lost money at first and had to take a co-tenancy at West's Holderness Corn Mill. But he was soon able to recoup his losses and set enough money aside to expand his business. At this time competition from American and Hungarian flour was an issue for English millers. Rank explored new milling methods to improve his competitive position against these foreign imports. In 1885 he built a mechanically driven flour mill in Hull. By using steel rollers instead of mill stones, the mill was able to produce an impressive six sacks of flour an hour, up from one and a half. In 1888 he built another steel-roller plant in Lincolnshire, and soon after still another even more modern plant. This new plant, equipped with the best technology available, produced 20 sacks of flour an hour and was considered one of the finest flour mills in the country.

At the turn of the century Great Britain was plagued by malnutrition. The poor often lived on little more than bread and tea, and infant mortality was high. In 1901 military recruitment standards had to be lowered to find enough men to enlist for the Boer War: the new minimum height for recruits was reduced to five feet. Since bread was the staple of the country, Joseph Rank was challenged to increase productivity. He installed a plant that produced 30 sacks of flour an hour, and then another plant with a 40-sack-an-hour capacity. He also set up agencies to distribute his flour in parts of England where it previously had not been sold. In May 1899 Joseph Rank Limited was incorporated, and Joseph Rank became governing director, which he remained until his death in 1943.

In 1902 Rank made his first trip to the United States to see the wheat fields of the Midwest, determined to understand and conquer his competitors. Soon after his trip abroad, the company built mills in London and Cardiff. In 1912 a mill in Birkenhead was built to supply the needs of Ireland and northwestern England. Soon after that, the corporate headquarters was moved from Yorkshire to London.

During World War I, when starvation was a real threat to the people of Great Britain, Joseph Rank was asked to become a member of the Wheat Control Board. Frustrated by the government's inability to warehouse large quantities of wheat--distribution became chaotic as many ships carrying supplies were sunk--he relied much on his own resources and initiative to buy and store quantities of wheat and to increase the production capacity of his London mill. During the war years, the company employed 3,000 workers, many of them women who took on production jobs while men were away fighting the war. Despite his philosophy of personal initiative, Rank and his sons were known for public service, religious faith, and philanthropic work. In 1935 Joseph Rank received the Freedom of the City of Hull (the only public honour he ever accepted), in part because of a trust fund he had set up in Hull to help "poor persons of good character."

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Shots from yesterday...

The impressive frontage on the river...
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The Rank Logo...
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Always watching you...
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Even the flour is still on the floor!
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Take the stairs...
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Or use the man lift...:eek:
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The lower floors...
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The Beautiful Belt Drives higher up...
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Zerocool gets close...
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The next level up...
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Old Work Posters...
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Heading up to the roof...
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In the Silo...
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Views from the very top!
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Hope you enjoyed...
 
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