I had lost half of my exploring pictures and others from this year a few months ago. And not really been out doing much exploring throughout autumn as I tend to like the woodlands at this time of year. But we did make a recent trip to absolute classic of a place. I first tried this in January 2015 and had no luck. We went back the following year and managed it ok. It’s a place I always wanted to go back too many times, but being the huge distance from us I never bothered. Hearing about the situation me and man gone wrong gave it another go. He had never been before and wanted to see it. It was a very relaxed and quiet visit with no issues. Big thanks to Albino Jay for some pointers. I had forgot what an absolutely fantastic place this was, I think I did not appreciate it enough the first time. Abbé because we had clambered over the drop of death over the roof in the dark and really heavy rain. By the time I got in I was soaked and freezing. This time the weather was kinder with the rain easing as we got there. We did not get everything done as we spent so long in the main mill, and we started losing the light quickly. But we went away pleased with what we saw. Who knows what the future holds for the rest of this place, work seems to be on hold at the min.
A brief history from Jays report as it has been done many times. Your prob fed up of seeing pics from here, but here is my take on it.
The history of Robert Fletcher & sons paper mill dates back to the industrial revolution. The company was once owned by Ralph Crompton and Nephews, producers and bleachers of paper. Their first mill was located in Stoneclough, Manchester. The death of the Crompton brothers left the mill ownerless and the succession was offered to Robert Fletcher, the mill’s manager at the time. Fletcher had risen through the ranks, to first become the manager of the bleaching department and later the whole mill. Following Fletcher’s death on 17th May 1865, his sons John and James took over. They in turn passed down the mill to their sons, also named John and James. In 1897 the mill was incorporated as a limited company. In 1921 a second mill opened, located at Greenfield, near Oldham. The mill specialised in the production of cigarette paper and at its height employed 1000 people to run seven paper machines. These machines produced only a fraction of the paper the later, much larger machines could produce. Upon closure the mill had three machines – two very similar lines from 19XX and a huge modern 1996 addition. 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 Stoneclough Mill. Some people were transferred to the Greenfield mill, but the company could not sustain the increasing loses and was forced into receivership. The mill was closed down overnight. The mill at Stoneclough has been demolished. To this day the mill at Greenfield still remains how it was the day it closed.
Starting at the top of the mill. This is were the pulp would be fed into chutes which fed into some large pulp digesters.
Up here are several old offices, and labs and locker and rest rooms.
Forklift for moving the pulp bales about.
To the side is a row of tanks which hold chlorinated water and other chemicals. I would imagine these would feed into the large digester to mix with the pulp.
Another locker room here for the workers.
Heading to a lower level is the digester. These are huge and stand in a long row.
Heading into the large hall that contains the bashers. Used to bash and bleach the pulp. I liked the way these are all tiled inside, presumably to stop the chemicals corroding the metal of the machines.
Another rest and locker room. It contained the usual workers pictures and humorous signs you find in factories.
Continued..
A brief history from Jays report as it has been done many times. Your prob fed up of seeing pics from here, but here is my take on it.
The history of Robert Fletcher & sons paper mill dates back to the industrial revolution. The company was once owned by Ralph Crompton and Nephews, producers and bleachers of paper. Their first mill was located in Stoneclough, Manchester. The death of the Crompton brothers left the mill ownerless and the succession was offered to Robert Fletcher, the mill’s manager at the time. Fletcher had risen through the ranks, to first become the manager of the bleaching department and later the whole mill. Following Fletcher’s death on 17th May 1865, his sons John and James took over. They in turn passed down the mill to their sons, also named John and James. In 1897 the mill was incorporated as a limited company. In 1921 a second mill opened, located at Greenfield, near Oldham. The mill specialised in the production of cigarette paper and at its height employed 1000 people to run seven paper machines. These machines produced only a fraction of the paper the later, much larger machines could produce. Upon closure the mill had three machines – two very similar lines from 19XX and a huge modern 1996 addition. 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 Stoneclough Mill. Some people were transferred to the Greenfield mill, but the company could not sustain the increasing loses and was forced into receivership. The mill was closed down overnight. The mill at Stoneclough has been demolished. To this day the mill at Greenfield still remains how it was the day it closed.
Starting at the top of the mill. This is were the pulp would be fed into chutes which fed into some large pulp digesters.
Up here are several old offices, and labs and locker and rest rooms.
Forklift for moving the pulp bales about.
To the side is a row of tanks which hold chlorinated water and other chemicals. I would imagine these would feed into the large digester to mix with the pulp.
Another locker room here for the workers.
Heading to a lower level is the digester. These are huge and stand in a long row.
Heading into the large hall that contains the bashers. Used to bash and bleach the pulp. I liked the way these are all tiled inside, presumably to stop the chemicals corroding the metal of the machines.
Another rest and locker room. It contained the usual workers pictures and humorous signs you find in factories.
Continued..
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