Another late upload (life got way crazy since April as explained in one of my previous reports.)
Here's some info on the place:
Fullers Earthworks is a large ex soil processing plant in Redhill. Fullers earth is a greyish clay like soil is well known for its absorbent qualities and is used by the wool industry, as well as in cosmetics, as 'mud' for drilling oil wells, and, surprisingly, cat litter. The deposit in Redhill was one of the largest and most successful quarries in the UK, and dates back to the 1800s. In 1954 the site was bought by chemical company Laporte Industries, and a large factory consisting of kilns, granulators, silos, and transit systems across several floors was built. By the 1980s, the site was sending processed soil and packaged cat litter around the world. By 1995, due to falling profits it was announced that the company would be closing 100 sites around the world, Fullers being one of them, closing its doors and switching off the machines in 1996. The 119 acre quarry pit was purchased by Biffa Waste Services and is in use today as a landfill site. The factory site was used for some time as a waste transfer station, but became totally abandoned some time around 2000.
For 18 years it's stood silent and slowly being reclaimed by nature. Pigeons have begun using the spaces in the rafters as nesting sites, hawks hunt in the surrounding trees, and foxes wander the site. Trees, vines, moss and rust has taken over elsewhere. The factory here is huge and as you can imagine, pretty sketchy in some areas. Full of stairways and gantries we were able to explore almost all of the site, being very careful where we put our feet! We had the site almost to ourselves for a good 2-3 hours with the exception of a couple of guys abseiling, until a group of local kids turned up and begun using the place as a climbing frame! We used this as our cue to exit. Overall this place was interesting to wander around, imagining what it may have been like at its height of operation. Definitely one I'd like to return to, with more memory space and battery life on my camera!
*Interesting fact: I spoke to my dad about this place, who was a train driver on the railway line between Brighton and London during the time this place was open. He remembers when the line that goes to this place was still running and knew people who worked here. It's always interesting to hear first hand accounts of what places like this were like before they became explorer's playgrounds!
Anyway, on to the pictures!
Here's some info on the place:
Fullers Earthworks is a large ex soil processing plant in Redhill. Fullers earth is a greyish clay like soil is well known for its absorbent qualities and is used by the wool industry, as well as in cosmetics, as 'mud' for drilling oil wells, and, surprisingly, cat litter. The deposit in Redhill was one of the largest and most successful quarries in the UK, and dates back to the 1800s. In 1954 the site was bought by chemical company Laporte Industries, and a large factory consisting of kilns, granulators, silos, and transit systems across several floors was built. By the 1980s, the site was sending processed soil and packaged cat litter around the world. By 1995, due to falling profits it was announced that the company would be closing 100 sites around the world, Fullers being one of them, closing its doors and switching off the machines in 1996. The 119 acre quarry pit was purchased by Biffa Waste Services and is in use today as a landfill site. The factory site was used for some time as a waste transfer station, but became totally abandoned some time around 2000.
For 18 years it's stood silent and slowly being reclaimed by nature. Pigeons have begun using the spaces in the rafters as nesting sites, hawks hunt in the surrounding trees, and foxes wander the site. Trees, vines, moss and rust has taken over elsewhere. The factory here is huge and as you can imagine, pretty sketchy in some areas. Full of stairways and gantries we were able to explore almost all of the site, being very careful where we put our feet! We had the site almost to ourselves for a good 2-3 hours with the exception of a couple of guys abseiling, until a group of local kids turned up and begun using the place as a climbing frame! We used this as our cue to exit. Overall this place was interesting to wander around, imagining what it may have been like at its height of operation. Definitely one I'd like to return to, with more memory space and battery life on my camera!
*Interesting fact: I spoke to my dad about this place, who was a train driver on the railway line between Brighton and London during the time this place was open. He remembers when the line that goes to this place was still running and knew people who worked here. It's always interesting to hear first hand accounts of what places like this were like before they became explorer's playgrounds!
Anyway, on to the pictures!
