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Report - - La Porte Industries (Fullers Earth), Redhill, Surrey - July 2010 | Industrial Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - La Porte Industries (Fullers Earth), Redhill, Surrey - July 2010

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freaney

28DL Member
28DL Member
Been really looking forwad to visiting this place, the reports I'd seen looked great.

Acces was very easy, however there were some men wondering about, playing with big diggers and that sort down one ned.
I walked straight past a man as he walked to his van, just by one of the shutters into the main empty warehouse, but he did,t really bat an eye lid.

Visited with ant545, a susual, and two non members. (One of them broke his UrbEx virginity)

Little History:
A greyish, mineral-rich clay, fuller's earth is well-known for its absorbent qualities and has many uses. Its best known use however is as cat litter, of which millions of bags are sold every year. Most of this is now imported from the Americas but until recently, fuller's earth was quarried from the Lower Greensand strata at Woburn (Beds.), at Baulking (Oxon.) and at Redhill (Surrey).
On the Redhill deposit, the most successful quarry operating at the turn of the century was the Copyhold Works of the Fuller's Earth Union Ltd, established c.1860-70. Initially supplying the woolen trade, demand later shifted to the growing chemical and comodity sector with customers in the 1920s-40s including the Southern Oil Company Ltd, British Glues and Chemicals Ltd and Price's Patent Candle Co.

In 1954 the works, by now employing 780 men, were bought by chemical company Laporte Industries. Production was stepped up to meet increasing demand and a large factory consisting of kilns, granulators, blungers, silos and transit systems on several floors was built. A large quarry existed to the east and in the 1970s this strange landscape stood in for various alien worlds in the BBC's Doctor Who series. In the 1980s, the Copyhold site was sending loose earths and packaged cat litter around the world.
By 1995, however, due to falling profits it was announced that the company would close 10% of its 100 plants. Copyhold fell victim the following year and the Laporte Group ceased fuller's earth production altogether in 1997. After the production lines were switched off, the 119 acre pit was purchased for use as a landfill site by Biffa Waste Services and continues to take waste from across Surrey. The factory was for a while used as a waste transfer station but this was abandoned at some time in the last four years and the site is now derelict.

Finally, on towards the photo's :D

They are all HDR, and photoshopeed. I know we're not keen on that, but there not to overdone I don't think? I more of the photographer, so I try to get creative with my photo's, but I hope they're ok, and an enjoyable view :)


Cylinder.jpg


ControlRoompsd.jpg


BasicShot.jpg


OrangeChambersHDR.jpg


lookingup2.jpg


If these photo;s really are'nt what you want on her, just say and I'll be shore to keep to 'straight from the camera' pics.

All thoughts apreciated and welcomed :)
 

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