Report - Old Lane Mill, Halifax, June 2019

[t4toria]

Old Lane Mill, Old Lane, Rawson's Mill, Old Lane - Calderdale
Worsted mill of 1825 to 1828, the oldest and largest surviving example of a multi-storey, steam-powered, iron-framed textile mill in Halifax.

Not much left aside from the views, a stripped out shell with holes in the floor.

View attachment 812395

 

[Ojay]

Thanks for sharing, good to see some recent pics from here

 

[HughieD]

Bit of a shell these days but still very photogenic. Good work!

 

[Bikin Glynn]

U got some nice shots there well done

 

[Natey13]

Great pics Did you take a ladder? When I’ve visited I was unable to see a way up to the roof

 

[Halifaxhillbilly]

For anyone interested: in 2017 I worked with the council and did a 'community clean up'type thing down in the mill grounds.
If you take the easy route in from old lane (where the council vans go in) there might still be a random large boulder sat in a concrete area to your right as you approach the main building. Last time I was there it was obvious and out of place.
Like I say, this was 2.5yrs ago, but at the time this boulder had been shifted, revealing a large manhole and metal ladders going underground.
I managed to duck my head in with a torch (my supervisor wouldn't let me go down), and it looked to be a large sewer/possible river diversion running under the mill. There was a narrow walkway alongside the running water. I saw a complete shiney BMW car bumper and other debris lying around the base of the ladder, so someone had been dumping/hiding stuff there. I'm a local and I still wonder what I'd have found down there.
To follow on from the person talking about aggressive people being there, yeah, be careful. It's in an out of the way place and there are plenty of dckheads around. As for security, I don't remember the police or council workers I worked with saying there was anything at all. I certainly haven't seen anything. The only concerns from them were simply that it was condemned and they genuinely worried that some adventuring kids would get hurt. I know for a fact that the local fire service have advused they will refuse to enter the building in the event of any fire.

 

[Halifaxhillbilly]

Update on this mill, just seen this advert on zoopla:

239 Properties for sale in Halifax - Zoopla

Find properties for sale in Halifax with the UK's largest data-driven property portal. Discover flats and houses for sale from the top estate agents and developers.

www.zoopla.co.uk

Get in whilst you can.

I was walking past this last week very early on a sunny morning and you could see inside every level from Old Lane - the place is still wide open, nothing stopping anyone getting in.

There is a CCTV dome on Old Lane about 20m along from if you were standing looking directly into the mill. It's for catching fly tippers, not so much mill security.

Also, further along, looking from Old Lane to the A629 opposite side of the valley, I spotted three stone arches (almost directly below a bus shelter visible on the main road). I found the track tha leads to them on the corner of Broad Tree Road and Ovenden Road. I've never spotted these before because of the leaves of the trees, but this being winter you could see them easily: photo attached.

 

[Halifaxhillbilly]

Update for anyone interested (just realised this is being posted a year after my last post): I think the mill and land have been sold. There is work being done on the buildings. I went there last weekend with my son to check out the culvert. All ground floor entrances have been bricked up properly. However there is still a small hole in the wall on the side where the chimney is that you could get through (I'm 6'2" and about 16 'n' half stone and if I took my big coat off I'd probably get through it ).
Looks like the engineers are looking for the sewer pipes and lots of drains and 'manholes' were uncovered all around the main building.

Also:

So this is the point of interest that I've not seen anyone investigate (i.e. go wading through). At this time it' is, relatively speaking, more a river than a brook and you'd probably get taken off your feet trying to go in. I suspect you'd also need a gas meter. The second to last picture shows Ovenden Brook running towards/under the Mill; last picture the culvert running back up the valley towards Halifax Boxing club - where you can see it come out into the open as a brook, then go under the club.
Apologies about the quality of the pictres, I was using a mobile phone as I don't own a proper camera.
Lastly, the picture of the strip light you can see some sticks taped together to make what looks like a stick figure. Maybe the local kids, high on sugar and caffeine, got creative