Visited with OT and Turkey.
The history of this plac has been covered pretty well so I'll leave that. This was one of the main catalists in organising a Scotland trip. When it closed Paton's was the oldest working industrial building in Britain, and boy does it show.
Amazingly, much of the mill's water power infastructure and equipment remains in situ. From the race itself, to huge wheels, still fitted with their belts. The mill's waterworks were converted in 1923 to generate electricity. I know this because I found the paperwork from the compamy that fitted it... £94.6.6 for the generator, fitting and set up!
After hearing thet the mill had ben cleared of paperowrk I was amazed to find plans of the millraces, letters from as far back as 1880, maps of the mill, shoelace sample booklets and all manner of photographs from the long life of the mill.I also found a long standing argument between Paton's and the council, who wanted to start pumping water from upstream, which would hav reduced Paton's generating!
The mill itself, which was a former cotton mill was facsinating in itself. I was blown away by finding proper bullseyes in the windows... I have never seen them before in my life. Looms, stock and machinery were everywhere. In one box I found the original brass plate from the front door... worn away by years of brasso and TLC.
I have been in nearly 100 derelict mills, and I would go as far to say this is one of the best... in fact it is in my top two for sure.
Bit gutted the machinists at work do not look like this
1906 paperwork
From a quote for the machine itself... £230 pounds 5 shillings
Love the play on words on this!
I drove for over 5 hours, to be confronted by a box from my home town! My great grandma worked in the mill the box is from it's completion in 1924. It was demolished, along with it's clock tower in the 1990's... the first building I was pissed off about it's demo
One of the Bullseyes. These are formed when the glassblower blows a bubble of glass, and shears it off his blowpipe.
Engine Hall
Rectifier... a real thing of beauty
The history of this plac has been covered pretty well so I'll leave that. This was one of the main catalists in organising a Scotland trip. When it closed Paton's was the oldest working industrial building in Britain, and boy does it show.
Amazingly, much of the mill's water power infastructure and equipment remains in situ. From the race itself, to huge wheels, still fitted with their belts. The mill's waterworks were converted in 1923 to generate electricity. I know this because I found the paperwork from the compamy that fitted it... £94.6.6 for the generator, fitting and set up!
After hearing thet the mill had ben cleared of paperowrk I was amazed to find plans of the millraces, letters from as far back as 1880, maps of the mill, shoelace sample booklets and all manner of photographs from the long life of the mill.I also found a long standing argument between Paton's and the council, who wanted to start pumping water from upstream, which would hav reduced Paton's generating!
The mill itself, which was a former cotton mill was facsinating in itself. I was blown away by finding proper bullseyes in the windows... I have never seen them before in my life. Looms, stock and machinery were everywhere. In one box I found the original brass plate from the front door... worn away by years of brasso and TLC.
I have been in nearly 100 derelict mills, and I would go as far to say this is one of the best... in fact it is in my top two for sure.
Bit gutted the machinists at work do not look like this
1906 paperwork
From a quote for the machine itself... £230 pounds 5 shillings
Love the play on words on this!
I drove for over 5 hours, to be confronted by a box from my home town! My great grandma worked in the mill the box is from it's completion in 1924. It was demolished, along with it's clock tower in the 1990's... the first building I was pissed off about it's demo
One of the Bullseyes. These are formed when the glassblower blows a bubble of glass, and shears it off his blowpipe.
Engine Hall
Rectifier... a real thing of beauty
