Report - Radford Mill / Viyella Works, Nottingham - May 2011.

[jST]

Number 3 on mine and Muttley's super soaraway Sunday hitlist was Viyella / Radford Mills in Nottingham, thanks once again to Lolz for the heads up. It was massively fucking windy and the pigeons here were going absolutely crazy....

Radford mill has stood on the Garden St. site for over 150 years, initially used as a spinning mill it was carved up and extended from around 1890 onwards. Construction varies throughout the buildings with bridge links spanning the void between the older and newer parts.

The larger, more prominent 1900 extension (with the Viyella tower) appears to have had some fairly hefty and recent telecommunications equipment installed meaning it was inaccessible and well monitored.

These little well researched snippits of history are nicked from Layz's most excellent report:

The Spinning works finished in 1959, and the site was destined to be sold off for housing. However, Viyella decided to cling onto the site using it as a small scale dying works finally coming to an end in the 60s. Like most mills in Nottingham around that time it was broken up into smaller firms, one of which still occupies the ground and upper floors today.
The works were once again destined to become housing/apartments in 2003, but it now appears the scheme has been put on hold.

Company History

The original owner of the Mill, Wm. Hollins also ran the mill in Pleasley on a rather unusually named road ‘Via Gellia’ now the A5012 near Matlock, about 20miles away. Via-Gellia later gave its name to the famous soft fabric ‘Viyella’ which Hollins & Co patented in 1893. Later Viyella was also to become the company name in 1961 after a merger. Viyella has faded into obscurity now, and in 2009 went into administration, finally being bought out by Austin Reed.

Here are some shots:

Big Emptiness

Machinery:

City Architect's Archives... unfortunately scattered and ruined all over this little room.

As always, muchos gracias for having a look in. ​