A friend of mine has recently moved house, about a 1/4 of a mile from where she now lives is an abandoned linen mill. The place was originally built in 1740, but has been rebuilt and expanded several times since. I'm not too sure when it closed (it's 50 miles from home, and I'd never heard of it), but they were going strong up to 1995 at least. I was up that way on Sunday night past with some friends, and we went for a poke round.
The place was totally amazing, the glass roof was all over the floor, but there has been very little vandalism or looting of the buildings. The outside doors (where present) are open to the world, but bar decay the place seems pretty much as it was abandoned. I've taken some photos:
(http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l514/lesmond/Willam%20Clarke%20and%20Sons%20Ltd/PIC_0004.jpg)
Front part, built 1929
(http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l514/lesmond/Willam%20Clarke%20and%20Sons%20Ltd/PIC_0054.jpg)
Records abandoned and very damp on the shelves. We found the cheque journal from 1995, which is how we know it was open to then at least. No effort appeared to have been made to recover files.
(http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l514/lesmond/Willam%20Clarke%20and%20Sons%20Ltd/PIC_0036.jpg)
Spools dumped on the floor
(http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l514/lesmond/Willam%20Clarke%20and%20Sons%20Ltd/PIC_0009.jpg)
Typewriters, very old PC & franking machine. Lots of solid racking too...
(http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l514/lesmond/Willam%20Clarke%20and%20Sons%20Ltd/PIC_0029.jpg)
(http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l514/lesmond/Willam%20Clarke%20and%20Sons%20Ltd/PIC_0030.jpg)
Front part of the older bit
(http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l514/lesmond/Willam%20Clarke%20and%20Sons%20Ltd/PIC_0032.jpg)
Seriously cool fuse box - porcelain fuses with fuse wire intact, and the ammeter on the left goes up to 300 Amps (just the job for N gauge)
(http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l514/lesmond/Willam%20Clarke%20and%20Sons%20Ltd/PIC_0056.jpg)
Simplex fuse box / light switch panel further in and up (creaking, not too happy) stairs, again in fair order
(http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l514/lesmond/Willam%20Clarke%20and%20Sons%20Ltd/PIC_0059.jpg)
Health & Safety.. I don't need no steeeenking Health & Safety. Floor gone following a fire (the only major damage found, except the roof, also serious lack of empty beer tins)
(http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l514/lesmond/Willam%20Clarke%20and%20Sons%20Ltd/PIC_0049.jpg)
Roof (glass and asbestos :P) gone
(http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l514/lesmond/Willam%20Clarke%20and%20Sons%20Ltd/PIC_0046.jpg)
Lovely
(http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l514/lesmond/Willam%20Clarke%20and%20Sons%20Ltd/PIC_0044.jpg)
To keep slightly on message, very light rails embedded in the floor, also found outside leading off into a field.
All in all a most interesting evening, and a wonderful, mostly unspoiled, abandoned mill. A repeat trip in the daytime is planned...
I'd go back in the dark again mate and have some of that racking away, the filing cabinet too and possibly some of the spools if there is anything on there that can be "chopped" for flock or foliage ;) :smiley-laughing: :smiley-laughing:
Lovely piccies. It reminds me of a time when I was able to get out to some abandoned places. Married now... ::)
Lawrence - the mrs is away from Saturday to Saturday next week, so there is an early hours raid planned. I'd like to retrieve some of the electrical equipment (cos it's lovely) before a passing scrap dealer finds it, as it's still intact, if a bit rusty. The wiring to the grid is long gone, so no danger of getting sizzled. The racking in the pic is about 1/4 of what's in that room, as I don't think it's possible to ever have too much of it, it's also on the list. I hadn't thought of the spools - thanks for that!
Tank - I'm very lucky in that my other half is into photography, and wants to return for some "urban dereliction" photography. And she's not a bad cook :smiley-laughing: