# Dairy Crest Plant, Totnes, March 2008



## Scrub2000 (Apr 21, 2008)

Went with Scotty. Brill day

Huge thanks to the security guard who was kind enough to let us accompany him on his rounds of the site. It was secure with plenty of cameras so we decided to try the route of asking if we can have a look.
We were lucky with the weather too, since we ducked between buildings during each shower.

Brief history:
Production at the plant, which opened in 1934, has been transferred to Gloucestershire and east London.

The plant used to produce, or I guess bottle, the milk for local deliveries as well as the Morrisons and Sainsbury supermarkets. 180+ jobs have been lost.
Real shame for the local economy. Dairy Crest said it was because they were unable to expand the site.
There has been much controversy about the way in which Dairy Crest has ripped the roofing from one of the buildings.
http://www.totnesonline.com/

On with the pics. 








































































Cheers.


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## Neosea (Apr 21, 2008)

Get the right security guard and they can be really cool. I am surprised the weights were left behind. 

Thanks for the pictures


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## BrickMan (Apr 21, 2008)

mmmm milk!!

looks in good condition !! 

Such a shame english milk companies are dying in favour of tesco's, I like my milk delivered in the morning! Its often cheaper too!

why do they have a chimney though, for heating? or from when the production line was powered by something else?


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## Dirus_Strictus (Apr 21, 2008)

It is a bloody shame that Scrub2000 has missed the most valuable and historic building on this site. The building that Dairy Crest were ripping tiles off - in an effort to scupper the locals' effort to save it - was one of the three remaining pumping stations for Isombard Kingdom Brunel's Atmospheric Railway. A system way ahead of its time and the fore runner of green transport systems.

English Heritage refused to list this building, on the grounds it was never used for its intended purpose. The Atmospheric Railway never reached Totnes. This was due to the fact that rats ate the leather flap valves on the endless piston barrel - which was in fact an endless slotted pipe. Brunel's workmen could not keep pace with the replacement of the damaged seals, thus the service was not very punctual. The atmospheric system was used on this line, because there were grave concerns that the steam locomotives of the day, could not manage the gradients on the chosen route. The atmospheric system worked well, it might still be around if Brunel had invented Nitrile Rubbers!

On the 7th March 2008, the Government bowed to pressure and granted Grade 11 listed status to the Italianate Pumping House and Boiler House.
These old buildings are a well known sight, standing as they do alongside the GWR main line at Totnes Station. Dairy Crest must now ensure that this well loved landmark is preserved - as it damn well should be.

The chimney pictured was built in 1935, has nothing to do with Brunel and is very unsafe. Hence it is coming down, unlike Brunel's square original which is in very good condition - it serviced a pottery kiln for many years.

As an aside; I am always surprised how little people know about the processes that produce the food we push down our gullets. The milk bottling process requires vast amounts of hot water for washing and sterilisation of the bottles and plant. Hence the need for the chimney to draught the Lancashire boiler/boilers. No doubt these coal fired giants, would have been replaced by modern oil fired heating plant in recent times


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## Neosea (Apr 21, 2008)

Dirus_Strictus said:


> was one of the three remaining pumping stations for Isombard Kingdom Brunel's Atmospheric Railway. A system way ahead of its time and the fore runner of green transport systems.



That would be interesting to see, how much remains of the pump inside?


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## Scrub2000 (Apr 21, 2008)

Thanks for the info Dirus_Strictus....yea it's a shame but we moved in an anti-clockwise direction around the site and my batteries we're well out by the time we reached this building.

Didn't want to outstay our welcome either - perhaps Scotty and I should pay another visit.


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## Dirus_Strictus (Apr 22, 2008)

Neosea said:


> That would be interesting to see, how much remains of the pump inside?



Unfortunately the vac pump and engine were it seems, removed very quickly. Some unconfirmed reports state that the internal fitting out was not even completed. Other writings - done at the time - indicate a fairly swift conversion of the buildings to other uses. An early 20th century photograph shows them in some form of commercial use - unreadable name boards on buildings and large number of hogshead barrels, stored in area between buildings and station platform back fence. They may be in railway use, but the signage is not very 'railway like'.


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## Foxylady (Apr 22, 2008)

Tis a good site with lots of interest in and around it. I just love those weights with their own wooden boxes! Great stuff! 



Dirus_Strictus said:


> As an aside; I am always surprised how little people know about the processes that produce the food we push down our gullets.



I know what you mean. Fortunately for me I was brought up and went to primary school in a farming community so we used to have field trips (no pun intended!  ) to places such as milk bottling plants.


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## Neosea (Apr 22, 2008)

Dirus_Strictus said:


> As an aside; I am always surprised how little people know about the processes that produce the food we push down our gullets.





Foxylady said:


> I know what you mean. Fortunately for me I was brought up and went to primary school in a farming community so we used to have field trips (no pun intended!  ) to places such as milk bottling plants.



Sometimes the more you know about food processing the less you want to eat


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## Foxylady (Apr 22, 2008)

Neosea said:


> Sometimes the more you know about food processing the less you want to eat



That's probably why I'm a fussy eater, only eat one meal a day and rarely touch anything unless I've prepared and cooked it myself!


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## Neosea (Apr 22, 2008)

Foxylady said:


> That's probably why I'm a fussy eater, only eat one meal a day and rarely touch anything unless I've prepared and cooked it myself!



That's why you're so skinny!


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## Foxylady (Apr 22, 2008)

Neosea said:


> That's why you're so skinny!



Nah, you'd think I would be but I drink too many milky coffees!


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## Neosea (Apr 22, 2008)

Foxylady said:


> Nah, you'd think I would be but I drink too many milky coffees!



I dunno about that, I've seen the pictures


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## mr_giff (May 5, 2008)

*Dairy Crest at Totnes*

Hi Guys,

Happened on this site whilst meandering aimlessly around the net and was so surprised at the amount of interest you've shown that I thought I'd register and try to briefly answer a couple of your queries.

I was the Lab Manager there and was made redundant and finished on Sep 14. I was looking for those stainless steel reference masses (quite valuable) and whilst saying goodbye to my staff lost them. I'd assumed they'd been pocketed by somebody else but there they still are!

I worked there for twenty years and naturally have seen a few changes. Alas I never saw any trace of the original gear in Brunel's building. Over the years we obviously pasteurised alot of milk and bottled in glass for doorstep delivery, but also packed out in poly bottles for Tesco, Sainsbury, Asda, Safeway (now Morrisons) and M&S.

The place started to slip away when Tesco gave their business to Robert Wisemans in about 2004 (I think) which accounted for approx 40% of our business. After that it was downhill all the way!  The irony of it is, so I've heard, Tesco :icon_evil have put a bid of about £12 million in for the site.

The chimney was used as an exhaust for two boilers which produced all the steam for the whole site. One burnt oil and the other gas.

Anyway, since finishing, I've been putting a website together for the ex-employees and have a page with some photos of the place including a couple of the Quarg Room (Brunels bit). I'm hoping to go have a wander again soon so hopefully will add some more pictures in the not too distant future.

Have a look at www.aube49.dsl.pipex.com if you want to see them. I'd welcome any (constructive) comments about my site.

Cheers


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## Foxylady (May 5, 2008)

Hiya mr giff
Welcome to Derelict Places. I just had a gander at your website and enjoyed seeing your site photos...look forward to seeing more as you add them. Thanks for taking the time to tell us more about Dairy Crest and hope you enjoy the forum.


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## Mr Sam (May 6, 2008)

cool ive had a look round a dairy crest in Leic's it was stripped and all the machinery sold in auctions so great to see some of the workings still there, the outside looks simular


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