# Stanley Mill, Kings Stanley - August 2009



## clebby (Aug 20, 2009)

> From Selsley's high and noted hill, You have a view of Stanley Mill. Where woollen cloths are made, of almost every name and hue, as black or brown or green or blue, broad, double milled and tweed.
> 
> But let us view the western vale; where woollen cloths are made for sale, of almost every sort; See Dudbridge factory, Stanley Mill, with Lodgemore, Ebley and Lightpill, from Rodboroughs ancient fort.
> 
> _Jephtha Young, Songs from the Loom_



Ok Ok, it's not "proper" urbex (meaning I asked permission) but I got to see something most people will never see, and isn't that what urbex is all about?

Firstly, of course, I have to thank the company which owns the mill, in particular Jill May and Mark Griffiths - they were brilliant and just let me and Paskey get on with it and gave us the run of the place.

Stanley Mill is a stupendous textile mill in Kings Stanley, a picteresque Cotswold village just outside Stonehouse, near Stroud. The site is astronomically vast - a huge Z-shaped, 5 storey mill building with an older "piered" building attached, a huge chimney, acres of outbuildings - it's got the lot, and the architecture is breathtakingly stunning.

Construction of the current mill building begun in 1812, with the main building completed in 1813. However, there is evidence that textile manufacture has been located on the site since the 12th century. When complete, it was sold to Harris and Maclean for £8,655. Various extensions were built, including a long two storey building in 1815. It was originally powered by no less than five huge water wheels, with a small steam engine being added in 1824, but in the summer of 1834 the supply of water to the wheels was so irregular that the mill could not operate efficiently. By 1839, the steam engine had been increased to 50hp, and it was sold to Nathaniel Marling for £27,000. Marling's is a company still making carpets on site today, although in more modern outbuildings.

The architecture is stunning - I think it's like "practical utilitarian combined with beauty" - and the building attracts international acclaim as one of the earliest fireproof buildings in the world. It has a beautiful cast-iron construction which helps make it flame retardent - indeed it survived a fire in its early days. The building is of such a high standard that Karl Friedrich Von Shinkel, a famous German architect who is credited for most of the buildings in 19th century Berlin, took inspiration from Stanley when he designed the Berlin Bauakademie.

The mill closed in December 1989 and has since lain derelict, although unvandalised and in fair condition.

Well, that's quite a history, and it's a nightmare to research, so now that's out of the way, on with the pictures!

This is the main mill building - you can't see in this pic but there is an entire wing of similar design to the right, as well as a 4 storey Cotswold stone "piered" building.







The main mill building is Grade I listed, and I'm not surprised when you get a fan light like this.






We were allowed essentially the run of the place and allowed to look around on our own - no guide - it was fantastic. I knew the building was going to be spectacular, but I was not expecting this...






It's the cast-iron framework that stops the building collapsing in a fire. It's beautiful - doric-style columns topped with elegant curved arches.






Some of the columns have a date cast into them, presumably when the mill was completed.






The top floor of the building is different from the rest, as in it has no iron work but instead huge wooden rafters which make it seem a huge state. The roof is in quite a state, even though English Heritage tried to improve the condition 13 years ago.











This narrow ladder led up to a balcony with a water tank, and then a smaller ladder led out to the roof...






Ahhhh the view from the balcony, the beams looking even larger than from below...






The smaller ladder led out onto the roof by a tiny door. It was windy and slippery, so not worth staying on for long. However, if you look at the first picture, the large brick structure on the roof is actually a water tank-come-lift room. The lift is still in operation, albeit very rarely, but it was worth seeing anyway.






A view from the fourth floor to the chimney (boilers sadly removed) and piered building...






The fourth floor was the most special floor by far. When the mill closed in December 1989, PricewaterhouseCoopers were drafted in to help liquidate the assets. They tried to sell off individual pieces of machinery, but this was a dreadful idea as 3 textile mills were closing each week up north and they had old textile machines coming out of their ears. No one would buy it, so it was left to rust.

That's where a man called Ken stepped in to help. He joined Marlings in 1945 and kept with it right until closure. He knew the machines like the back of his hand and so he spent 4 years restoring the machines *entirely on his own.* We were lucky enough to bump into him on the floor running the machines, as every week he comes in to run them so as they don't seize up. Just 3 times a year, the floor is opened up to a select few people. Lukily I was alone with Ben and not on the tour so we had "access to all areas" if you like.

Meet Ken...
















This machine dates from 1957. Ken said that, despite the unbearable noise of the machines running (trust me, it was loud) he could tell from even a minescule change in pitch that the machine was going wrong from the other side of the wing.
















Of course, like the other floors, it had the cast-iron frame...






Where the machines were sold, odd bits of equipment were left on otherwise empty floors.































Clearly the machines needed cogs and gears changing a lot...






On the corner of the "Z", the iron framework used a different design.






Attached to the lower floors of the main mill is the "piered" building. Inside it is not nearly as grand, and it is a festering shithole full of dead birds, crap and rotting wood. 






There were still some trolleys lying around, that were used to carry wool.






Back in the main building, there was an old first aid box full of vintage medicine and dressings. Seems a bit small for the entire floor though?


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## clebby (Aug 20, 2009)

That was about all there was to see in the main building, so we left and went into one of the many outbuildings. This one is of architectural importance because it has a flagstone floor both downstairs and upstairs. I wasn't expecting much, but I was very impressed when we found an ancient lab.






Chemicals still in their bottles...






Some old equipment...






Old filter paper, still intact. This stuff is expensive as well!






Shelves full of assorted junk...






It seemed literally as if they had just walked away and left *everything.*






Even paperwork like work records and first aid logs...






Ahhh, some archival shots from English Heritage...

An early drawing of the cast-iron, flame retardent framework...






One of the floors in the main mill in 1956...






Near the basement in 1956...






And finally, part of the framework in 1988, shortly before closure...






It was a stunning, stunning place. Definitely try and get booked onto one of the 3 tours each year, or even do what I did and get full access. With the tour you don't see all the mill but the machines are up and running and you get to talk to Ken. This website will be useful if you wish to - http://www.stroud-textile.org.uk/

There are these larger cast-iron columns on the ground floor. It's a lot larger than the archival shot suggests, as the big old water wheels used to slot underneath them. Unfortunately it's now in use as storage by the company so they are largely slightly obscured, but I got a couple of shots of similar bits as they are now.

Stairs to the ground floor...






And the arches (not the same but nearby)...











And one last shot: Farewell Stanley.


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## hpipe (Aug 21, 2009)

Epic stuff again, Mr C. Nice one.


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## Sabtr (Aug 21, 2009)

Awesome. Just goes to show that a little communication can get you into somewhere.


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## james.s (Aug 21, 2009)

Very nice! It's nice to see it's being cared for


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## Trinpaul (Aug 21, 2009)

Personally I don't like to see black and white pics  I'd prefer color but my nit picking aside this is a brilliant thread  a chance to see a mill BEFORE someone gets in there and starts to vandalize and bugger the place up. Heck, all the windows are still intact  thanks for taking the time to post this


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## clebby (Aug 21, 2009)

Cheers guys 



Trinpaul said:


> Personally I don't like to see black and white pics  I'd prefer color but my nit picking aside this is a brilliant thread  a chance to see a mill BEFORE someone gets in there and starts to vandalize and bugger the place up. Heck, all the windows are still intact  thanks for taking the time to post this



Well tough  Actually, some of the windows are trashed on lower floors. Luckily it's secure now so vandalism has stopped, thank god.


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## andy m (Aug 21, 2009)

Superb! I'd love to see somehwere like this, heck I've been in enough empty ones. I know of a huge mill complex in Yorkshire that shut a few years back and appears to be just like this but they won't let anyone in


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## DC2Z (Aug 21, 2009)

Brilliant photos. 
Some of that stuff is amazing. Its amazing to see some of the stuff that they left behind


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## wolfism (Aug 21, 2009)

Excellent – well done for seizing the initiative – it was well worth it, judging by your photos. The machinery is something else!


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## Digitographer (Aug 22, 2009)

Fantastic photographs, which gave a really good feel for the place - and very well suited to mono.

The mill looks amazing - fabulous old building, and all that iron work and those machines! I would practically kill to get in there and photograph that. Beautifully captured.


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## Foxylady (Aug 22, 2009)

Wow, that's gorgeous! Well done you for getting a chance to see inside.


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## smallbunt (Aug 22, 2009)

wow very nice , many thanks to the owners and ken to let you and us view this delightful old building , workplaces in those times were proud places not like the modern monstrosities of guirders and wrigely tin and a few breeze blocks of todays biuldings


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## clebby (Aug 22, 2009)

Thanks for the feedback guys 

The next public viewing of the machine floor is on the 13th September, and I highly recommend getting booked on it. It's well worth the trip down and, although you don't get to see most of what's above (only the machine room), you get to see the machines run and talk to Ken. Here's the website - http://www.stroud-textile.org.uk/


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## Dystopia (Aug 24, 2009)

What beautiful cogs, machinery and arches on the ceiling!


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## badelbow (Sep 27, 2009)

*contacts at stanley mill*

hi, who did you contact at stanley mill, i'm looking for a location for a fashion photo shoot and one of the rooms looks perfect, can you help at all, cheers Remy

email is [email protected]


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