# Bridon Wire, Ambergate, Derbys, June 2015



## HughieD (Jun 24, 2015)

This is the second report from Ambergate, Derbyshire. This time it's the old wire-making factories of Bridon. Here's the history. 

Originally the wire manufacturing facilities were set up by Richard Johnson & Nephew in 1876 and at its peak the factory employed over 500 people. They specialised in telegraph wires, fencing and suspension cables and famously put in a tender for the suspension wires for the Brooklyn Bridge. J&N produced the telegraph cables laid underneath the English Channel during World War II. Typically suspension wires were made from steel, due to its tensile strength, and for telegraphy wires copper was used due to its higher conductivity.

It was acquired in 1990 by Bridon and became "Bridon Ropes, Johnson & Nephew Wire Works Ltd" until wire-making ended in 1996. Bridon continued to use its Ambergate site as a storage and distribution centre until it was fully closed down around 1990. 

The site is split by the River Derwent, and parts of it are still in use i.e. the eastern part. It was bought from Bridon by the Lichfield Group in 2001, which then set up a plastic extrusion factory. The western part is mostly derelict and the factories are very extensive and cover a large area. In the past the factories have been accessible hence the glut of reports around 2008 and 2009. However the main factories including the wire-spinning shed and the lead bath/ tempering facility are now sealed up quite well. Some parts could be accessed with a bit of climbing, such as the labs buildings on the right of the path and the main large factory on the left (as you approach from the road end with the river on your right). However with time a bit on the tight side and a lack of a decent touch, I declined this challenge.

Here's the pictures:

View from the gate:


img9958 by HughieDW, on Flickr

A stopped stop-cock:


img9928 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Inside the smaller of the two big factories:


img9932 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9929 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9931 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Some random external piping:


img9933 by HughieDW, on Flickr

A folorn looking storage shed:


img9934 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Kick down that door!


img9936 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Couple of internals of the labs part:


img9938 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9939 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Along the sides of the big factory (the wire-spinning shed?):


img9937 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9940 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9950 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9953 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And a couple of external close-ups:


img9943 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9948 by HughieDW, on Flickr

I declined the scramble to go in, next time perhaps:


img9944 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And a few more externals:


img9954 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9957 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Thanks for looking...


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## krela (Jun 24, 2015)

Looks like asbestos heaven!


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## HughieD (Jun 24, 2015)

krela said:


> Looks like asbestos heaven!



In terms of the roofing, yes, doesn't it just!


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## Wernok (Jun 24, 2015)

You've done it again, a great report. Me and Ruine went as we live about a 2 minutes walk away, though when we go there is never a way into the warehouses!


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## Mikeymutt (Jun 24, 2015)

Nicely done there hughie looks a large site.


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## HughieD (Jun 24, 2015)

Mikeymutt said:


> Nicely done there hughie looks a large site.



Cheers mate. Yup...it's a biggie and I only really scratched the surface here.


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## flyboys90 (Jun 25, 2015)

Cracking report,thanks for sharing.


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## tumble112 (Jun 25, 2015)

I think it will be worth a scramble in the next time .


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## HughieD (Jun 28, 2015)

tumble1 said:


> I think it will be worth a scramble in the next time .



It is quite tempting...I have to say!


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## smiler (Jun 28, 2015)

HughieD said:


> Cheers mate. Yup...it's a biggie and I only really scratched the surface here.


Your gonna have to go back Hughie, I've got a spare Lenser head torch send me a POB No and I'll send it on to you, Loved your post, Thanks


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## TK421 (Jun 29, 2015)

Nice, I love this place, all overgrown. I passed through it once back in 1998, but only took a few photos because it was on 'film', it cost to develop and I was skint! Here you go, a few period shots from 16 years earlier:










I went back a few years ago and was pleased to see it manly unaltered.

cheers


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## HughieD (Jun 29, 2015)

Love the warm texture of those 3 pix. It's changed a bit but not massively.


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## HughieD (Jun 29, 2015)

smiler said:


> Your gonna have to go back Hughie, I've got a spare Lenser head torch send me a POB No and I'll send it on to you, Loved your post, Thanks



Ah...cheers mate - will do. That's very kind of you.


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## UrbanX (Jul 1, 2015)

Nice one, looks a nice chilled explore. 
Thanks for sharing


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