# Robert Fletcher & Son Ltd...Greenfield. Oldham.



## Silent Hill (Jun 12, 2012)

Sometimes refered to as ‘Fletchers Mill’ or ‘Fletchers Paper Mill’ It sits tucked away in the valleys of east Oldham as if one day they walked out of the factory and never returned. In fact this probably wasn’t too far from the truth. 

"First glimpse of the Mill on the approach road"







History of the company (September 1964)

The beginnings of the firm of Robert Fletcher & Son Limited are lost in the mist of time. It is probably that it was one of the first concerns which the industrial revolution brought to this part or Lancashire. It is know that the firm was first owned by a family called Crompton. They traded under the name of Ralph Crompton and Nephews, Bleachers and Papermakers, Stoneclough and Manchester. The influence of the bleaching side of the business is traceable in some of tte terms still in use in the mill. Paper was first made at Stoneclough in 1829.

Robert Fletcher entered the firm as a young man in his twenties in the year 1830. His ability brought him to the notice of his employers and he became manager of the bleaching department and later manager of the whole mill. The Crompton family held him in high regard and Roger Crompton, the last of the brothers, left him both the principal trusteeship and the option of succeeding him in the firm.

After the death of Roger Crompton, Robert Fletcher controlled the business with conspicuous ability and integrity for many years. He died at Vale House, Stoneclough, on May 17th, 1865, and was succeeded by his sons John and James Fletcher. They in turn were followed by their sons, John Robert Fletcher and James Fletcher, who are well remembered by many old employees today.






In 1897, the firm was incorporated as a Limited Company. Many things have changed since those days. The Company then employed about two hundred people; now the number including Greenfield Mill, is about one thousand. The top wage in those days was 6½d. an hour. There were 7 paper machines which between them produced only a fraction of the paper which three paper machines produce today.

Throughout the succeeding years, the firm continued to expand and to increase its volume of business. A relation for high quality, reliability and fine craftsmanship was steadily built up.
A second mill, at Greenfield, near Oldham, was opened in 1921. This mill specialises in the manufacture of cigarette paper. There are also sales offices in London & Manchester and agencies in many foreign countries. The Company owns several hundred of acres of land around Greenfield Mill, which supports a mixed farm.

The company’s products cover a wide range of fine tissues; in this field, Robert Fletcher & Son Limited has a world-wide reputation for quality, reliability and good service to the customer which is founded upon more than a hundred years of experience.






Financial Strain & Eventual Closure

Towards the late 90’s the two mills of Robert Fletcher & Son Ltd started to struggle. The increased cost of wood pulp and energy combined to make it tough financially. In 1997 the greenfield site had a turnover of nearly £17m and shareholder funds exceeded £9m. By 1999 turnover was down to £8.2m and the shareholders funds had dwindled to little over £4m. In 2000 in an effort to save the business going to the wall resulted in the closure of the Stoneclough site and 120 job losses resulted from the closure although 50 new jobs would be created at the Greenfield site. Despite this move the company continued to spiral into financial ruin and in July 2001 several suppliers and creditors formally applied to wind up the company and resulted in the closure, overnight, of the Greenfield site.

( HIstory taken from WHATEVER'S LEFT )







It's still a cracking place to visit, and the location is sweet 


"Sodium Hydroxide Tanks"






"The Mixing Baths"











"The Scientific bits. Lab Vessels"











"Vintage Tea Service" 






"And some nice Art Deco Stair Rails"






"Huge empty tanks"






"Wheels, cogs and dials"
















"More heavy stuff".....


























"Water Ingress and a bit of greenery"











"Those huge Orbs"











"And finally.... That classic Derp gantry"






Thanks for looking.

​


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## krela (Jun 12, 2012)

Great stuff, thanks!


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## gingrove (Jun 12, 2012)

Great History and fantastic pics. Thanks for posting!


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## kevsy21 (Jun 12, 2012)

Good pics,well captured.Always good to se this place.


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## UEP-Wales (Jun 12, 2012)

Great pics and nice looking site! Thanks


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## Mars Lander (Jun 12, 2012)

Ace report and your photographs are superb!

So many peeps have been busted here including us , was quite funny with very apologetic female rozzer arriving on fast reponse police bicycle after 4 attempts by even more apologetic secca man to even get the police interested much to the annoyance of the angry site manager  we should have just walked off but we felt obliged to stay after all that


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## SeffyboyUK (Jun 12, 2012)

Really like that, great set!


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## tumbles (Jun 12, 2012)

Lovely stuff and thanks for the credit on the history, most people just nick my research without any note of where it came from. I have so much stuff on the history of fletchers I should write a bit more up about it. The more you delve into the demise the murkier it gets.. 25m and all the pension fund disappeared. No wonder they keep the offices locked...


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## Silent Hill (Jun 12, 2012)

tumbles said:


> Lovely stuff and thanks for the credit on the history, most people just nick my research without any note of where it came from. I have so much stuff on the history of fletchers I should write a bit more up about it. The more you delve into the demise the murkier it gets.. 25m and all the pension fund disappeared. No wonder they keep the offices locked...



Credit where credits due mate  And we all know how long those offices were locked up for


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## prettyvacant71 (Jun 12, 2012)

Smashing photos mate,processing really brings them to life, love em! great study of the site, that looks like my kinda place, loads of bits left behind....worthy of a trip, u twisted me arm...don't take much!


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## Silent Hill (Jun 13, 2012)

Thanks all for the comments


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## Sshhhh... (Jun 13, 2012)

Fantastic pictures! The write up is great too. Well done for getting in, we had a big fail on this one. Thanks for sharing, enjoyed this report


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## night crawler (Jun 13, 2012)

Why have I missed this till now, superb report ahd background to the place, looks almost like the next shift can come back and begin making paper as it id still on the rollers.


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## Ninja Kitten (Jun 13, 2012)

what a wonderful report and pics..really enjoyed reading that..another to add to my never ending list..


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## TeeJF (Jun 13, 2012)

AltDayOut said:


> we should have just walked off but we felt obliged to stay after all that



Ha ha!!!  Oh how familiar that sounds! In our case it was a long wait of 45 minutes because we felt sorry for the poor little secca even though we hadn't even been inside the buildings! And then the dibble rocked up in 4 vehicles, "interviewed us" politely and then said, "I'm afraid this is private property. I'm very sorry but I'll have to ask you to leave". At which point I said, "That's what we've been trying to do for the last 45 moinutes", and he burst into laughter!


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## flyboys90 (Jun 13, 2012)

Great detailed report and photos,thanks for sharing.


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## tumbles (Jun 14, 2012)

If you worked 42 years (as a male) you got a gold watch for long standing service. 






I think if you were a female and did 38 you got a silver teapot. You'd also get a electric fire upon retirement.


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## Silent Hill (Jun 14, 2012)

Nice one Tumbles. That's sweet research.


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## TeeJF (Jun 15, 2012)

How cool is that! Well done!!!


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## Mars Lander (Jun 15, 2012)

tumbles said:


> If you worked 42 years (as a male) you got a gold watch for long standing service.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Wow great stuff. thanks for sharing it kinda brings it more alive as it were.

Hey Team TJ I just heard on the grapevine someone else had a carbon copy bust as us and you just recently haha, that poor secca man he has his hands full up there


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## _Nyx_ (Jun 17, 2012)

Great set of photos, a lot of history there, excellent report


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## TeeJF (Jun 17, 2012)

AltDayOut said:


> Hey Team TJ I just heard on the grapevine someone else had a carbon copy bust as us and you just recently haha, that poor secca man he has his hands full up there



Yeah? Oh dear. The actual secca is a proper numb nuts, we'd been wanderinga round the building exterior for over an hour, not exactly high profile but not really sneaking before he spotted us. Still it's just another example of the old adage pay peanuts get monkeys.

The thing is, and I thoroughly understand it, they've had a recent arson attack resulting in the loss of part of the building and numerous attempts to enter by "breaking in" so it's no wonder they're p*ssed off. And the secca has his hands tied because the site manager is very much a, "no questions, follow the procedure" type rather than exercising moderation by distinguishing between explorers and vandals. You know, at first glance a bunch of kids and a 55 year old bloke and his missus look so similar don't they! 

Two sides of the coin, our side and theirs, and I have to say I can appreciate why they call the cops without question for all it shows a lack of common sense!


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## Mars Lander (Jun 17, 2012)

We were being really stealthy circling round lakes , through bushes , never passing anything overlooked or anything next minute the roar of a car, the practically skidding round a corner he's there, we didnt even ask...., I was just about to put my gas mask on for a wicked shot too and depite numerous requests for him to take our picture next to...








he apologetically wouldn't how uncooperative I thought haha


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