# Volcrepe Ltd, Glossop, Derbyshire, November 2016



## HughieD (Nov 13, 2016)

*1. The History*

Volcrepe Ltd was a large former rubber producing factory in Glossop, Derbyshire. Formed in 1931, and based in the 200-years old Woods Mill, it began manufacturing rubber soles for footwear. Later on it began producing specialist equipment to the Ministry Of Defence including gas masks for horses and the Home Guard as well as radio equipment as part of the war effort between 1939-1945. In the 1950s the company was still producing footwear soling, but with the market becoming more and more competitive it started concentrating its efforts into cellular rubbers which it had earlier pioneered. It went on to produce produced rubbers for the aviation industry, oil, automobile, domestic and communications industries..

Woods Mill was at the eastern end of what was originally the larger Howard town Mill complex built by John Wood in the 19th Century. In its day it was one of the largest integrated cotton mills in England. Volcrepe was split over in two sections with the aptly-named Milltown road dividing it. The only connecting point was a small walk-way over Mill Street emblazoned with the company’s logo. To the east of Milltown were the extensive single-storey drying shed. The factory closed down in 2002 when Volcrepe merged with another company, St Albans Rubber and has been empty.

In October 2015 High Peak Borough Council were split in a decision of five votes to five as to whether the site should be demolished and redeveloped. However the councillor with the deciding vote decreed the mill should in fact be demolished. Now all of the site to the west of Milltown has gone leaving a smaller three-storey mill to east of Milltown and some of the perimeter buildings, including former weaving sheds and administrative buildings, around the former drying sheds still standing.


*2. The Explore*

Another opportunist explore. Checked the site out as I’d seen reports on this place dating back to around 2011/12. That would have been the time to come here. On initial sight it looked like we were too late. All of Woods Mill and its surrounding buildings to the west of Milltown have now all been completely demo’ed. To the east a smaller mill building still stands albeit completely sealed.. The extensive single-storey drying sheds have all gone leaving a big open expanse and a few buildings round the sites perimeter. What’s left is only a fraction the site but there’s still enough the get a report out of it.


*3. The Pictures*


img8391 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img8393 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img8398 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img8394 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img8396 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img8402 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img8399 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img8404 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img8405 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img8406 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img8408bw by HughieDW, on Flickr


img8409 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img8413 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img8410 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img8414bw by HughieDW, on Flickr


img8415 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img8417 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img8418 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img8419 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img8421 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img8420 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Thanks for looking!


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## smiler (Nov 14, 2016)

Looks like you had a nice relaxed nose Hughie, I liked it, Thanks


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## Sam Haltin (Nov 14, 2016)

A nice report and detailed photographs.


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## mookster (Nov 14, 2016)

Oh that takes me back...has the iconic Volcrepe bridge gone too?


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## HughieD (Nov 15, 2016)

mookster said:


> Oh that takes me back...has the iconic Volcrepe bridge gone too?



Sadly it has Mook. The building on the west side of Milltown has been demoed along with the bridge :-(


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