# ACS Dobfar Pharmaceuticals, Ashington, Northumberland - June 2013 *PIC HEAVY*



## Dissimulate (Jun 30, 2013)

After an unsuccessful recce of Alcan we decided to pop over to the Linemouth Pit Baths (already knew they were trashed but we were about 50 ft from them so why not).
On the way over we were stopped by a couple of lads in a car asking "what are you taking photos of?"
Immediately suspecting them to be Secca we kinda fumbled n said "er, nothing".
Turns out they were explorers much on the same agenda as us and advised us to avoid the pit head baths as some kids were busy trying to knock down part of the wall to try and gain entry.

However they did mention another site they had been to, a drugs manufacturing plant about 10 mins drive away. They kindly offered to show is the way so we jumped back in the car and followed them. One of them even stayed to show us around and take a few more snaps himself.
Looking at the site is seemed unlikely that anything interesting would remain, most of the large buildings had been demolished, but we were assured that we would be pleasantly surprised..... we were!!!!
Gas bottles, cleaning equipment, more chemicals that you could shake a tripod at, drug making equipment, documents galore, office equipment and a board room that looked like they had just had their Christmas party and cleared off.

I couldn't for the life of me find any info on when it closed etc, thankfully Daddy Dissimulate is an investigative reporter so he soon dug some stuff up.
We found reports from 2004 about all 170 jobs being axed but no further details on when the site was decommissioned. The company apparently went into voluntary administration just a few months ago.

The only info i could find out about the company was on NewStatesman.com.
I haven't even attempted to put this into my own words, it made me cross eyed even reading the original paragraph 0_o.

"ACS Dobfar SPA (ACS Dobfar) is an Italy based private company engaged in the business of manufacturing active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) and finish dosage forms. The company, under the management of its parent company Dobfar Holdings SPA and its subsidiaries, specializes in offering penicillin, cephalosporins, and other APIs in oral and injection forms and drugs in oral and injectable finished dosage forms. The company is also involved in offering packaging and storage material for drugs, contract manufacturing and research services. ACS Dobfar principally operates in the regions of Italy, UK, Romania, Switzerland, South Korea and Brazil. The company is headquartered in Tribiano, Milan, Italy."

Ready for some snappysnaps?


1. I used to have to use one of these evil things every morning, luckily these 2 are condemned to never be used again! No more will these machines threaten to dislocate anyone shoulders again!



2. It seems fire safety was a strong point here



3. I can't quite work out what exactly this was.... 



4. Dear Diary: JACKPOT!
This rooms was full of some pretty serious chemicals, some stuff had obviously leaked and the smell in intense to say the least! Had set the camera up whilst holding my breath and stick self timer on. Only a matter of time till some Chav is stupid enough to spark up a tab there and ends with with his limbs in 4 different area codes.



5. The amount of documents here was amazing



6. As Above ^^



7. Some kinda slide enlargerer thing



8. Hello Dominos? Yeah, large mighty meaty, no onions, extra garlic dips, ta.



9. Just... because its UrbEx law... right?



10. Quite frankly this thing pissed all over any of our cameras



11. Looks like the works Christmas party was a bit of a wild one. Think they must have had a mass elastic band fight!



12. This room had the same nauseating headache educing smell as the store room, so I decided to take the shot through the broken window of the door.



13. 



14. Main offices, stuffed full of urbexy goodness!



15.


----------



## Neverwillchange (Jun 30, 2013)

Great report and pictures I think the union is a large pedestal grinder.


----------



## Dissimulate (Jun 30, 2013)

Thanks 
Aye i thought it would be some sort of saw, sander or grinder.
I just couldn't work out which.


----------



## krela (Jun 30, 2013)

number 7 is a microfiche viewer I believe.


----------



## Dissimulate (Jun 30, 2013)

I was told what it was when i was there, but I'd forgotten by the time I wrote the report. Cheers.


----------



## flyboys90 (Jun 30, 2013)

Very interesting report thanks for sharing.


----------



## mookster (Jun 30, 2013)

Great stuff, but I can't help wonder what the rest of it would have looked like before demo...


----------



## Dissimulate (Jun 30, 2013)

Hoping for a return visit soon, theres photos on the walls from when it was up and running. Was pressed for time on this one so I'll hopefully be able to spent a lot more time there when I go again. This time I'm taking a damned respirator though, sone o' the smells in there weren't good!


----------



## Fluffster (Jun 30, 2013)

krela said:


> number 7 is a microfiche viewer I believe.



It is indeed. I used to use one in a previous career.


----------



## Southside UE (Jul 1, 2013)

looks interesting, some good shots there.


----------



## woodland pixie (Jul 1, 2013)

Interesting place and great photos too, thanks. I worked in a department store for a while and had to use one of those bloody shoulder dislocating floor polishing machines....got fired when it went haywire and flew out of my hands, knocking over a huge display of shoes...whoopsy!


----------



## Mars Lander (Jul 1, 2013)

Wow great report that man , really enjoyed reading this and looking at your sweet images!!


----------



## Dissimulate (Jul 1, 2013)

Thanks everyone! Glad everyone's enjoying it. Really happy with all the positive feed back, it's a great welcome to the forum


----------



## Dissimulate (Jul 4, 2013)

Doing a little more research on this place and to honest I am totally confused!

The site seems to have started off as part of the Glaxo Group.
Then changed to "synpac chemicals" although i can find no info on when this takeover occurred. 
Then to "ACS Dobfar" (closing down in 2004)
And more confusingly in 2010 to "The Four Rivers Energy Company".

http://www.riv4ers.com/our_first_project.html

So, I'm assuming thats what it was when it finally closed, however I can't find out exactly when it closed.
Still researching as much as possible but thought i'd throw in an update (for anyone else that looks at this thread.... may be a little late now).


----------



## the|td4 (Jul 8, 2013)

I'm pretty darn local to this, and I was thinking that the site was secured by a camera net and patrolled by "security" blokes, you weren't there on saturday?


----------



## perjury saint (Jul 8, 2013)

*That is BOSS!! *


----------



## Dissimulate (Jul 9, 2013)

the|td4 said:


> I'm pretty darn local to this, and I was thinking that the site was secured by a camera net and patrolled by "security" blokes, you weren't there on saturday?



Not a Saturday no, how local are you? I'd like a return explore at some point soon if anyone local fancies it.


----------



## the|td4 (Jul 13, 2013)

Dissimulate said:


> Not a Saturday no, how local are you? I'd like a return explore at some point soon if anyone local fancies it.



I just live a few miles up the road it's a five minute journey for me.

I was poking around the edge of the site because someone had told me there might be and old bottle tip which I had a mind to go and look for, but when I got there the pathway was like trying to make your way through the rainforest without a machete and I gave up. On my way back I was looking through the fence mulling it over and I saw three guys on the roof of that office building staring about the place one in high vis so I thought the place must surely be patrolled by stern faced guards etc


----------

