# Hartford End brewery, Essex, April '12



## prettyvacant71 (May 1, 2012)

Hello folks!
This is my first report, won’t go into how many times vie attempted, but thanks to advice from Admin and Urbex-SW this one just maybe successfully uploaded, so here goes...with a little history...

The TD Ridleys and Sons brewery was built in 1842 in a small hamlet about 6 miles from Chelmsford, and brewed its last pint in 2006. The family business of flour milling and malting was founded by Thomas Dixon Ridley and in 1906 Charles Ernest Ridley took over and formed a limited company. During its operation of over 160 yrs the classic “tower type” brewery was one of the most picturesque of its kind, with the square brick chimney being a familiar local landmark. Ridleys were known as “The Essex Brewer” with their bull mascot a familiar site outside Essex pubs. Hops and barley grown in the surrounding fields mixed with the local liquor (water) from the springs supplying the adjacent River Chelmer were the main ingredients for brewing the various ales and beers which supplied all of Essex. The brewery owned all but 3 residences in the hamlet which provided housing for its employees.
I first visited the site 2 yrs ago after reading in a local paper that it were to be redeveloped into housing, which makes a change from demolishing it and plonking some faceless flats on it. I went back this month curious to see how it looked but was surprised to see that hardly anything had changed...a few more missing roof slates which had let the rain in speeding up the rot on the timber making some of the stairs a bit dodgy inside. Maybe its rural location has helped prevent it from becoming totally trashed, as I’ve made several visits and never been disturbed so makes for a nice chilled explore, no sneaking about...makes a change!







Green King bought out Ridleys and then closed it down...I guess that’s how they dealt with the competition. I get a feeling from some of the locals that worked there that there’s still a lot of bitter feelings about it.






Inside the pitched roves is a large warehouse and cellar, the “blue shed” used for hoisting up the grain into the various different levels inside the small brewery






2 pairs of workers cottages sit next to one of the newer warehouses






The docking bay where the beer kegs left the cellar for deliveries






Dozens of doves and pigeons sat on these roves until I pulled me camera out...take note wear decent boots the shite is deep in places





One of the Ridleys daughters painted the mural on the storeroom





















To the left are the stables that use to house the pair of draught horses before trucks were used for deliveries, the small black building on the right is the Clockhouse pub used by the employees and visitors on the brewery tours...and to the right of that the winner of the most unsympathetic extension, a nasty new build of bright yellow bricks with ugly blue UPVC windows, I don’t know how it got past the first planning stage!






Ah! By the looks of the certain visitors this may have been how the planning got through! It’s good to know that folk’s taxes are spent on valuable team building exercises 






To the left is another warehouse pretty dark inside...beware of 6ft deep very narrow flooded pits, almost like vertical coffins! I nearly walked head first into one, if it weren’t for one of me tripod legs disappearing into it id probably still be there...that woke me up abit! But seriously watch out for them cause parts were flooded and they are proper hidden.






This is the warehouse that from the outside has the “blue shed”, (it must have a proper name) attached to it, and the actual brewing is done in the raised white wooden box type structure...its rather deceiving as it has many different rooms and levels inside






The copper fermenting vessels were sold off after the place shut down






On a couple of the visits I bumped into an ex employee who worked there from 1958 right up until its closure, he was a great old boy that gave me a verbal tour...I don’t think he could face actually going inside, he still seemed upset at how it came to an end as he’d spent all of his working life there.






There’s something about ducting and piping, i fink im abit weird!






COSHH Regs...stack em high and run before they blow






They just don’t make switches like they use to??











The “mash tuns”











Inside that “blue shed”






The old boy I’ve bumped into told me how some guys heard that the place was closing and came into the brewery and tried to nick the copper vessels whilst the place was still operating and they were full of booze...they left empty handed that day!






The top level






One of the storerooms






The Clockhouse pub bar






Inside the Clockhouse pub
















As it’s such a chilled out place I thought I’d go back and try out a bit of wire wool burning as I’ve not done it before...it had been raining for a couple of days so the place was wet, and I moved anything that could poss catch alight, I wouldn’t want to read in the paper that the place was now a pile of smouldering bricks!

im gona press "submit" fingers crossed!

OOOOO!!! i just previewed it and the pics came up for the first time!! this maybe the one!! i fink ive just done a little wee....tooo much info?? u dont wana know how long dis took...be 'appy for me!


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## Tanner (May 1, 2012)

Good report and some good pictures too


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## UE-OMJ (May 1, 2012)

Excellent first report


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## nelly (May 1, 2012)

Very nice mate, nice little place and some cracking photos


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## Priority 7 (May 1, 2012)

superb chap nice work


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## abel101 (May 1, 2012)

liking the chickens!  
good explore this!


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## UEP-Wales (May 1, 2012)

I'm glad I could be of some help to you posting this amazing report! I love the rooftop shot 

I keep meaning to get out and do some steel wool shots, I've got tons of the stuff here but it's just ended up being one of those things that get held off for some reasons! Love your shot though


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## mookster (May 1, 2012)

That's cool that, not seen it before


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## flyboys90 (May 1, 2012)

Cracking report and photos,thanks for sharing.


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## John_D (May 1, 2012)

Great report and pics, will get easier each time you post


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## sparky. (May 1, 2012)

great report and pics love the last one thanks for sharing


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## UrbanX (May 2, 2012)

Impressive first report! Thanks for sharing.


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## alex76 (May 2, 2012)

what a cracking report would of never thought you had never posted before really nice shots too mate i would be proud of that bunch
i also have also yet to try the wire wool burning p7 did tell me how to do it but yet to try. so well done mate look forward to your next one.


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## krela (May 2, 2012)

Great job! Thanks for persevering and taking the time to post.


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## Lost_In_Normandy (May 4, 2012)

Most excellent! Wish my first report was as good as that! Consider your induction complete! 

Great pictures and well written write up, love some of your aspects.

Looking forward to number #2 now!


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## KingRat (May 4, 2012)

Really nice 1st report. An interesting read and some good images, thanks.


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## UE-OMJ (May 5, 2012)

I popped to see this place on the way back from another explore this morning. Seems all access is gone now  All doors/windows are firmly shut, many big screws in all doors into the frames making access impossible (for me anyway).

Gutted 

Steve


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## onthebusescrazy (May 5, 2012)

Great Find There mate i love the chickens sitting in the pub


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## prettyvacant71 (May 8, 2012)

THANKS EVERYONE for bothering to write such nice comments, much appreciated folks!!


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## night crawler (May 8, 2012)

What can I say great report.


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