# Dudfleet Mills, Wakefield, April 2013



## Wakey Lad (Apr 28, 2013)

At the start of the first industrial revolution, spinning and cloth manufacture boomed at Dudfleet The nearby River Calder provided the power for the mills, this would have been by water wheel prior to the instillation of steam engines in 1795. The mills, which are documented at this time as Race’s Mill were central to an uprising by workers that same year. They objected to the implementation of new textile machinery and the factory system. Luddites, who blamed the new factories for depriving weavers from earning a living in a time of widespread hunger and poverty, destroyed the nearby Fosters Mill. It is also documented the Appointment of a cloth searcher, Certificate appointing Joseph Roberts of Horbury, clothier, to be searcher and measurer of woollen broad cloths at Dudfleet in 1797. 

The Mill remains, however, various phases of rebuilding has left little of the original building (much of the original section backs onto the river bank to the rear of the building). Part of the site that remains today appears to have been built during the 1950s/60s, prior to scaling down of operations at the site. More recently, the building was used by Fur Fabrics, they used the site for preparation and spin of various textiles, before closing in 2005. In July of 2011, arsonists set fire to the derelict mill, at the height of the blaze Fire Crews from Ossett, Dewsbury and Wakefield stations attended, specialist equipment also had to be drafted in from Mirfield to bring the fire under control. 

Not much left to shout about here, it is pretty trashed, but it’s something new.


























































Thanks for looking​


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## flyboys90 (Apr 28, 2013)

Your right about been trashed! but still great photos.


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## Wakey Lad (Apr 28, 2013)

Well it got me out of going to the mother in laws for dinner so it was worth a look 


flyboys90 said:


> Your right about been trashed! but still great photos.


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## TK421 (Apr 28, 2013)

Excellent set of photos there mate, I like the de saturated feel to them.


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## HughieD (Apr 29, 2013)

Well trashed but fantastic pictures Wakey Lad. Thanks for sharing.


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## ZerO81 (Apr 29, 2013)

Lovely stuff mate, looks alright does that.

I see the processing has evolved a little too - I am liking it


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## sonyes (Apr 29, 2013)

Superb pics as always bud


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## demon-pap (Apr 30, 2013)

excellent explore thanks for sharing.


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## Stussy (Apr 30, 2013)

Nice set of pics, really nice looking derp!


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## UrbanX (May 1, 2013)

Stunning photos sir! Nice bit of history too, cheers for sharing!


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## Wakey Lad (May 1, 2013)

ZerO81 said:


> Lovely stuff mate, looks alright does that.
> 
> I see the processing has evolved a little too - I am liking it



I'm always messing around with the processing - Never happy with them though lol!


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## Wakey Lad (May 1, 2013)

UrbanX said:


> Stunning photos sir! Nice bit of history too, cheers for sharing!



Cheers fella - I like local explores, for some reason I feel more inclined to do some proper research on the sites instead of just throwing a few photos up


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