The Lone Ranger
Well-known member
Chisworth Works (E.P Bray & Co), Glossop, September 2012
History (plagiarised from Zer081’s report).
Chisworth Works was built at the end of the 18th or in the early 19th centuries as a cotton band manufactory and initially called Higher Mill. There are large round-arched doorways surrounded by large ashlar blocks in the north-east elevation. However, it appears as though the original building was extended twice to the rear, also in stone, as there are lines in the mortarwork and mismatches in the courses on the south-west elevation. Presumably, these extensions took place before 1857 as the building line remains the same on the maps until 1973.
By 1973, the site was used as a dyeing works and there was a large T-shaped extension at the rear which appears to have been added in two stages. The building at the north-eastern end had gone and any gardens in front of the cottages had been covered over for the yard. The only change ten years later was the construction of a square loading ramp at the front. The outline today is the same as it was in 1984.
The company started "winding-up" in 2006 and was dissolved/liquidised and closed in September that year.
My Visit
It’s been on my list of places to visit for a bit; and due to my current cripple state looked like an ideal venue to spend an hour or 2. I just made it in as the heavens opened thankfully, drains started flowing, down pipes emptied the water into the building and streams of water fell through the many holes in the roof.
I liked this part of the works; looks like a row of brick terraces within the more recently built section, the down pipes even ran down these. This appears to be what was the offices, mess room, locker room as well as the laboratories.
It was that good I took a few photos as the rain soaked me from the holes in the roof.
Most of the building had long been stripped of anything interesting or metal items; this graffiti did make me smile.
Another body was found in the next room.
A quick trip back outside allowed me access to some areas I’d not been to’ but quickly found out they were joined to where I’d been by a stair well that I’d somehow missed!
From this point on things got a little strange; a couple of loud bangs from below made me think I wasn’t alone in here; then there were some pretty convincing owl calls. I continued on but was slightly on edge.
My visit to the laboratories was quick as I had no idea who else was in the building, even if there was someone else in; another loud bang again made me edgy and cut short the end of my explore.
Passed this on the way out, the old clock carding machine is one of the few bits on interest left in the buildings.
Back in some open space I had a look around to see if I could locate my noisy owls, couldn’t see anyone or any footprints on the dry concrete floors in the buildings. I finished of the visit with a tour of the cottages which are now pretty trashed inside.
Well that was it, a nice wee mooch even with the owls.
Cheers,
TLR
History (plagiarised from Zer081’s report).
Chisworth Works was built at the end of the 18th or in the early 19th centuries as a cotton band manufactory and initially called Higher Mill. There are large round-arched doorways surrounded by large ashlar blocks in the north-east elevation. However, it appears as though the original building was extended twice to the rear, also in stone, as there are lines in the mortarwork and mismatches in the courses on the south-west elevation. Presumably, these extensions took place before 1857 as the building line remains the same on the maps until 1973.
By 1973, the site was used as a dyeing works and there was a large T-shaped extension at the rear which appears to have been added in two stages. The building at the north-eastern end had gone and any gardens in front of the cottages had been covered over for the yard. The only change ten years later was the construction of a square loading ramp at the front. The outline today is the same as it was in 1984.
The company started "winding-up" in 2006 and was dissolved/liquidised and closed in September that year.
My Visit
It’s been on my list of places to visit for a bit; and due to my current cripple state looked like an ideal venue to spend an hour or 2. I just made it in as the heavens opened thankfully, drains started flowing, down pipes emptied the water into the building and streams of water fell through the many holes in the roof.
I liked this part of the works; looks like a row of brick terraces within the more recently built section, the down pipes even ran down these. This appears to be what was the offices, mess room, locker room as well as the laboratories.
It was that good I took a few photos as the rain soaked me from the holes in the roof.
Most of the building had long been stripped of anything interesting or metal items; this graffiti did make me smile.
Another body was found in the next room.
A quick trip back outside allowed me access to some areas I’d not been to’ but quickly found out they were joined to where I’d been by a stair well that I’d somehow missed!
From this point on things got a little strange; a couple of loud bangs from below made me think I wasn’t alone in here; then there were some pretty convincing owl calls. I continued on but was slightly on edge.
My visit to the laboratories was quick as I had no idea who else was in the building, even if there was someone else in; another loud bang again made me edgy and cut short the end of my explore.
Passed this on the way out, the old clock carding machine is one of the few bits on interest left in the buildings.
Back in some open space I had a look around to see if I could locate my noisy owls, couldn’t see anyone or any footprints on the dry concrete floors in the buildings. I finished of the visit with a tour of the cottages which are now pretty trashed inside.
Well that was it, a nice wee mooch even with the owls.
Cheers,
TLR
