[meth]

Brief History

Owned by Robert Fletcher and when it was open it was a dominant presence in the village. Located in an otherwise very rural area, combined with the large amount of other land owned allowed the company to develop private housing and leisure facilities, including tennis courts and a bowling green and as the facilities were grouped around the private road leading to the mill from the Clarence Hotel, a very pleasant environment was created.

It made paper, ciggeratte paper and the thin type of paper used in bibles and other books.

It became the companys primary production site when the Stoneclough site was closed with the loss of 200 jobs in 2001, but closed shortly after.

Visit 1: August 2007

i'd like to thank ThenewMendoza for some handy hints given back in August!

Having wanting to do this site for a while, and still without a car, I was eager to get there however possible. The first time we headed out to Fletchers, I went with my brother and some friends. We got a little bit lost, not knowing exactly where we going or what to expect when we got there. By the time we got into the factory, the light had faded. We had torches, but after a very brief look around we decieded it was a bda idea to carry on and headed home. A successful recee.

Visit 2: October 2007

Knowing the area quite well, I returned. Much earlier in the day, plenty of light this time. Once inside, I could hear running water and there were gauges on machines still reading values. This place was still live. I climbed up the gantrys and looked round the machines, I had no idea how these machines worked or even what they did in the process of making paper - but i was fasicnated. Found a newspaper from 2001, this place had been empty for 6 years - it didn't feel like it.

Into another room now, strange looking contraptions. This room was large, near enough silent, just a couple of pidgeons flying around. It lead onto a production floor type room, initially quite weary of walking into this one. There were noises coming from , I could hear a transforming humming and electricity arc'ing from one place to antoher.. and I was about to step on metal platform, with a puddle on it.

It was quite an eerie room, I was stood looking at industrial paper rollers, mixing vessles, chemical pipes, xray machines.. I shouldn't be there, looking at all that. Spent a while in there, taking in all there was to see - buttons, pipes and valves all over the place.

From there into the offices, a bit of water damage on the stairways but other than that it looked like people had just left for the day and would be back to work in the morning. A couple of the doors were unlocked, so we had a look peoples desks with post cards and pictures on the walls. No damage to the place, though it had been closed for 6 years.

I can't beleive the condition of this place, in most places it just looks like the staff have gone home for the weekend and will be back to work on monday. Power still on to most of the site, boxes buzzing and clicking, water rushing through other bits. Only real damage is a bit of damp, and near the offices part of the roof has come in and made a bit of mess.

onto some pictures.

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3> copy of the Star from 2001


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5> i'm quite interested to know how all this worked, so if anyone has any handy paper making links..


6> there was paper covering everything in here though. wonder what the air was like when all this was running


7> was quite eerie walking into this room, there was equipment buzzing and there insectocuter things on the ceiling, arc'ing away.


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12> well equipped, with mouldy banananana and a dead bird in the sink..


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15> quick stop to do some important paperwork.


only left because light was begining to fade. a very fun explore. i'm still a newbie and this is only my second industrial site but i think it'll be hard to top.

[meth]

Visit 3: November 2007

went back, and found lot's of bits we'd missed the first time. i left the 10-20 alone most of the time, and played around with the kit lens - so there aren't as many wide shots showing the scale of the place, i was more concentrating on smaller detail. i won't give any background, you all know this place now!

1> Gas Supply is still live



2> there are a few parts still running, like this pump



3> and these readouts



4> found the canteen



5> and a menu



6> partially constructed tank / machine. there was a poster up, "C machine Rebuild"



7> part of the tank



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9> made our way into the ventillation system, james bond style. hehe



10> plenty of notices like this around



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12> i like this little clock face. normally see battery powered bits on clocks that kinda size



13> a super dangerous cut off button for stopping chlorine escaping.



14> found the death star, i did wonder where that one was hiding!



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16> guess this was to help when moving fork lifts around



17> i still love these orange things



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20> company initials on the teaspoons



21> finally a shot from outside




Further pictures;

http://urban404.net/fletchers_gallery.php