The saw mill was built and in use since the late 1900's, it is one of several in the immediate area, as there are a lot of woods round and about.
Situated on a country lane ideal for horses and carts to deliver and collect their loads, later it had it's own narrow gauge rail line(now long gone, as is the main line) that connected to the main line in the nearby village of Ellesmere.
It is situated on a lovely lake, known locally as a mere, and back in the day I guess it was equipped with steam powered machinery, and like the rail track long gone to be replaced by what was modern in it's day.
The actual building is listed as being of historical importance, it cannot be demolished nor repurposed without long expensive legal arguments, so it will just sit here and continue to deteriorate, such is the stupidity of Uk legislation, no one benefits....except the Urbex mad world.
As yet it is not on the tour bus route, who will turn up and kick down the doors, that were padlocked to gain entry.
How did I get in?
C'mon
let's mooch
Loving all things industrial the old crane now rusting and the train tracks just visible, oh how I wish I could time-travel.
Wandering around, brambles and undergrowth reclaiming the land
The majestic chimney constructed of local brick, a mix of red and yellow, its lightning conductor still strapped to the facade.
Never give up, good things come to those that wait, patience is a virtue.
Can you see it?
Can you?
That gap twixt brick and Cornish Thatch?
Yup, come on, let's go.
Well that was fun, the gap is a bit larger now as a couple of layers of bricks came down with me; whats a 4ft drop between friends, handy really as I can build them up and use them as a platform to help me get out.
Oh these could be fun, fuck me it's like an SAS recruitment test.
There was one longish workshop, where the trees would be rough cut to customer requests
Wonderful vintage machinery,
Trimming off the bark and slicing the trunks into planks and beams with a variety of circular saws, 18" up to 32"
Mother nature does not wait for an invite, her children reclaim the land at her bequest.
I wonder how many fingers and hands were sliced off? Rudimentary guarding affording adequate(?)protection.
The narrow gauge bogeys, are they fitted with an extended wheel base to accommodate access to the standard branch line?
A circular chop saw used to cut to length, fitted at 90 degrees to the work bench
A lovely old push me pull me saw for when there was a power cut!
As well as the workshop, a couple of rooms of to the side for I guess storage and maintenance
Assorted tools, still laying where they were placed by the last man to use them
Before the days of vent extraction, just pick of a blower to shift the dust, love it that the guy is actually wearing a collar and tie!!!
My kind of engineering document, from 1952, measurements in wonderful feet and inches, pounds and ounces, non of this metric bollocks that has been sneaked in to Uk society.
Hand written, all calculated without any fancy equipment, probably just a man a watch and a stick. So precise, pump for exactly 8 3/4 hours the water depth is 7feet and holds 20,250 gallons. I love it.
"Everything works better when well lubed up" as the actress once said to the bishop.
So, all done here, no time to hang around.
Thanks for visiting my page, I am pleased to make your acquaintance. this is Stephen aka, @grindle, happily retired, travelling the world snapping away. My weapon of choice is currently a Nikon Z6(2).
Unless stated all images are shot by me, all text is mine based on various info sources. NOT AI generated.
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