- Joined
- Oct 19, 2015
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Merry Christmas everyone! :-D Hope you've all had good 'uns
A little history on the place to begin with -
Fullers’ earth consists essentially of the clay mineral calcium montmorillonite. While montmorillonite is widely distributed in rocks, clays and soils in small amounts, it is found in a pure form only in a relatively small number of commercially exploitable deposits. The mineral has a soft and soapy texture and is highly absorptive. Industrial uses for the material include the refining of edible oils, the manufacture of foundry mouldings, agricultural fertilizers, pesticides, animal feedstuffs, animal litter, oil well drilling muds, industrial absorbents and in various civil engineering and pharmaceutical applications.
The fullers’ earth industry in the UK has, historically, been dominated by the Laporte Earths group based at their processing and extraction site at Redhill, Surrey.
The Copyhold Works at Redhill was established in 1860 and supplied materials for the woollen trade, and by 1920 it was supplying the Southern Oil Company, British Glues and Chemicals Ltd and Prices Patent Candles Company. Laporte Industries bought the firm in 1954, during this period it was employing over 780 workers. Production increased and new kilns, granulators, blungers and silos were installed along with large warehouses and multi-layered flooring. A large quarry to the east of the site existed to mine the clay, which left the landscape looking rather surreal with its vast drifts of exposed brown reddish clay, hence it been used to film some of alien scenes of the 70’s series of Dr Who.
During the 1980’s the factory was sending its earth products worldwide. However by the mid 90’s the demand for Fullers Earth was falling as other countries could produce and transport the product more cheaply. By 1997 the factory had ceased operations and the mining of the red earth was over for Redhill. The 119 acre site was purchased by a landfill company Biffa Waste Services after the clay processing ceased, then the site was used as a waste transfer station until it became derelict a couple of years later.
Copied from various places on the interwebs
The explore -
Another day of exploring with @TheVampiricSquid This was more of an afterthought to our main aim for the day which was sadly cut short in the middle of the first shot by security, but a pretty nice wander regardless and worth the little loop out of the way. I definitely was not wearing the right footwear and returned to the car with more mud than shoe on my feet! and we didn't spend all too long here partly due to the miserable weather
Got a little bit of a shock as well when two other explorers popped up, had a quick chat before going on our way :car: My first handful of industrial sites in one day, and I really quite like all the pipes and machinery, made for a fab day, despite the rather unsuccessful morning…
On with some photos
A little history on the place to begin with -
Fullers’ earth consists essentially of the clay mineral calcium montmorillonite. While montmorillonite is widely distributed in rocks, clays and soils in small amounts, it is found in a pure form only in a relatively small number of commercially exploitable deposits. The mineral has a soft and soapy texture and is highly absorptive. Industrial uses for the material include the refining of edible oils, the manufacture of foundry mouldings, agricultural fertilizers, pesticides, animal feedstuffs, animal litter, oil well drilling muds, industrial absorbents and in various civil engineering and pharmaceutical applications.
The fullers’ earth industry in the UK has, historically, been dominated by the Laporte Earths group based at their processing and extraction site at Redhill, Surrey.
The Copyhold Works at Redhill was established in 1860 and supplied materials for the woollen trade, and by 1920 it was supplying the Southern Oil Company, British Glues and Chemicals Ltd and Prices Patent Candles Company. Laporte Industries bought the firm in 1954, during this period it was employing over 780 workers. Production increased and new kilns, granulators, blungers and silos were installed along with large warehouses and multi-layered flooring. A large quarry to the east of the site existed to mine the clay, which left the landscape looking rather surreal with its vast drifts of exposed brown reddish clay, hence it been used to film some of alien scenes of the 70’s series of Dr Who.
During the 1980’s the factory was sending its earth products worldwide. However by the mid 90’s the demand for Fullers Earth was falling as other countries could produce and transport the product more cheaply. By 1997 the factory had ceased operations and the mining of the red earth was over for Redhill. The 119 acre site was purchased by a landfill company Biffa Waste Services after the clay processing ceased, then the site was used as a waste transfer station until it became derelict a couple of years later.
Copied from various places on the interwebs
The explore -
Another day of exploring with @TheVampiricSquid This was more of an afterthought to our main aim for the day which was sadly cut short in the middle of the first shot by security, but a pretty nice wander regardless and worth the little loop out of the way. I definitely was not wearing the right footwear and returned to the car with more mud than shoe on my feet! and we didn't spend all too long here partly due to the miserable weather
Got a little bit of a shock as well when two other explorers popped up, had a quick chat before going on our way :car: My first handful of industrial sites in one day, and I really quite like all the pipes and machinery, made for a fab day, despite the rather unsuccessful morning… On with some photos
