Explored with -Raz-
Up untill today i had absolutely no idea what this place was other than an industrial wasteland, and then i stumbled across a report of it on 28DL - Jackpot MADMAX i dont know who you are but you have proved very helpful in helping me find some info, ta!
Background;
In 1842 Isaac Reckitt, a Quaker, moved from Nottingham to Kingston upon Hull in order to rent a small starch factory in Dansom Lane in the city, and to set up the company known as Reckitt & Sons. Starch was used as a stiffening agent for newly-washed cotton shirts, pillow cases and tablecloths. In its first ten years, therefore, Reckitt & Sons' factory was manufacturing one laundry product. In 1852 it began to produce another one.
Fabrics made from natural fibres such as cotton turn unattractively yellow as they get older, probably as the result of oxidation. Reckitt & Sons hit on the idea of adding a very blue colour to the fabric, so that the fibres would reflect both yellow and blue light. When yellow light and blue light are mixed, white light results. The reflected white light makes the fabric appear to be white and the blue colouring matter was therefore acting as a whitening (or brightening) agent for the fibres. Reckitt's product, sold as laundry blue or dolly blue (the washing tub to which the colorant was added, was called a "dolly tub"), consisted of a mixture of synthetic ultramarine and bicarbonate of soda (sodium hydrogencarbonate), packed in a little cotton bag containing a wooden rod to allow it easily to be taken from the hot washing water. Reckitt's Blue soon outsold the original laundry starch and the other products of the Dansom Lane works which included stove blacking, boot polishes and metal polishes such as 'Brasso', and the little cotton bags were on sale for many years until the 1950s when they were replaced by the organic compounds called optical brighteners. The paper industry still uses ultramarine in making good quality white paper. The natural yellow colour of cellulose in the paper is eliminated by the blue pigment in exactly the same way as Reckitt's Blue acted as a cotton whitener.
Plant closed in 2007/8 - Cant find an exact date
Explore;
After a day of mishing around rat infested Rank Hovis, we went for a general drive round to see what we could find. Saw this big old chimney and we really couldnt say no to having a snoop around! the site is currently being used as some kind of waste facility. With huge pipes rinning around the site we were expecting some kind of Pyestock MK 2... however we were sadly dissapointed and looking at MADMAX's report it appears we came far too late and most of what he saw was gone, including the steps up the chimney :sad: Still a fun climb around and i got some decent shots
Photos;
If you got this far, thanks for looking
Up untill today i had absolutely no idea what this place was other than an industrial wasteland, and then i stumbled across a report of it on 28DL - Jackpot MADMAX i dont know who you are but you have proved very helpful in helping me find some info, ta!
Background;
In 1842 Isaac Reckitt, a Quaker, moved from Nottingham to Kingston upon Hull in order to rent a small starch factory in Dansom Lane in the city, and to set up the company known as Reckitt & Sons. Starch was used as a stiffening agent for newly-washed cotton shirts, pillow cases and tablecloths. In its first ten years, therefore, Reckitt & Sons' factory was manufacturing one laundry product. In 1852 it began to produce another one.
Fabrics made from natural fibres such as cotton turn unattractively yellow as they get older, probably as the result of oxidation. Reckitt & Sons hit on the idea of adding a very blue colour to the fabric, so that the fibres would reflect both yellow and blue light. When yellow light and blue light are mixed, white light results. The reflected white light makes the fabric appear to be white and the blue colouring matter was therefore acting as a whitening (or brightening) agent for the fibres. Reckitt's product, sold as laundry blue or dolly blue (the washing tub to which the colorant was added, was called a "dolly tub"), consisted of a mixture of synthetic ultramarine and bicarbonate of soda (sodium hydrogencarbonate), packed in a little cotton bag containing a wooden rod to allow it easily to be taken from the hot washing water. Reckitt's Blue soon outsold the original laundry starch and the other products of the Dansom Lane works which included stove blacking, boot polishes and metal polishes such as 'Brasso', and the little cotton bags were on sale for many years until the 1950s when they were replaced by the organic compounds called optical brighteners. The paper industry still uses ultramarine in making good quality white paper. The natural yellow colour of cellulose in the paper is eliminated by the blue pigment in exactly the same way as Reckitt's Blue acted as a cotton whitener.
Plant closed in 2007/8 - Cant find an exact date
Explore;
After a day of mishing around rat infested Rank Hovis, we went for a general drive round to see what we could find. Saw this big old chimney and we really couldnt say no to having a snoop around! the site is currently being used as some kind of waste facility. With huge pipes rinning around the site we were expecting some kind of Pyestock MK 2... however we were sadly dissapointed and looking at MADMAX's report it appears we came far too late and most of what he saw was gone, including the steps up the chimney :sad: Still a fun climb around and i got some decent shots
Photos;
If you got this far, thanks for looking
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