After one of the false starts trying to complete Fort Darnet (when we accidentally broke a part of the engine) Liam and me were stuck for something to do, so I suggested going here. I was aware of this place, it closed properly last year and following a report on another forum I thought it was high time I paid the place a visit so off we went.
I've shamelessly stolen the history from the website of the company who are auctioning off all the equipment that's in there.
It is being stripped out quite fast, loads of the equipment was packed and labelled ready to go, but equally so there's a lot still there. It's only a small place really, just one massive shed, but as industry goes it's not bad at all.
On with some photos.
The front part is very stripped as that line has been dismantled ready to be sold.
Loved this, mainly for the counterweight for the door.
Now at this point I must add we had probably only been in the building for around 20 minutes, and had just entered a smaller space at the back with some big lathes and a load of boxed up machinery in. A timely glance towards the entrance and I saw a pair of legs walking in our direction, oh dear were we seen going in? Time was not on our side, and we had to find somewhere to hide pretty sharpish as he was getting close to where he would be able to see us. So we picked this blue shed.
Yep, no door and full of the sort of noisy crap that you really don't want on the floor when you're trying not to make a noise. He passed us no more than 6 feet away , had he glanced back then he would have clearly seen me, but he didn't. We wait for 10 minutes, and cautiously exit our hiding place. The place appeared deserted again, and we walk around the section we were in taking a few more photos.
Bits of metal still on the lathes, they really had just downed tools and left.
Then Liam peers through a hole in the wall, and it was at that moment we realised the person was still in the building right at the other end from where we were, and he appeared to be re-arranging things - we had put the noises we could hear down to the fact the wind had picked up and the building wasn't exactly the most structurally intact ever.
So we go and find somewhere else to loiter for a bit which turned out to be a store room full of mainly drive belts.
15 more minutes and we go and have another look, still there. We wait and we wait some more. Eventually we stop hearing noises and go for another look and hey presto this time the coast is clear and we can finish what we came to do.
This was about the only shot I really wanted to get from the end of the machine looking back.
And lastly on the way out, we pop into the control room.
Was a funny few hours spent in here, and it started pissing it down while we were there so we got soaked through on the way back to the car.
Thanks for looking!
Maniac.
I've shamelessly stolen the history from the website of the company who are auctioning off all the equipment that's in there.
You can read more here if you're interested. http://www.cjmasset.com/2013/08/merchant-bar-mill-located-at-queenborough-kent/
It is being stripped out quite fast, loads of the equipment was packed and labelled ready to go, but equally so there's a lot still there. It's only a small place really, just one massive shed, but as industry goes it's not bad at all.
On with some photos.
The front part is very stripped as that line has been dismantled ready to be sold.
Loved this, mainly for the counterweight for the door.
Now at this point I must add we had probably only been in the building for around 20 minutes, and had just entered a smaller space at the back with some big lathes and a load of boxed up machinery in. A timely glance towards the entrance and I saw a pair of legs walking in our direction, oh dear were we seen going in? Time was not on our side, and we had to find somewhere to hide pretty sharpish as he was getting close to where he would be able to see us. So we picked this blue shed.
Yep, no door and full of the sort of noisy crap that you really don't want on the floor when you're trying not to make a noise. He passed us no more than 6 feet away
, had he glanced back then he would have clearly seen me, but he didn't. We wait for 10 minutes, and cautiously exit our hiding place. The place appeared deserted again, and we walk around the section we were in taking a few more photos.
Bits of metal still on the lathes, they really had just downed tools and left.
Then Liam peers through a hole in the wall, and it was at that moment we realised the person was still in the building right at the other end from where we were, and he appeared to be re-arranging things - we had put the noises we could hear down to the fact the wind had picked up and the building wasn't exactly the most structurally intact ever.
So we go and find somewhere else to loiter for a bit which turned out to be a store room full of mainly drive belts.
15 more minutes and we go and have another look, still there. We wait and we wait some more. Eventually we stop hearing noises and go for another look and hey presto this time the coast is clear and we can finish what we came to do.
This was about the only shot I really wanted to get from the end of the machine looking back.
And lastly on the way out, we pop into the control room.
Was a funny few hours spent in here, and it started pissing it down while we were there so we got soaked through on the way back to the car.
Thanks for looking!
Maniac.
