Report - Robert Fletchers Boiler House, Greenfield 11/24

[TalkingMask]

Figured I’d do a report as filling an old thread with new photos isn’t exactly worthwhile

It was nice to get back here again after so long but it’s sad to see the state of the whole place, especially recognising little bits in the rubble here and there. Going through the whole place is fairly easy as you can see any secca patrolling from pretty much across the whole site, but it also means they can see you just as easily

Went here about a week ago on a solo run, figured I had nothing to do with my day and honestly didn’t expect to see much but Lord what I did manage to see was stunning. Visited again today to get some photos and see what I’ve missed, it was lovely to go into some areas that clearly very little people have visited, especially parts of the turbine building and the electrician’s workshop/office.

Unfortunately both time I’ve visited, the day got dark early so the photos will be quite dark as bumping the exposure up seemed to ruin them, so hopefully the photos are good enough this time 🙏

Onto it

Wasteland
When I say nothing is left of the main structure, I mean it. If you walk through it all you’ll find little remnants that you’ll recognise if you’ve visited a fair bit like me, like little conveyors or old Morris crane frames dotted about the rubble, and what is funny is the big digesters (BALLS) are left behind and stand out like a sore thumb

The back of the digester hall crane. Very sad

Part of the rollers from the roller hall I believe? There were loads of these in the rubble

BALLS

Found this in the rubble, it’s strangely poetic?

Electricians Workshop

Im assuming so at least. I loved looking through the paperwork and seeing all the tools, gauges and parts left behind, a couple little surprises inside too!

Toilet and washroom, this was really interesting as I love the round sinks in the middle

Microwave, found out the hard way it still dings which was a bit too loud for comfort

Office inside, lots of paperwork and stunning gauges dotted about the room

TV!

This I loved, it’s the schematics for the larger paper rollers in the now-gone modern section. This was lovely! Was tempted to fold them and take them but I figured I’d leave it for someone more interested in it

Workshop

WOAH

Workbench and parts

Chemical in a bottle, take a shot anyone?

Turbine Hall

This was probably my second favourite part of the place bested by the boiler house, I loved the old fashioned platform, the notes along the walls, the big glass windows, the Morris manual crane that had been converted to electric, it was stunning. Reminded me fairly of the boiler house at Eva Brothers. Ended up bringing secca out of their cabin when I thought it would be a good idea to pull the controls along the crane, forgot how loud the carriage for them are lol

The electric addon, I love how it has been converted as it is a very old gantry, but with a modern engine attached, it was stunning

Very old papers

Into the workshop. I love manual hoists, especially as this one worked a little bit

Onto the upper floor but I don’t think people have been up here at all, there was so little evidence of people visiting it, which was amazing. It was so untouched, but the floor had begun to fall through so be cautious if you go. I especially loved here how the machines still work, had a bit of fun with that, I also wish I got more photos

To be continued

 

[TalkingMask]

Boiler House

Photos don’t do this justice at all. It was stunning in here and I feel it was a waste h the at I visited when it was so dark without a torch, the massive boiler fronts, the paint peel, the gauges and dials everywhere, big vent covers dangling still from hoists, it was incredible

Up we go

A massive dial board

I need to get back here either earlier in the day, or with a torch

Twattery with a chainsaw

Absolutely incredible, at this point though it had gotten too dark to stick around, especially without any lights, and just as we left we saw a torch coming around the corner so we knew it was time to take out leave. We definitely enjoyed the colours of the sky though

As much as I’d love to have that as the end, I have little miscellaneous things to add in just for anyone interested

The reservoir for the mill

A very older manual Morris hoist, still left mid use

The water filtration tank is still there too funnily enough, although I couldn’t get into the building next to it unfortunately

And even after all this, the car is still in it’s shed

 

[Mikeymutt]

Sad to see the mangled machinery. But great to see the workshop, and I really liked your in depth explore of the turbine hall. That sink definitely reminds me of the one at the Universal Grinding Company. I wonder if quite a few industrial workplaces had them. I can't say I have seen many in pics of places. Sure others could enlighten me.

 

[JaffaTB]

This place will always have a special spot in my heart I absolutely loved it, the location in the middle of all the hills and the feeling once you had made it inside without being rumbled, all that factory to yourself It did lose a bit of shine after it got easier to access but still one of if not my favorite ever, each visit you found a new area or spotted something you missed the previous time such a shame its gone, I've got a feeling its just going to be left in the state its in now with all the machinery mostly gone and no progress for a while


That new area is a cracker, pretty much untouched and there are some real treasures in there, it was fun exploring a new unseen part of a well known classic


Good report you got some quality photos in there

I wonder what happened to that land rover?

 

[KPUrban_]

The round communal sink is quite nice, can't think that I've ever seen one before.

 

[TalkingMask]

This place will always have a special spot in my heart I absolutely loved it, the location in the middle of all the hills and the feeling once you had made it inside without being rumbled, all that factory to yourself It did lose a bit of shine after it got easier to access but still one of if not my favorite ever, each visit you found a new area or spotted something you missed the previous time such a shame its gone, I've got a feeling its just going to be left in the state its in now with all the machinery mostly gone and no progress for a while


That new area is a cracker, pretty much untouched and there are some real treasures in there, it was fun exploring a new unseen part of a well known classic


Good report you got some quality photos in there

I wonder what happened to that land rover?

Funnily enough when I found out it was only a bus ride away, it made getting there a bit nicer as you go through the hills and villages, just a shame I couldn’t discover that route sooner

And it was lovely, the floor was very dodgy in places but all the big machines that still move about, the full cabinets and lockers, it was lovely and there wasn’t a speck of dust which was very surreal, would gladly go back to see it properly with a torch

And if I remember right it’s gone now, I wanted to check that area out but at that point secca had started doing their patrols again

The round communal sink is quite nice, can't think that I've ever seen one before.

I see them all the time at petrol stations and whatnots, mainly in wales which is weirdly specific?

 

[JakeV50]

Nice round-up of what remains. I remember giving the water treatment building a good go when I visited but no success. Got to the point we were looking for things to make a rudimentary ladder to get onto the concrete platform on the second floor and in. I bet there is some nice stuff in there. It does look like it would be quite dark though

 

[TalkingMask]

Nice round-up of what remains. I remember giving the water treatment building a good go when I visited but no success. Got to the point we were looking for things to make a rudimentary ladder to get onto the concrete platform on the second floor and in. I bet there is some nice stuff in there. It does look like it would be quite dark though

There is a report on another website from a good while ago showing inside, there is just a large drum though so no clue. A lot of the demolition waste has been dumped onto this area and I never saw secca go onto that land so a makeshift ladder would be possible nowadays if you’re ballsy, especially as there’s a good couple access points that bring you directly onto it

Edit: found it 😁

Saddleworth Uncovered: Robert Fletcher & Sons Paper Mill

We recently caught up with local photographer Jimmy99 who caught some incredible photographs of the derelict Robert Fletcher & Sons paper mill in Greenfield.

www.visitsaddleworth.com

Edit 2: turns out people have been in that little workshop before! Just looking on other websites, a couple people have been about some of these areas, it’s a lovely ready if you’re interested:

Robert Fletchers Paper Mill — Abandoned Yorkshire Explores

It’s hard to imagine a place frozen in time until you enter here. It’s like the Mary Celeste.

www.abandonedyorkshire.com

 

[JakeV50]

There is a report on another website from a good while ago showing inside, there is just a large drum though so no clue. A lot of the demolition waste has been dumped onto this area and I never saw secca go onto that land so a makeshift ladder would be possible nowadays if you’re ballsy, especially as there’s a good couple access points that bring you directly onto it

Thanks, I'll try and find that because I've been interested for a while now.

To be honest, when I had a go, I didn't see security all day, we were brazenly walking about because we thought they had gone or something. It's not till later heard that two other groups got collared by them that day that we realised they were still on site.

 

[TalkingMask]

Thanks, I'll try and find that because I've been interested for a while now.

To be honest, when I had a go, I didn't see security all day, we were brazenly walking about because we thought they had gone or something. It's not till later heard that two other groups got collared by them that day that we realised they were still on site.

Honestly with secca there it’s hit or miss, on my visit last week I was about for a good couple hours without a care in the world until I messed with the controls on the crane, and today same goes he only came out cause I was banging about in the boiler house like a clumsy twat

I’ve updated my prior message with the links to 2 websites showing these places 🙏🙏

 

[JaffaTB]

Thats the first time i've ever seen pics of either of those places before, deffo some of the most rare areas!


Yeah the Land Rover had gone a couple months ago now but I wonder if it was scrapped or someone bought and saved it?

 

[JakeV50]

Honestly with secca there it’s hit or miss, on my visit last week I was about for a good couple hours without a care in the world until I messed with the controls on the crane, and today same goes he only came out cause I was banging about in the boiler house like a clumsy twat

I’ve updated my prior message with the links to 2 websites showing these places 🙏🙏

Awesome, thanks.
The 2nd report you linked is interesting, it looked so clean back then

 

[The Young One]

Yeah I think this is probs going to be the final explore for me

 

[Speed]

Sad to see the mangled machinery. But great to see the workshop, and I really liked your in depth explore of the turbine hall. That sink definitely reminds me of the one at the Universal Grinding Company. I wonder if quite a few industrial workplaces had them. I can't say I have seen many in pics of places. Sure others could enlighten me.

A common sight in large factories tbh. They have fallen out of favour in recent years tho as they waste a lot of water if just one person uses them at a time. I noticed when visiting Delphi a few years ago they had all been removed before closure. A bit of a relic from the era of factories where all the blokes would stop for lunch on the buzzer and all have to go wash their hands at once. Nowadays factories arnt really like that. Much cleaner to start with! As someone has said tho theres at least one UK service station out there with them still fitted!

That bit upstairs in the turbine house struck me as being quite clean too. Looked like where they used to cut the cardboard tubes for the paper to be rolled on to. I covered it in my report from 2016 or so. That was the beauty of Fletchers tho. There was loads of bits like that tucked away where the tourbus didn't quite make it. Even now you're still seeing bits you dont recognise. Make sure you go back for the canteen. That was always my favourite bit.

 

[The Young One]

A common sight in large factories tbh. They have fallen out of favour in recent years tho as they waste a lot of water if just one person uses them at a time. I noticed when visiting Delphi a few years ago they had all been removed before closure. A bit of a relic from the era of factories where all the blokes would stop for lunch on the buzzer and all have to go wash their hands at once. Nowadays factories arnt really like that. Much cleaner to start with! As someone has said tho theres at least one UK service station out there with them still fitted!

That bit upstairs in the turbine house struck me as being quite clean too. Looked like where they used to cut the cardboard tubes for the paper to be rolled on to. I covered it in my report from 2016 or so. That was the beauty of Fletchers tho. There was loads of bits like that tucked away where the tourbus didn't quite make it. Even now you're still seeing bits you dont recognise. Make sure you go back for the canteen. That was always my favourite bit.

I've seen many service stations with then sinks in I'm just glad it's not the same with toilets