First report here so lemme know if I did it wrong!
History
This place operated from the late 18th century to the mid 20th as part of the region's prolific iron and tin industries. During this period the facilities changed hands and were expanded a number of times, slowly closing over the beginning of the 20th century and finally ceasing production. The site was used for storage for a time, while machinery was steadily stripped from the mills and certain sections were demolished.
The site saw a brief revival as a plant producing gelatine products for the Leiner Company, aiding in their rise to become the worlds largest producer of such at the time (1940s-80s). During this period bones imported from India and Pakistan were used at the site, some of which were reportedly contaminated with anthrax! Leiner went bankrupt after a failled scheme to produce pigskin gelatine. After their exit from the site it was host to a timber merchant, joinery, transport company and rugby club, however these eventually moved out following their own financial woes or the discovery of active anthrax spores on the site, supposedly resulting in 16 cases of illness. By the 1990s the site was empty. Apart from a proposal to construct student accomodations on the site (ew), which was foiled again by the specter of anthrax, it has remained so.
These days it mostly sees graffiti artists, us lot, and local teens bumming about.
The Trip
Barring a few derlict Somerset farms visted as a kid, this was my first significant explorative outing! It was fairly pleasant, the most difficult part was the cycle over, where I ended up on the wrong side of the Taff, lugging my bike through bogs and fields instead of using the convenient roads and cycle lanes just across the water. I actually ended up doing some inadvertant trespass on a farmers land as part of this route, where I was chased off by secca (curious cows). Sadly I didn't manage to get any pics of the tunnel leading to the site, on the way in I forgot and on the way out I was discouraged by a mysterious silhouette in the dark at the far end (turned out to be a teen wating to take his missus on an edgy date). I am pleased to report the iron girders that have caused my predecessors no end of stumbles and banged shins appear to have been removed. As with most of my explores I was here solo and saw no-one in the site proper. Overall a peaceful and steady experience, recommend this place to anyone looking to cut their teeth on the hobby with a simple, stress free mooch.
Pictures
History
This place operated from the late 18th century to the mid 20th as part of the region's prolific iron and tin industries. During this period the facilities changed hands and were expanded a number of times, slowly closing over the beginning of the 20th century and finally ceasing production. The site was used for storage for a time, while machinery was steadily stripped from the mills and certain sections were demolished.
The site saw a brief revival as a plant producing gelatine products for the Leiner Company, aiding in their rise to become the worlds largest producer of such at the time (1940s-80s). During this period bones imported from India and Pakistan were used at the site, some of which were reportedly contaminated with anthrax! Leiner went bankrupt after a failled scheme to produce pigskin gelatine. After their exit from the site it was host to a timber merchant, joinery, transport company and rugby club, however these eventually moved out following their own financial woes or the discovery of active anthrax spores on the site, supposedly resulting in 16 cases of illness. By the 1990s the site was empty. Apart from a proposal to construct student accomodations on the site (ew), which was foiled again by the specter of anthrax, it has remained so.
These days it mostly sees graffiti artists, us lot, and local teens bumming about.
The Trip
Barring a few derlict Somerset farms visted as a kid, this was my first significant explorative outing! It was fairly pleasant, the most difficult part was the cycle over, where I ended up on the wrong side of the Taff, lugging my bike through bogs and fields instead of using the convenient roads and cycle lanes just across the water. I actually ended up doing some inadvertant trespass on a farmers land as part of this route, where I was chased off by secca (curious cows). Sadly I didn't manage to get any pics of the tunnel leading to the site, on the way in I forgot and on the way out I was discouraged by a mysterious silhouette in the dark at the far end (turned out to be a teen wating to take his missus on an edgy date). I am pleased to report the iron girders that have caused my predecessors no end of stumbles and banged shins appear to have been removed. As with most of my explores I was here solo and saw no-one in the site proper. Overall a peaceful and steady experience, recommend this place to anyone looking to cut their teeth on the hobby with a simple, stress free mooch.
Pictures
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