madmagickmoon
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This is my first report and my first proper explore, so I hope I do this right.
Bourton Mill is situated in a small village in North Dorset and is mentioned in the Domesday book, it was first a linen mill, then a foundry with a blast furnace. It went on to build boilers, steam lorries and gas engines. During the First World War Mills Bombs were produced here in vast quantities. In 1860 the largest water wheel in Europe was set in the River Stour alongside the mill. It was made in the mill of iron and had a diameter of 60 feet. Another waterwheel built in 1902 , which provided the village and surrounding farms with drinking water can be seen at the Kew Bridge Steam Museum in London. After the Gasper dam burst upriver in the summer of 1917, much of the machinery was washed from the factory and it took a number of years for industry to restart on the site. When it did return in 1933 the factory entered its final phase as a dried milk processing plant and this continued up until its closure in 1998.
I visited twice in a week (beginning of May) and took hundreds of photographs, access was fairly easy, and as my first explore, I think its a interesting site. Most of the buildings are in a bad way, but there are still some of the machinery and electrics present. There is graffiti everywhere and most areas are a complete mess.
The road was closed on May 13th for six weeks due to sewage works, maybe it wont be there after because its due for demolition. There are council reports online, it seems that demolition keeps getting delayed but Bourton Mill may not be lucky this time. The road will soon be reopened so hopefully I can visit again.
Here are a few photos, by the way, I am not a very good photographer
Bourton Mill is situated in a small village in North Dorset and is mentioned in the Domesday book, it was first a linen mill, then a foundry with a blast furnace. It went on to build boilers, steam lorries and gas engines. During the First World War Mills Bombs were produced here in vast quantities. In 1860 the largest water wheel in Europe was set in the River Stour alongside the mill. It was made in the mill of iron and had a diameter of 60 feet. Another waterwheel built in 1902 , which provided the village and surrounding farms with drinking water can be seen at the Kew Bridge Steam Museum in London. After the Gasper dam burst upriver in the summer of 1917, much of the machinery was washed from the factory and it took a number of years for industry to restart on the site. When it did return in 1933 the factory entered its final phase as a dried milk processing plant and this continued up until its closure in 1998.
I visited twice in a week (beginning of May) and took hundreds of photographs, access was fairly easy, and as my first explore, I think its a interesting site. Most of the buildings are in a bad way, but there are still some of the machinery and electrics present. There is graffiti everywhere and most areas are a complete mess.
The road was closed on May 13th for six weeks due to sewage works, maybe it wont be there after because its due for demolition. There are council reports online, it seems that demolition keeps getting delayed but Bourton Mill may not be lucky this time. The road will soon be reopened so hopefully I can visit again.
Here are a few photos, by the way, I am not a very good photographer
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