Volcrepe Ltd, Glossop, Derbyshire, November 2016

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HughieD

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1. The History

Volcrepe Ltd was a large former rubber producing factory in Glossop, Derbyshire. Formed in 1931, and based in the 200-years old Woods Mill, it began manufacturing rubber soles for footwear. Later on it began producing specialist equipment to the Ministry Of Defence including gas masks for horses and the Home Guard as well as radio equipment as part of the war effort between 1939-1945. In the 1950s the company was still producing footwear soling, but with the market becoming more and more competitive it started concentrating its efforts into cellular rubbers which it had earlier pioneered. It went on to produce produced rubbers for the aviation industry, oil, automobile, domestic and communications industries..

Woods Mill was at the eastern end of what was originally the larger Howard town Mill complex built by John Wood in the 19th Century. In its day it was one of the largest integrated cotton mills in England. Volcrepe was split over in two sections with the aptly-named Milltown road dividing it. The only connecting point was a small walk-way over Mill Street emblazoned with the company’s logo. To the east of Milltown were the extensive single-storey drying shed. The factory closed down in 2002 when Volcrepe merged with another company, St Albans Rubber and has been empty.

In October 2015 High Peak Borough Council were split in a decision of five votes to five as to whether the site should be demolished and redeveloped. However the councillor with the deciding vote decreed the mill should in fact be demolished. Now all of the site to the west of Milltown has gone leaving a smaller three-storey mill to east of Milltown and some of the perimeter buildings, including former weaving sheds and administrative buildings, around the former drying sheds still standing.


2. The Explore

Another opportunist explore. Checked the site out as I’d seen reports on this place dating back to around 2011/12. That would have been the time to come here. On initial sight it looked like we were too late. All of Woods Mill and its surrounding buildings to the west of Milltown have now all been completely demo’ed. To the east a smaller mill building still stands albeit completely sealed.. The extensive single-storey drying sheds have all gone leaving a big open expanse and a few buildings round the sites perimeter. What’s left is only a fraction the site but there’s still enough the get a report out of it.


3. The Pictures

30846389912_254c782134_b.jpgimg8391 by HughieDW, on Flickr

30846349112_e4358bdf45_b.jpgimg8393 by HughieDW, on Flickr

25326791239_eb7d990af3_b.jpgimg8398 by HughieDW, on Flickr

30846314692_790df81e4e_b.jpgimg8394 by HughieDW, on Flickr

30927207516_217b28ab9e_b.jpgimg8396 by HughieDW, on Flickr

30846135162_f451215667_b.jpgimg8402 by HughieDW, on Flickr

30846037502_f68e2e4bb4_b.jpgimg8399 by HughieDW, on Flickr

30965609815_7b82de299b_b.jpgimg8404 by HughieDW, on Flickr

30849099082_b14d51f0d8_b.jpgimg8405 by HughieDW, on Flickr

30877181621_941e333693_b.jpgimg8406 by HughieDW, on Flickr

30965361085_ba3fecd12b_b.jpgimg8408bw by HughieDW, on Flickr

30663817410_6faec37cbc_b.jpgimg8409 by HughieDW, on Flickr

30965198225_7d073ea679_b.jpgimg8413 by HughieDW, on Flickr

25329457499_4ec58788f8_b.jpgimg8410 by HughieDW, on Flickr

30848782832_f0de20d860_b.jpgimg8414bw by HughieDW, on Flickr

30876862641_457861df20_b.jpgimg8415 by HughieDW, on Flickr

30848581492_d4438e15e6_b.jpgimg8417 by HughieDW, on Flickr

30929233566_94979c8b62_b.jpgimg8418 by HughieDW, on Flickr

30929127256_9d8c9e0366_b.jpgimg8419 by HughieDW, on Flickr

30848322562_d3fb8c8fc5_b.jpgimg8421 by HughieDW, on Flickr

30848250382_95f68680bc_b.jpgimg8420 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Thanks for looking!
 
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