Colthrop Paper Mill

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Zotez

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Visited with LiamWG, Jimmy1001, my Girlfriend and a non member friend of ours. We did this as a bit of a warm up trip on the friday in preparation of Pyestock - turns out it was a lot better! We even met a woman who was walking her dogs, she stared at us when we were up on part of the mill so we ran, she confronted us round the other side but it turned out she'd used the same entrance point as us and also was more interested in why we wanted to photograph the place!

A small bit of history for those who like reading it:
"There has probably been a mill at Colthrop since the time of the Domesday Survey in 1086, but references to it are few and far between until more recent times. The earliest records of Colthrop Mill are held today at Winchester College, which owned the 'manor' (estate) of Colthrop in the fifteenth century.

In 1956 the Reed Paper Group Limited took over the whole Colthrop site. Paper sack manufacture had been started at Colthrop in 1927 in 1930 this operation had been transferred to Aylesford and sold to Albert.E.Reed and Company in 1932. Then in 1950 the Reed Company took a financial interest in the Colthrop site, subsequently taking over completely. In May 1955, work was started on a new building, (the North Board Mill), and completed in May, 1958, at a cost of £5 million; a third board machine was then inita1 led in it. The two paper-making machines were later shut down, one in 1966 and the other in 1971, so that paper-making effectively ceased at Colthrop from the latter date."

The report I read was from 1983 and I believe the mill closed around then/perhaps before, we do know it has been sat a very long time, at least since my family has been there and they moved in in 1984.

Took a lot of pics but here are my favourite, with descriptions as always.

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The water tower thing, there are several of these around the Thatcham/Newbury area.

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A lot of the lower parts were very overgrown.

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Ironically, there was actually no door next to this sign, just an open space...we chose to ignore the sign.

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The whole place was covered in this stuff and im not sure why.

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Oh I do like some electrical porn!

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Surprised the rubber belt has survived all these years!

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Big rusty conveyor belt.

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Would this have been connected to something else?

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Nature is really taking over this place.

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Some more electricals

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Not quite sure what it was floating on the water...

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A bit of a dark pic but shows the atmosphere of the place I think.

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Im not sure if this was built lop sided or actually collapsing. I didnt push it to try and find out! :mrgreen:

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Mates climbing the tower, I didnt fancy it, judging by the fact that it was completely rust coloured.

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Looking back on the conveyor, it didnt look 30 years old!

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I always feel a bit sad for all these lovely mechanical things that must have taken years to design and make. :cry:

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I also love a good vintage light switch, I want this type in my house!

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Was dissappointed not to find a date on this.

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It really wasnt! :mrgreen:

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It was this that made me suspect that the conveyor wasnt as old as the rest of the place.

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Although im sure this was!

So, all in all, a good trip, this is a place i've walked past for years - I knew there was a paper mill but had no idea where, its a real shame that its owned by the nearby quarry so I wont be surprised if will be flattened soon. I dont understand why asylums that have been there for 100 years get listed whereas colthrop mill (where there has been a mill for a very very long time!) Will just be ignored, but I guess thats just how things work.

If anyone does want to visit I suggest you do it soon (although its not worth travelling too far for in my opnion) as with the progress going on at the local quarry, Colthrop Paper mill will now remain what its been for 30 years - just a piece of history.
 
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Bloody smashing Zotez. I'm just along the road in Newbury and, sad to say, haven't actually found this place yet. Used to live ten mins away too.

Alan
 
Thanks mate! :mrgreen:

I sent you a PM reguarding the location of the mill. :)
 

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