It's easy enough to take attractive photos of conventional beauty spots and tourist destinations; perhaps it's more of a challenge to find the beauty in our old industrial heritage. It does 'speak' to me, however, and I could have happily spent an hour or two exploring the angles and hidden corners of Sunny Bank Mills.
It started out as a scribbling (combing wool fibres) and fulling mill (pounding and wetting the cloth in water or urine to thicken and felt it). Gradually other buildings were added to carry out spinning and weaving, so that in time the complex became a renowned manufacturer of fine worsted cloth. The colonnade (above) started life as a yarn winding and twisting shed.
All of the buildings have now been repurposed into small business, creative and retail outlets. The 1912 mill (above) was built when James Ives and Co took over the business. It was recently used to film the Christmas and New Year 'celebrity special' episodes of the BBC's Great British Sewing Bee.
Rough stonework, peeling paint and rusty artefacts combine to retain the gritty industrial vibe that I find really captivating.
From the first on through, what intriguing photos. I wondered at the external steel supports for the building that started this series...brick first, then addition of stone, at the level of the supports. But that last one! Oh my! And the cogs and wheels! Yes, these are art of a beautiful man made kind!
ReplyDeleteThese are wonderfully photographed.
ReplyDeleteI love old buildings like that too.
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