Report - Greenfield Mills and Battery Works - Holywell, Flintshire, Wales - January 22

[MK83]

History - This site comprises the remains of the battery works and below it further down the valley the remains of some cotton mills, the whole site is a scheduled monument. The Battery Works were established in 1776 by the Parys mine company after discovering copper on Parys mountain on Anglesey in 1768. Local people were employed to batter pots and pans from brass sheets held beneath heavy tilt hammers. In the 1780's the Greenfield Copper and Brass Company, owned by Thomas Williams, the so called Copper King of North Wales, took over the site. The Battery Works lies next to the Battery Pond and the remains include sandstone foundations, a wheel, battery and annealing pits. According to info online the brass goods were exported from Liverpool to Africa and used to buy slaves who were then taken to America to work in the cotton fields. The cotton was then brought back for processing in the Lower Cotton Mill ensuring that the ships always had a full cargo. Thomas Williams died in 1802. Around that time, supplies of cheap ore from Anglesey were becoming depleted and changes to the shipping channels in the river Dee had made it difficult for ships and barges to reach the Greenfield Wharf. The works was taken over by various companies in the years that followed but seems to have been in decline from the mid 1800's.

Explore - This was quite an easy wander for the most part but was interesting if you like early industrial ruins. Some of the site including the ruins of the lower mills are accessible by public footpaths but the Battery works itself is fenced off and requires a climb. There's quite a bit of interesting architecture, various water channels and tunnels that would have directed water to the various water wheels to power the site, and the battery works has a decent little culvert running under it to allow water from the upper pond to power the mill's lower down the valley.

Battery Works

Draw off from Battery works pond for water wheels

Chimney for battery works

Culvert

Clock Tower

Remains of cotton mills

Thanks for looking.

 

[HughieD]

Pretty ruinous but still interesting.

 

[Calamity Jane]

Looks like a great mooch. Love the chimney

 

[MK83]

Pretty ruinous but still interesting.

It's very much a ruin! Still glad we called in on way past.

 

[MK83]

Looks like a great mooch. Love the chimney

Chimney is the most intact bit i think. Odd that it's still standing when the rest is collapsed.

 

[Raven West]

History - This site comprises the remains of the battery works and below it further down the valley the remains of some cotton mills, the whole site is a scheduled monument. The Battery Works were established in 1776 by the Parys mine company after discovering copper on Parys mountain on Anglesey in 1768. Local people were employed to batter pots and pans from brass sheets held beneath heavy tilt hammers. In the 1780's the Greenfield Copper and Brass Company, owned by Thomas Williams, the so called Copper King of North Wales, took over the site. The Battery Works lies next to the Battery Pond and the remains include sandstone foundations, a wheel, battery and annealing pits. According to info online the brass goods were exported from Liverpool to Africa and used to buy slaves who were then taken to America to work in the cotton fields. The cotton was then brought back for processing in the Lower Cotton Mill ensuring that the ships always had a full cargo. Thomas Williams died in 1802. Around that time, supplies of cheap ore from Anglesey were becoming depleted and changes to the shipping channels in the river Dee had made it difficult for ships and barges to reach the Greenfield Wharf. The works was taken over by various companies in the years that followed but seems to have been in decline from the mid 1800's.

Explore - This was quite an easy wander for the most part but was interesting if you like early industrial ruins. Some of the site including the ruins of the lower mills are accessible by public footpaths but the Battery works itself is fenced off and requires a climb. There's quite a bit of interesting architecture, various water channels and tunnels that would have directed water to the various water wheels to power the site, and the battery works has a decent little culvert running under it to allow water from the upper pond to power the mill's lower down the valley.

Battery Works

Draw off from Battery works pond for water wheels

Chimney for battery works

Culvert

Clock Tower

Remains of cotton mills

Thanks for looking.

excellent pics! I live in Holywell myself, this looks like I need to visit