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Report - - Herdman's Flax Mills, Sion Mills, Northern Ireland, Mar 24 | Industrial Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Herdman's Flax Mills, Sion Mills, Northern Ireland, Mar 24

albino-jay

g00n Buster
Staff member
Moderator
History

Sion Mills was laid out as a model linen village by the Herdman brothers, James, John and George. In 1835 they converted an old flour mill on the River Mourne into a flax spinning mill, and erected a bigger mill behind it in the 1850s

The River Mourne was the reason that Herdman's Mill was built in Sion Mills, County Tyrone. It was founded in 1835 and is a large complex of now listed buildings, the most prominent of which was built in 1853 by William Henry Lynn of Lanyon, Lynn and Lanyon, Belfast. This is a very large and handsome five-storey mill built in Italianate style of greyashlar stone quarried locally, with yellow brick extensions added in 1884 to 1900. There had been a series of corn mills on the site, (the earliest recorded in 1640), with the latest one rebuilt in 1828 which the three Herdman brothers from Belfast, and their partners, the Mulhollands, purchased from the Marquis of Abercorn, and this became part of the 1835 tow mill next to the river, now the three-storey "Old Mill". The immense water-power of the River Mourne provided 1000 water horsepower. The water-power and its history are still very much a feature of the Mill with the modern turbines, the newly developed river walks and picnic areas overlooking the huge weir and the 35 ft wide mill lade which flows on to run between the two main buildings of the Mill. There is also a complicated system of sluices and a suspension bridge ("the swinging bridge”).

Explore

Another cracking mill complex in NI, long derelict and on a whole pretty empty, but epic non the less. Really enjoyed this one too, loads to look at and again another super chill explore. The weather was a bit gash, and navigating the sluice gates and shimmying over to the mill next to the river was a bit slippery in places but it gave me a bit of an extra buzz.

Pics

I’ll start with a couple of old pics

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Unfortunately she’s not looking as good these days. Derelict and neglected for many years, it’s also suffered a large at the front of the complex.

Current:

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You can see on this drone shot where there has been some demo work which has opened up the canal through the centre of the site.

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The old Hydro turbine hall

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Where the roof has now finally let go

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Moving onto the main mill through the boiler house

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Fire damage

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Glazed brick and old switches? Oooft lol

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Some line shafting remained on the ground floor

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albino-jay

g00n Buster
Staff member
Moderator
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After spending an age in the big mill I made my way across the canal, trying not to slip on the grease and piss wet through sluice gates, using some shonky cables and window mesh as handholds as I shimmied along the face of the riverbank mill to where I could see some access.

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On my way out I had a quick poke around the front office building?

Flooded, soggy, shite.

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Pretty cool where the chimney comes through though

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And one last walk over the weigh bridge as I headed back to the car to set off for Lisburn.

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All in all a bloody good day out.

Cheers.​
 

mookster

I am friends with the smooth Mars Bar man
Regular User
The hydro turbines here are apparently totally unique, there's nothing else like them I can think of. It's such an amazing place even with the battering it's taken, good to see you did the shimmy down the ledges to get to the bits I didn't
 

urbanchemist

28DL Regular User
Regular User
The hydro turbines here are apparently totally unique, there's nothing else like them I can think of.
All water turbine setups are unique in the sense that they are all different.

However there are plenty of other examples of turbine-powered mills, some with a pair of Gilkes like this one.
 

Calamity Jane

i see beauty in the unloved, places & things
Regular User
Some seriously nice millage there. I prefer the decayed, damaged look to pristine. So many og things to spot. 👍
 

Exploring With Pride 🌈

Exploring with pride in more ways than one
28DL Full Member


53643808614_463c35c971_b.jpg


After spending an age in the big mill I made my way across the canal, trying not to slip on the grease and piss wet through sluice gates, using some shonky cables and window mesh as handholds as I shimmied along the face of the riverbank mill to where I could see some access.

53643679983_155e7fc10e_b.jpg


53643807519_58ec4b56bf_b.jpg


53643470141_ac0306317b_b.jpg


53643928715_75611d16b9_b.jpg


53643928720_b4ce7853f9_b.jpg


53643806299_3c82397e9b_b.jpg


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53643806469_70d614b4de_b.jpg


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53643927305_5bac60df56_b.jpg


53643927810_00f628ff4d_b.jpg


53643926215_2880ca8862_b.jpg


53643676508_7a2629cb9b_b.jpg


On my way out I had a quick poke around the front office building?

Flooded, soggy, shite.

53643465506_f31e246fdd_b.jpg


Pretty cool where the chimney comes through though

53643675728_febf852b76_b.jpg


And one last walk over the weigh bridge as I headed back to the car to set off for Lisburn.

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All in all a bloody good day out.

Cheers.​
Some beautiful shots there
 
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