This expedition started as a Sunday visit to Cauldwell’s Mill in Rowsley - a working flour mill with added water turbines - free and well worth a look.
Then since it was just down the road I decided to check out Lumford Mill as parts looked derelict on satellite view.
Lumford Mill
[URL]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lumford_Mill
https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1012436
This was originally a cotton mill (1777) which burnt down and was rebuilt around 1890.
The main feature of interest, and the only aspect which is listed, is the hydraulic setup.
Its waterworks were some of the largest at that time, consisting of a dam, weirs, a large mill pond and long mill race to power water wheels.
The wheels were replaced by a water turbine, or maybe turbines, in the 1920s.
These days the old mill buildings, some of which are still in use, are part of Riverside Business park.
I should have done some research before bothering with this one.
Half of the derelict bits had been demolished leaving just the facade with a small office block at the front, empty and modernised.
The water came in along the top of the wall on the right, down through the turbine house in front of the chimney and out through the arches.
Yes the water really is that toxic shade of green.
All gone behind the facade - mostly phone pics from now on.
Immediately on the left of the view above is a large derelict-looking shed which is still in use for storing building materials.
Maybe these were from the demolition.
Nothing much here so I went to see if the turbine was still around.
A picture of where the water came in through a sluice below, but looking down into the room beyond it was empty (forgot to take a picture).
Finally I headed under the arches where the water came out.
The left one on the first picture soon turns into to a tunnel full of deep, oily water which I didn’t fancy wading through.
The one on the right eventually led to what looks like the outlet of a water turbine, venting into a deep pool.
This seems to be all that’s left.
Langwith Mill.
Since I’m not often on the wrong side of the peaks, I used the few remaining hours of daylight to head further east to this tourist spot.
First built as a cotton mill it was converted into a corn mill in 1886.
It was originally water-powered of course - the banks of the mill pond in front and waterworks behind are still there.
But there’s nothing left of the internal wheel and the wheel pit has been filled in.
All that remains inside are a few bits and pieces related to milling.
For reference here are the previous reports.
https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threa...er-langwith-nottinghamshire-july-2017.109931/
https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/langwith-mill-nether-langwith-nottinghamshire-jan-2016.108365/
https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/langwith-mill-notts.94695/
https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/mansfield-langwith-mill-may-2012.71242/
https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/langwith-mill-nr-mansfield-april-2012.70959/
Little has changed except that there is now a mobile home parked outside and some ineffectual fencing has appeared.
The little building on the right in the external below was a kiln for drying corn.
I forgot to take a picture but it has an oven under curved arches at ground level.
The slope from the millpond over the hill on the left down to the river out of shot on the right gives an idea of the head of water available.
The ruin on the left may have been for later steam power.
Internal pictures go from the ground floor up.
Nothing really to see on the ground floor except a mechanism for adjusting the spacing between the grinding stones (tentering) on the floor above.
And what looks a child-size loo with a shelf in the way.
Six stones and some associated shafting on the first floor.
Only one of these still has its top runner stone - this is the one with the tentering mechanism below.
Some bins, chutes and the remains of an old winnowing machine on the second floor.
Looking at previous posts, this machine was in much better shape a few years ago.
More sections of shafting on the third floor, one of which powered an auger used to dry freshly ground meal.
One of the holes in the floor that are actually supposed to be there - a sack flap (or sack trap) used to haul up sacks of grain…
…using the hoist in the attic.
Before anyone bleats about death-traps etc., yes, like many old wooden mills this is not a safe place.
Just use common sense and have a look at the underside of the floors before walking on them.
Then since it was just down the road I decided to check out Lumford Mill as parts looked derelict on satellite view.
Lumford Mill
[URL]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lumford_Mill
https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1012436
This was originally a cotton mill (1777) which burnt down and was rebuilt around 1890.
The main feature of interest, and the only aspect which is listed, is the hydraulic setup.
Its waterworks were some of the largest at that time, consisting of a dam, weirs, a large mill pond and long mill race to power water wheels.
The wheels were replaced by a water turbine, or maybe turbines, in the 1920s.
These days the old mill buildings, some of which are still in use, are part of Riverside Business park.
I should have done some research before bothering with this one.
Half of the derelict bits had been demolished leaving just the facade with a small office block at the front, empty and modernised.
The water came in along the top of the wall on the right, down through the turbine house in front of the chimney and out through the arches.
Yes the water really is that toxic shade of green.
All gone behind the facade - mostly phone pics from now on.
Immediately on the left of the view above is a large derelict-looking shed which is still in use for storing building materials.
Maybe these were from the demolition.
Nothing much here so I went to see if the turbine was still around.
A picture of where the water came in through a sluice below, but looking down into the room beyond it was empty (forgot to take a picture).
Finally I headed under the arches where the water came out.
The left one on the first picture soon turns into to a tunnel full of deep, oily water which I didn’t fancy wading through.
The one on the right eventually led to what looks like the outlet of a water turbine, venting into a deep pool.
This seems to be all that’s left.
Langwith Mill.
Since I’m not often on the wrong side of the peaks, I used the few remaining hours of daylight to head further east to this tourist spot.
First built as a cotton mill it was converted into a corn mill in 1886.
It was originally water-powered of course - the banks of the mill pond in front and waterworks behind are still there.
But there’s nothing left of the internal wheel and the wheel pit has been filled in.
All that remains inside are a few bits and pieces related to milling.
For reference here are the previous reports.
https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threa...er-langwith-nottinghamshire-july-2017.109931/
https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/langwith-mill-nether-langwith-nottinghamshire-jan-2016.108365/
https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/langwith-mill-notts.94695/
https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/mansfield-langwith-mill-may-2012.71242/
https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/langwith-mill-nr-mansfield-april-2012.70959/
Little has changed except that there is now a mobile home parked outside and some ineffectual fencing has appeared.
The little building on the right in the external below was a kiln for drying corn.
I forgot to take a picture but it has an oven under curved arches at ground level.
The slope from the millpond over the hill on the left down to the river out of shot on the right gives an idea of the head of water available.
The ruin on the left may have been for later steam power.
Internal pictures go from the ground floor up.
Nothing really to see on the ground floor except a mechanism for adjusting the spacing between the grinding stones (tentering) on the floor above.
And what looks a child-size loo with a shelf in the way.
Six stones and some associated shafting on the first floor.
Only one of these still has its top runner stone - this is the one with the tentering mechanism below.
Some bins, chutes and the remains of an old winnowing machine on the second floor.
Looking at previous posts, this machine was in much better shape a few years ago.
More sections of shafting on the third floor, one of which powered an auger used to dry freshly ground meal.
One of the holes in the floor that are actually supposed to be there - a sack flap (or sack trap) used to haul up sacks of grain…
…using the hoist in the attic.
Before anyone bleats about death-traps etc., yes, like many old wooden mills this is not a safe place.
Just use common sense and have a look at the underside of the floors before walking on them.
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