Pear Mill Chimney
Pear Mill History if you're interested https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1240634
Pear Mill History if you're interested https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1240634
Ever since getting into this exploring lark a few years ago I’ve wanted to get up this chimney. We used to have to drive round it every day to get onto the Stringers Weir site we once worked on. It’s a belter of a chimney as far as brick ones go. There’s even an indoor climbing wall inside the mill but I wasn’t there to climb on no plastic. I had been a few weeks previously, though and was delighted to see that after three years of me patiently waiting someone had laddered the chim all the way up. Well nearly all the way – they stopped short at the bottom, which provided an extra challenge.
Twas in my sights ages ago….
From below
Now I’m not gonna lie I was terrified going up despite all the safety brews and for some reason having George Formby’s I’m Leaning on a Lamp stuck in my head 
As for the Steeplejacks ladders: they were probably older than Fred himself. There were 13 of them stacked one on top of the other in a wavy line for 200 odd foot and overhanging at the top. They’d been lashed onto eye bolts drilled into the brickwork and to all 10 of the 6” brackets that brace the middle section of the chimney.
As for the Steeplejacks ladders: they were probably older than Fred himself. There were 13 of them stacked one on top of the other in a wavy line for 200 odd foot and overhanging at the top. They’d been lashed onto eye bolts drilled into the brickwork and to all 10 of the 6” brackets that brace the middle section of the chimney.My pics weren’t very good. I took me tripod all the way up and back down again and didn’t even get it out of the bag. There’s not really anywhere to set it up so it was handheld pics only
This was the only one that wasn’t handheld. The camera’s resting on the 3” wide lip that separates the inside of the chim from the outside. Manchester’s visible in the background – the security hut isn’t – thankfully. I tried to limit the use of my torch….
The Pear
The tiled roof of the chimney. I wondered why old brick chimneys have a tiled ‘bell end’ like this to climb round. I can only think it was to stop the rain and frost getting in, which it would if water ran down it all the time. The ladders are tied in place at the top and the rope restricts movement. The tiles were grippy though at least, which was just as well.
After I’d taken a few at the top it was time to make my descent so I stepped back round on to the overhanging ladder. I’d not really been looking forward to doing this so I was glad when I’d done it and could finally ‘relax’ (a bit) and take some more pics mid route
Narrow ladders and very narrow ladders alternating like this from bottom to top.
This pear was nearly as rotten as the ladders
And finally on the walk out I did get my tripod out…..
Very glad to have done this and very fortunate to have found it laddered up to the top. Grateful to @albino-jay for the heads up, though 
And to Ojay for telling me his heads up was for a different chim nearby.
And to Ojay for telling me his heads up was for a different chim nearby.Thanks for lookin’
