Report - Spillers Millennium Mills - London - March 2011

[Flyboy]

Visited this site with OliverGT - big thanks to him for getting in contact with me.

This was my second attempt, but first successful visit. What an amazing place, I am so glad I've seen it. Pictures just don't do it justice.

Access was fun, and once you're in there are lots of holes to fall through :D


Brief History
The main part of the building was built around the turn of the century. The wing on the west side of the building was built in 1933 - marked near the roof on the west wall. The smaller brown-brick building to the east was Premier Rank Mill, which is attached but does not have any internal doors attaching the two buildings. To the south of the main building was once another Spillers building linked at the top with a footbridge, but that has now been demolished. There were other buildings on the 55-acre site, most notably CWS Mills. The chimney outside the site was left from another mill as a memorial (in stark contrast to the houses and apartments surrounding it).

The site has been used as a filming location many times, most famously for a scene in the BBC cop drama Ashes To Ashes, and the music video for Fluorescent Adolescent by Arctic Monkeys. Also, according to the IMDb, a scene in some underground tunnels in the 2010 film Green Zone was filmed here.

Pictures

http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z330/flyboy747/millennium%20mills%205-3-11/DSCF5701.jpg
1. External taken from Pontoon Dock DLR station.

http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z330/flyboy747/millennium%20mills%205-3-11/DSCF5533.jpg
2. Looking through broken window to the 1933 extension.

http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z330/flyboy747/millennium%20mills%205-3-11/DSCF5678.jpg
3. Offices.

http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z330/flyboy747/millennium%20mills%205-3-11/DSCF5543.jpg
4. The aptly named 'Open Room' - lots of holes dropping into huge silos!

http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z330/flyboy747/millennium%20mills%205-3-11/DSCF5662.jpg
5. One of the residents.

http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z330/flyboy747/millennium%20mills%205-3-11/DSCF5562.jpg
6. Notice on a tiny one-man lift.

http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z330/flyboy747/millennium%20mills%205-3-11/DSCF5532.jpg
7. Another broken window shot.

http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z330/flyboy747/millennium%20mills%205-3-11/DSCF5674.jpg
8. All looks pretty functional.

http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z330/flyboy747/millennium%20mills%205-3-11/DSCF5579.jpg
9. On the roof of the 1933 wing looking east.

http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z330/flyboy747/millennium%20mills%205-3-11/DSCF5670.jpg
10. Stairs

http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z330/flyboy747/millennium%20mills%205-3-11/DSCF5690.jpg
11. Peeling paint!

http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z330/flyboy747/millennium%20mills%205-3-11/DSCF5626.jpg
12. Yawning holes.

http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z330/flyboy747/millennium%20mills%205-3-11/DSCF5641.jpg
13. The famous grain chutes.

http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z330/flyboy747/millennium%20mills%205-3-11/DSCF5682.jpg
14. One of many trashed rooms.

http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z330/flyboy747/millennium%20mills%205-3-11/DSCF5693.jpg
15. Stairs/Window shot.

http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z330/flyboy747/millennium%20mills%205-3-11/DSCF5699.jpg
16. And a final external taken from the roof of Premier Mills.

All in all a fantastic explore, I hope you enjoyed the photos!

[MJS]

Quality shots mate. I was meant to do this one morning last summer, but ended up getting VIP tickets to some music festival the day before, and there was NO way I was getting up after 12 hours of free drinks :D
I'll have to get myself back down

[Flyboy]

Quality shots mate. I was meant to do this one morning last summer, but ended up getting VIP tickets to some music festival the day before, and there was NO way I was getting up after 12 hours of free drinks :D
I'll have to get myself back down

Yeah sometimes you get lucky. Weekends are best, as I once went on a weekday and there were about 5 vans on site. On this visit there was one rental van as security, and the driver was facing us about three times and he didn't spot us!

[Nicola]

Fab pictures - this place is ACE! :thumb

[Flyboy]

Thanks! And yeah this place is amazing, one morning didn't do it justice!

[Only2Eyes]

Excellent stuff mate

[boxerheaven]

wow thats fantastic :)