Sunnybank Mills, Leeds - December 2012

[jST]

Sunnybank Mills, Farsley - Leeds. December 2012.

http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/jjstenson/Sunnybank%20Mills/IMG_1117.jpg

Good morrow fellow derpers. Ever since moving to the area I’d had a hankering to have a look around this enormous ex-worsted mill just up the road. There have been numerous open days including one as part of the English Heritage weekend back in early September but alas I was away on holiday...

Anyhow, fast forward three months and after attending a public consultation showcasing the vision for the conversion of the entire complex, I spoke with one of the directors of the estate that owns the mill and he kindly agreed to let me have free reign around the disused parts of the mill.

http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/jjstenson/Sunnybank%20Mills/IMG_1033.jpg

It’s a large complex, which closed as a fabric business in 2006. It has undergone semi conversion, where disused parts are landlocked by existing active workshops and businesses that reside within these converted parts of the mill buildings. There’s a lot of big empty bits which are scheduled for demolition once EWH’s masterplan gets off the ground. See plans and current conversions here: http://www.sunnybankmills.co.uk/

http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/jjstenson/Sunnybank%20Mills/IMG_0642.jpg

The mill owners have put together a “working archive” of the historic leftovers of the mill, including a physical intellectual property record of every single fabric design owned by the company which are laid out in several huge racking units and this is where we'll start... I'll apologise now for pic heaviness.

http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/jjstenson/Sunnybank%20Mills/IMG_1048.jpg

http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/jjstenson/Sunnybank%20Mills/IMG_1027.jpg http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/jjstenson/Sunnybank%20Mills/IMG_1028.jpg

http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/jjstenson/Sunnybank%20Mills/IMG_1049.jpg

http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/jjstenson/Sunnybank%20Mills/IMG_1034.jpg http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/jjstenson/Sunnybank%20Mills/IMG_1045.jpg

http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/jjstenson/Sunnybank%20Mills/IMG_1036.jpg

http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/jjstenson/Sunnybank%20Mills/IMG_1035.jpg

http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/jjstenson/Sunnybank%20Mills/IMG_1026.jpg

http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/jjstenson/Sunnybank%20Mills/IMG_1053.jpg

http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/jjstenson/Sunnybank%20Mills/IMG_1020.jpg

http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/jjstenson/Sunnybank%20Mills/IMG_1023.jpg http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/jjstenson/Sunnybank%20Mills/IMG_1039.jpg

http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/jjstenson/Sunnybank%20Mills/IMG_1051.jpg

http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/jjstenson/Sunnybank%20Mills/IMG_1041.jpg http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/jjstenson/Sunnybank%20Mills/IMG_1025.jpg http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/jjstenson/Sunnybank%20Mills/IMG_1059.jpg

Next through working studios and a bespoke paintshop to the "buildinglocked" part of the mill which housed the main spinning and dyeing machines / processes. Decay has set in here, and although these buildings are not earmarked for conservation, it's a shame.

http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/jjstenson/Sunnybank%20Mills/IMG_1104.jpg

http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/jjstenson/Sunnybank%20Mills/IMG_1092.jpg http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/jjstenson/Sunnybank%20Mills/IMG_1090.jpg

This machinery is to be saved as working museum pieces.

http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/jjstenson/Sunnybank%20Mills/IMG_1098.jpg

http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/jjstenson/Sunnybank%20Mills/IMG_1074.jpg http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/jjstenson/Sunnybank%20Mills/IMG_1083.jpg

http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/jjstenson/Sunnybank%20Mills/IMG_1078.jpg

http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/jjstenson/Sunnybank%20Mills/IMG_1084.jpg http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/jjstenson/Sunnybank%20Mills/IMG_1100.jpg

http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/jjstenson/Sunnybank%20Mills/IMG_1096.jpg

Cont...

[jST]

http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/jjstenson/Sunnybank%20Mills/IMG_1105.jpg

Continuing onto the most elderly part of the Mill (circa 1820) which contained the Engine house, boiler room and engineering/maintenance dept. Unfortunately the horizontal beam engine and all associated goodness had been removed <1970 when a new fangled gas system was installed, which has also now been removed.

http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/jjstenson/Sunnybank%20Mills/IMG_1126.jpg

http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/jjstenson/Sunnybank%20Mills/IMG_1135.jpg http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/jjstenson/Sunnybank%20Mills/IMG_1141.jpg

http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/jjstenson/Sunnybank%20Mills/IMG_1076.jpg

http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/jjstenson/Sunnybank%20Mills/IMG_1119.jpg

http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/jjstenson/Sunnybank%20Mills/IMG_1112.jpg

http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/jjstenson/Sunnybank%20Mills/IMG_1114.jpg

That's your lot, thanks for patiently flicking through the mountain of photos and Merry Xmas. :xthumb

[Only2Eyes]

This is rather splendid.

[sj9966]

Very nice indeed!!

[myke]

well done for putting in the effort with the director and as usual a brilliant report

[birdinanaviary]

Proper mint .......

Yeh well done with this photoings are of a most excellent standard as always

[mr beardy]

Nice one this :thumb it pays to be friendly with the people high up

[BadBatz]

Well done dude!

[Rebel]

Nicely done! Them machines are going to take a lot of work and possibly extra parts to get them working again.

[BB]

Very nice indeed fella!
Always a great feeling to tick a place off the to do list :thumb

[Perjury Saint]

Damn! Thats good!!

[Clough]

Oh man this beats Epic Mill hands down!

[mrtoby]

Lovely stuff, vintage telephones and typewriters porn galore.....good job.

[scrappy]

thats a great set there mate, cant beat a good mill.

[ROYALBOB]

Mill porn of the highest order. Me n Geov tried to sneak into the derp bits only to epic fail.

[fowle]

I missed this report when you originally put it up because i'm a dick, but yeah, well good this, Dad !

[birdinanaviary]

This morning by sheer chance me,my left eye and right eye have SPLORED this thread again......

[yorkietommo]

Must've missed this earlier. Spot on fella. :thumb

[sammydoublewhammy]

Bostin splore, cool pp etc etc

[oldskool]

top banana