Murphy’s Machinery, Imperial Works, Menston - March 2011.

[jST]

On 6/3/11 I have visit this abandoned tool works.

First report from me here, may as well start with my most recent.

Murphy’s Machinery is but a stone’s throw from the infamous High Royds Asylum. Having spotted this on one of KooK and I’s many outings to said asylum, I decided to have a little look. Visited on my todd as KooK was engaged in the wooing of a lady and therefore was absent from this little wander.



History cobbled together from some sources:

G.L Murphy’s of Menston started trading in around 1925, they manufactured tools, belt driven machinery, transmissions and electrical equipment, which were specifically for Tanneries and Glue / Gelatine production. Can’t find a specific date of when the works closed but at a guess it would be some time around the late 1970s.

Some of the site is still live, indeed there is an occupied house just around the front yard and some industrial units for rent to the rear.

So... a bit of contortion, a sliced hand and some serious dodgy floor testing later I was inside this little factory. There’s not much to it but what remains is nice... There is evidence that there was a forge on the site here, however, after the company seemed to switch businesses at some point I presume it was removed.

The pigeons here were by far the most mental I’ve ever come across, one was trying to escape by flying madly at an office window, making quite an obtrusive racket. Fearing that this little shitehawk could give away my presence, I grabbed it and chucked it out of a hole in the roof.

On with the photos.





Workshop







Production Floor











Also, I discovered what I think is West Yorkshire's, if not the world's largest intact collection of early 1970's soft porn.





Some of the finer details... The cup final was a 2-2 draw between Chelsea and Leeds and in the days before penalty shootouts, Chelsea took the cup with a 2-1 win.



And it would have been rude not to being as I was just around the corner...



Thanks for having a look.

[Nicola]

Some seriously cool shots there (not the porn mind you - it burned my eyes!)
I'll ask one of the admin to upgrade you to a full member - you will then be able to access all of the forum and comment on other peoples post, chat in the chat box and post all your new explores in the relevant sections!

[minxy*]

Ace shots

[SilentHill]

Luvly jubbly that Well done buddy.

[skin]

Quite remarkable, this is really nice, I love it and well captured.

[Only2Eyes]

Nice nice nice

[scrappy]

if ever im over that way i think id give this a go, good first report!

[Clough]

Love it, one of my first explores! Sweeeet shots too!

[jST]

Thanks dude. It's a good little explore, there's not much to it, but what is there is reyt nice.

[jST]

Had a little re-visit here after squeezing through the subterranean parts of it's larger neighbour... Picked out some details that I'd missed on other occasions.

Also met a bloke from the house nearby whilst taking externals, clearly something to do with general operations and perhaps even a Murphy. "Do you want to go inside...?" The chap asked eyeing up my camera... I couldn't tell him I'd just been in under my own steam, so he kindly unlocked the ground floor door and I had a second wander! It's a top place.