Tales of the Urban Explorer: Westwood Mill

While trawling through the story of this mill, I tried to find something dramatic. A recent suicide, a ghost haunts the mill or it’s even a place where transvestites meet for group sex. Sadly I found nothing of the sort besides the usual history.

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This one hails from the 1790’s and was in use until 1981. I looked through some reports from ten years ago and the decay difference is startling. It has really gone downhill and at times I thought the place was going to come down on me.

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As it’s Grade listed it can’t be demolished but can be renovated and as usual there is a proposal to do just that. The link also documents the history of Westwood mill. Permission to begin work is taking years like most of these proposals.

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This was the last of our hauls just before lock down and getting to the outside edges was as easy as finding it and walking through a little brush.

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We found nobody else there, but getting into the inner courtyard was not just a walk-in.

…’for a huge wreck of a place, the owners have gone to great lengths to keep the likes of ME out’…

I left Dizzy Discovery to try and get in the more ‘secure’ areas while I strolled around to the left in search of anything that might be an artefact of a bygone age.

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This big wall looked interesting to start climbing up to have a look. Looking through a hole in the wall I spotted this tank looking thing amongst the graffiti.

Balancing on the wall was a little tricky. The shit I do just to get some photographs which look all similar.

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I wasn’t going to jump down there, likely I would fall though all this greenery to my death. Just to get this shot required some balancing.

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Coming down I approached the area which could have been difficult to get in. Another bunch of explorers had planted a handy window-frame to climb on and all that was needed was an enormous effort to haul myself up.

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There were several passages to choose from, two of the three were the wrong one. Of course, I chose a wrong one and had to double back.

Even scrambling through large empty window frames like this is an effort to me.

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The correct way rewards you with steps and the most dangerous part of this old mill.

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A major part of Westwood Mill is being held up with scaffolding, it’s that precarious to collapse. I edged into some of these buildings afraid of touching anything.

One kick to that scaffold post and you're under a ton of rubble and probably dead.

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…’I mean, would you go in there to have a look around?’…

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Inside there were a few bits and bobs about such as this pulley system.

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The last part was the exterior around the back and just getting there was a challenge, the sheer amount of vegetation with the dreaded brambles a constant threat to bowling me over.

Round the back is probably the best part of the mill as there are a few relics still standing.

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I had to clamber behind this fence to get to the goods, some kind of pulley system again.

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A big hole in the wall and a corresponding big drop showed me this. Looks like a hippo to me.

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Finally next to the canal bank, very overgrown and partially hidden from sight I found this. Don’t ask me what they were used for, I wasn’t around in the 19th century.

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Not a bad one to end up with at the end of the day when the sun is starting to set.

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Would be good to see this place renovated but you would need serous bucks for that. I can't believe that people let these places fall into such dire straits.

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It may happen, these proposals start and then get delayed for years and then sometimes scrapped. Give the state of the current world, I would bet it's the latter option for this.

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Nice shots. Looks like the light was just right, but then you don't want it getting dark when you have tricky terrain to get through. I wonder if people have been sneaking out during lockdown when they may be less likely to be noticed exploring. It's a form of isolation if nobody else is there.

Stay safe.

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I wonder if people have been sneaking out during lockdown when they may be less likely to be noticed exploring. It's a form of isolation if nobody else is there.

The talk on the community sites was to not do it. Many of the ones I chat to outside HIVE have been keeping inside, that was until this weekend just gone. Now they are all out again, it's exercise ain't it?

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Must be plenty of people desperate to get out and do something active. There's a lot more people doing their own exploring of country paths which may make it harder to slip into sites unnoticed. Good luck with your expeditions.

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There has been some of that, but I have been surprised to see that most of them did keep away before the rules were relaxed.

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Would a transvestite sex party be an to a baton fight? Hehe

The shit I do just to get some photographs which look all similar.

That did make me lol

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Should I just do one photograph for each place!? I know a lot of them are similar, but for me, it's the story and the experience I want to remember. I saw no trannies, but had a good look!

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Hehe, nah, they are great, not at all similar other than being of old ruined buildings.

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“Dangerous structures keep out” I always interrupt that as a welcome sign, a nice big old behemoth

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That first tank must be where they keep all the penises. It was clearly labeled.

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That almost looked like a person standing on the roof in a barrel in that one photo. That old machinery is pretty awesome. Even though it might not actually be as old as it looks. Rust sure doesn't waste any time does it?

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It's likely from the 19th century, they always built them next to water as the power came from there. The last one I found was very close to the canal bank. This was the primary source of transport from around 1830-1865.

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Makes sense. Well I guess that is quite old then!

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From the diaries of urban adventures quite fun always to go through your experiences

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Excellent photographs. But those scaffold posts... Gah!

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I guess it would not be worth the effort perhaps, but seems like with an endloader, money from scrap could be made with that boiler type stuff.

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You really do like to explore this type of place, don't you? I still remember the one you went close by the beach a few months back or something.

There's one (many but I went to only one) in BKK I went with some friends but I got really scared. Found a homeless camp there too. I was interesting to see

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Go with others and it's not so scary, sometimes I solo these and then it can get very creepy. You can generally hear a pin drop they are so quiet. Any noise gets your hackles up.

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You are one very dedicated photographer @slobberchops The risks you take to satisfy our curiosity...…...and yours, obviously. In fact I don't think you left one stone unturned in your hunt for "artefacts of a bygone age."

You were so dedicated that the DANGER- KEEP OUT sign became irrelevant...….like a pesky mosquito trying to distract you and take your focus away from your mission. I'm very glad you didn't break a limb in your quest to get those awesome shots. Loved them.

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