The remains of the rolling mill, Stourbridge, West Midlands, July '09

[boxfrenzy]

Solo trip
There is nothing like the remains of our industrial past, frozen in time, undiscovered and dusty, forgotten in a derelict building echoing with the voices of yesterday. You'll no doubt be thrilled to hear, this place is nothing like that. In fact, this is a contender for one of the worst locations of all time, a place so bad even the homeless have moved house.
This, readers, is the sorry remains of the rolling mill in Stourbridge, West Midlands.


Much of the site has been demolished, no doubt after fires caused by youths in sportswear.


This place is near the historically important Bradley and Co's Foundry between the River Stour and the Stourbridge canal. Where once the iron would have been rolled into bars and slitted into nails, very little is left.


A number of fires and the decline of industry in the area have left the site flattened, and today only walls and a single building remain where once machines would have clanked and furnaces roared.


This is inside the main building. Whether it was the main building, I don't know. Perhaps I should have typed inside the only building still standing.
The green room.


In need of Lawrence Llewellyn Bowen


A suprisingly poignant message.


Certain places I have visited have lots of one type of object. At St Edward's boys Home, Coleshill, there were loads of ladders; St Mary's hospital, Stannington had a lot of clocks. Here, there was a lot of disgarded clothes. I would doubt whether any were left behind after a passionate liaison.


It's a shame that these sorts of places are in a bad way though. Originally the rolling mill would have provided employment for hundreds of locals, and essential components that would have been taken by canal across the Black Country and beyond. Today, only the desolate ruins of the mill and the canal remains as a reminder of another lost part of our heritage.
This largely cloud based snap is a view from the front of the mill.

[BB]

Nice pics there mate

[KingElvis]

Love that message, almost Swiftian in its rapierr-ike subtlety

Nice pics though mate.

[skin]

Nice pics there mate - I like these places for a relaxed wander around with the feel of dereliction. even if they are chavved and whatever.

[Muse]

Nice pics of what's left Rich. The penultimate shot is a fave

[iclimbfences]

Nice photos man!

Really saddens me when I think what the Black country used to be like and what it is now :/

[sqwasher]

Great photos Mr B Frenzy! A great read too as always. Those youths in sportswear have a lot to bloody answer for!

[wolfism]

A very thoughtful thread.

Certain places I have visited have lots of one type of object. At St Edward's boys Home, Coleshill, there were loads of ladders; St Mary's hospital, Stannington had a lot of clocks. Here, there was a lot of disgarded clothes.

Yes, I sometimes wonder about discarded clothes in these places, too ... I've come to the conclusion that they're dumped by lazy rag dealers or charity collectors. I once came across an old haulage contractor's depot that was knee deep in clothes ... a bit surreal.

[Mr Smith]

Good to see this place. Had a drunken wonder around it before I had a camera and a conscious purpose for going into these places. Nice pics

[boxfrenzy]

Many thanks!