Tales of the Urban Explorer: Whetley Mills

Sometimes you just a hit a great one and this was the case as we found Whetley Mills in Bradford.

@goblinknackers was aware of this huge but not badly decomposed mill but not of the access status.

Just opposite was yet another badly decaying building. It's like every few steps you take in this city, there are broken windows and boarded up buildings.

The mill was situated next to a stretch of water and we could visibly see that most of the windows were broken, a sign for us to get in there and start looking around.

We walked around to the back of the property seeing nobody, but plenty of parked cars nevertheless. This was not the only business in the immediate area.

These steps looked interesting, as we could visibly see an open doorway two flights up. @mender1 was wincing as he has some vertigo problems but followed as myself and @goblinknackers climbed up tentatively.

The stairs seemed solid enough and in no time at all, we were on the second floor looking at a huge gaping empty floor with copious amounts of pigeon shit in places.

Photograph used with permission from @mender1, @goblinknackers (left), @slobberchops (right)

Someone had left these things to sit on in the middle of one of the floors, it seemed like a good time for a photograph and a sit down.

There were at least FIVE floors that were all accessible, but the stairs located at the opposite side of our access point, and many looked similar with the ground floor containing some building materials and old white goods.

We started by going up until we could ascend no more. The other badly decayed building could now be plainly seen as there was a gaping window we could lunge out from for a better view.

The top floor seemed to be full of some machinery that was whirring away, but it turned out to be just the wind.

The further up we went the more cluttered it looked, and we were seeing more pigeon skeletons and wondering just what the killer of these harmless birds was.

The roof was as far as we could go which proved too much for @mender1. The metal stairs attached to the side once again looked sturdy, but we were now five floors up and there was a bit of gale blowing.

@goblinknackers the fearless strode up the twisty steps to the roof and I followed feeling nervous and getting a good grip on the steps.

I figured if @goblinknackers had made it I safely without falling to his death I would be OK as he weighs about twice as much as me.

The very top floor looked different than the rest, and @mender1 will be interested in these snaps as he wasn’t parley to this part of the building.

I was concerned the floor was not safe and had noticed more pigeon skeletons scattered around.

It did not take long to work out who was the pigeon murderer as a scrawny looking mid-grey coloured cat shot from right side to the left side of the mill in blinding speed.

I started down to the other end of the mill very tentatively feeling my way before adding my full weight to the floor. Part of the building was open to the elements which told me to be careful.

This was the most interesting so far as it contained bits of machinery, writing carved into wood and some blocked stairs at the far end.

The cat did its scurrying trick once again on the way back. @mender1 meanwhile was shouting up, ‘where the hell are you’ and I was gaining more confidence that the floor was not actually going to cave in and result in my horrible death.

This is the stairs route back down to the regular levels, inviting, isn't it?

We made our way to the ground floor to explore the other side of the mill. By this time, we had spent probably an hour in there,

We found more building materials in the side area of the mill, and some great views. The cellar area was the final part with ominous looking steps leading downward.

This time they were stone, so I was not so concerned about breaking my neck.

It was dark down there, and I was glad of the huge light I had brought. What we found was a maze of corridors, rooms, very dodgy looking steps full of pigeon shit and not much else.

I was glad to get out of there. It wasn’t creepy as there were three of us. It was simply there was little to see in all the gloom.

We departed from the first floor after realising the door could actually be opened and headed down the metal stairway.

@goblinknackers was hailed by what looked like a guard and started a conversation while @mender1 and I strode toward the car and closure.

He seemed to talk to this bloke forever and once back with us revealed the guard would have given us the keys for easier access and that many Urban Explorers come this way for the same reason we did.

It makes a change, don't it!

All photographs were taken by myself.

Other articles in the ‘Urban Exploration’ series:

Gazeby Hall // British Mohair Holdings Ltd
// Holdings Country Pottery (Revisited)
The Ones that Got Away // The Doll's House
Camelot Theme Park // Albion Street Day Nursery
Allsprings House // The Latvian Consolute
Rose Bank Mill // Horncliffe Mansion Part One: The Car Graveyard
Horncliffe Mansion Part Two: The Mansion // Stand Athletic Football Club
A Trilogy of Failures II // Brodock Ltd, The Old Paper Mill (Failed)
Workhouse Farm // Hellifield Abandoned Train
Extwistle Hall // Huncoat Power Station (Demolished)
A Trilogy of Failures // Holdings Country Pottery

References:
https://www.theurbanexplorer.co.uk/
https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/
https://www.whateversleft.co.uk/
https://www.britainsdecays.com/
http://www.urbanxphotography.co.uk/urbex-faqs

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